HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION: How many are they?

Dearest friends, a number of Catholics who have been hearing about Holy Days of Obligation since childhood may not have been able to know more about such Holy Days.

Now, Holy Days of Obligation are those Days which are NOT Sundays but are meant to be treated as Sundays because of the DEEP MYSTERIES that HONOUR the Lord, the Virgin Mary and the Saints, which are celebrated on such Days (Cf. CCC n. 2043, Can. 1247).

Thus, as faithful Catholics, we are OBLIGED to always keep Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation HOLY by attending MASS and ABSTAINING/RESTING from such WORK or BUSINESS that would prevent us from Worshipping God, experiencing the Joy associated with the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body (Cf. Can. 1247, CCD n. 230, CCC n. 2042). The reason behind the above is for our spiritual and corporal well-being (Cf. CCC n. 2041). Thus, refusing to observe them amounts to SIN.

Now, though these Holy Days of Obligation are 10 in number but the Bishops’ Conferences have the authority either to move some of them to Sundays or suppress them (Cf. Can. 1246).

Therefore, for the Catholics in NIGERIA, we have only 4 Holy Days of Obligation. They are easily remembered with this acronym: CAAA. They are:
👉🏼1. CHRISTMAS Day (December 25).
👉🏼2. ASCENSION Thursday (40 Days after Easter).
👉🏼3. ASSUMPTION Day (August 15).
👉🏼4. ALL SAINTS Day (November 1).

So, if you are from other countries, kindly approach your parish priest and ask him which are the Holy Days of Obligation approved by the Bishop’ Conference of your country.

Remain blessed🙏🏼