Feast Days During Lent

March 17, 2023
Author: Hannah DeVivo

Peace be with you!

Today, let’s see what the Church says about feast days during Lent!

Dispensations

As we know, the Lenten season is one of solemn reflection and abstinence. It is the time we focus mainly on prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Despite this, there are several feast days during Lent. Two of them in particular are feasts of great saints that the Church greatly respects and applauds. If the feast day of a saint falls on a day where we are called to abstain, how do we reconcile the celebration during this penitential time? The answer is a dispensation. A dispensation is an act whereby in a particular case a lawful superior grants relaxation from an existing law.

In The Code of Cannon Law, cannon 1245 states “Without prejudice to the right of diocesan bishops mentioned in can. 87, for a just cause and according to the prescripts of the diocesan bishop, a pastor can grant in individual cases a dispensation from the obligation of observing a feast day or a day of penance or can grant a commutation of the obligation into other pious works. A superior of a religious institute or society of apostolic life, if they are clerical and of pontifical right, can also do this in regard to his own subjects and others living in the house day and night.”




St. Patrick’s Day

Consequently, today is the feast of Saint Patrick! Here is a brief story of his life and a glimpse of why he is such an important and wonderful saint:

Saint Patrick was born around 389. At the age of 16, he was captured by pirates who took him to Ireland. Patrick stayed close to Jesus and the Catholic Faith. Six years later he escaped, and after many trials made his way home.Not long afterwards, Patrick saw in a dream the unborn children of Ireland stretching out their hands and crying out to him from the wombs of their mothers.God showed Patrick that he was to return to Ireland and tell the people about Jesus.So Patrick returned to Ireland where he was made Bishop, and he traveled all over the Emerald Isle bringing the Faith. He restored sight to the blind, health to the sick, and even raised the dead to life.Bishop Patrick died on March 17th in the year 461.

Saint Patrick’s Day is on March 17th and is celebrated in many places. This year it falls on a Friday, which would typically mean that those of us who meet the requirements are bound to abstain from meat. However, here in the diocese of Phoenix, we received the following message: “For St. Patrick's Day, Bishop Dolan has granted Catholics in the Diocese of Phoenix and those visiting here a dispensation from the obligation to abstain from meat on Friday, March 17. If you eat meat, please make some other act of sacrifice or charity that day.” It is likely that your diocese has a similar message. This means that we are allowed to celebrate the feast day by eating meat-corned beef for many of us!

St. Joseph’s Day

Saint Joseph was a young carpenter from the town of Nazareth.He was engaged to Mary. Before he and Mary lived together, the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and told her that God had chosen her to be the mother of His son. An angel also told Joseph, "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. You are to name her child Jesus." Joseph awoke and did all the angel had told him to do.After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt!Stay there until I tell you." Joseph arose quickly and took Jesus and Mary to Egypt. Later they returned to Nazareth, where Joseph worked hard to take care of Mary and Jesus, whom he loved.

St. Joseph’s feast day is March 19th. It is a particularly celebratory day in Europe, where they have large parties and festivities. This year it falls on a Sunday, so no dispensation is required.

Holy Days of Obligation

While we’re here, let’s touch on holy days of obligation. Cannons 1246 and 1247 state:

Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.

Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.

Before You Go

Do you do something special to celebrate Saint Patrick’s feast day?

Do you do something special to celebrate Saint Joseph’s feast day?

Did you learn anything new in this article?

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