Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Take off that Holy Day

Today is All Hollows and tomorrow is of course, All Saints Day. This brings English speaking Catholics a desire to attend Mass in a country, that by Protestant English tradition frowns on honoring the Saints, exacts work out of the common man and does not celebrate God on a national level. Therefore, a Catholic who wants to go to Church must often decide what is more important, career, privacy or faith.

Certainly, if the Tudor King Henry VIII had remained Catholic, none of this would have happened. The fact is that due to Henry VIII’s greed and transgressions the common folk of England lost approximately 21 days a year of extra rest . These days of course were the former Holy Days of the Christian calendar. The English speaking world could enjoy God and family at home and church on these days.

In these days of merry olde England, an Englishman did not have to work and would participate in community fairs and celebrations of food, music, games and of course attendance at Holy Mass . Certainly, the English speaking world lost much more than their religion under Henry VIII. We lost freedom, good times and national reverence toward God the Father.

A day like November 1 was a day an employee did not have to ask time off to celebrate and go to Mass. Other days included January 6, Epiphany, February 2, Candlemass, March 26, Day of the Annunciation, etc. Clearly we lost at least 21 extra days a year.

For what, so Henry could confiscate church property, murder priests, and make the common man work harder for the realm.

The United States has continued this disregard for celebration of God in our lives just like the English Monarch. In our country, our constitution by its liberal nature is neutral toward God and Christian doctrine. Our Constitution does not declare God's sovereignty but man's sovereignty.

We urge Catholics to take pride in their heritage, ask for these days off and praise God. Catholics, united, can bring back God into the national consciousness through prayer, faith, and simply, en masse, refuse to go to work these days.

Believe it or not, Catholics in New England were influential enough to compel Protestant Massachusetts in the 1700’s to declare Christmas a holiday. Before that time a Catholic had to work on Christmas. Catholics can make a difference.

Praise God.