DRE, Ibadan Archdiocese

Faith series, Episode 127

Solemnity:

The exterior pomp with which a feast may be enhanced, by decoration of the Church and the altar, richness of sacred vestments, number of assistants etc.

The term external solemnity is used for the transfer of a Solemnity or Feast to some other day when pastoral advantage or a serious need occurs. Examples would be the transfer of the Solemnity of SS Peter & Paul to the following Sunday, the transfer of the feast of the principal patron, titular or the dedication of a Church, the titular or Saint who founded the Order, Congregation or Religious institute to either the following Sunday or someday more fitting to the group for whom the celebration has special importance.

FEASTS

These are days in the Church’s year that commemorates certain events in salvation history, Sacred Mysteries, by which special honor accrues to God, our Saviour, the angels, the Blessed Mother and the Saints.

The celebration consists primarily of the Mass in honor of the Mystery or Saints and the performance of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The regular occurrence of feasts throughout the year reminds us to grow in holiness and prepares us for the coming of Christ.

Sundays also, are little Easters, reflect the Mystery of Christ, particularly during the various seasons of the year. Thus throughout the year we are kept mindful of the principal Mysteries and persons of Christianity

1. Some feasts are fixed, that is they occur each year on the same date. For example, Christmas, the Assumption and most feasts of the Saints. Some feasts are attached to a fixed Sunday for instance, Christ the King.
2. Other feasts are moveable that is: they fall on different dates each year, dependent on the date assigned for instance Easter, which will affect Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, the Holy Trinity and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In the current terminology of feast, the Roman calendar divides them into Solemnities, Feasts and Memorials (privileged obligatory or optional). Sundays and weekdays are classed separately. Thus the word Feast may have this specific meaning of being second in rank among all feasts.

Although there are feasts of very many Saints in existence, not all of them are celebrated by everyone. Many are celebrated locally by a diocese, or by the Religious community. Comparatively few Saints are honoured throughout the Universal Church each year, for they must have universal significance for the whole Church.

Feasts in the very specific sense are limited in their celebration to a natural day. Only feasts of the Lord, when they fall on Sundays, enjoy evening prayer, for they substitute for the Sunday Office. In the liturgy of the Hours Feasts tend to have more proper parts than Memorials, at the daytime hours, the Feast’s proper prayer is said even though the Psalms and antiphons are almost always from the weekday. Night Prayer is also as on ordinary weekdays. However the Office of the Readings, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer are the same as on a Solemnity.

Certain Feasts are termed Holy Days of Obligation and are observed as days of rest by Christians.