Sundays

Every Sunday is a celebration of the Paschal Mystery. Hence, Sundays are normatively feasts of the Lord. The BAS provides a list of Holy Days with Precedence over a Sunday. These few Holy Days with Precedence are inextricably linked with the life and ministry of Christ. The fact that these feasts take precedence over a Sunday if their feast days falls on one is an acknowledgement of the pre-eminence of their role in the Paschal Mystery. There is an increasing tendency in many provinces of the Anglican Communion and other denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, to allow the possibility for the celebration of these days to be transferred to the nearest Sunday (outside of Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, or Advent – none of them actually occur during these seasons) if there is a special devotion to that Feast by the worshipping community. This allows more freedom for the local community to fully express its piety and devotion. The fact that the church already observes Sundays of piety and devotion which do not fulfill the strict rationale of the emphasis on the Paschal Mystery, such as Harvest Thanksgiving, Remembrance Sunday, Dedication Sunday, and Patronal Festivals, adds some weight to the suggestion. Some parishes already follow this custom. In the BAS these days are as follows: The Presentation of the Lord, The Birth of St John the Baptist, Saints Peter and St Paul, Saint Mary the Virgin, Holy Cross Day, and St Michael and All Angels. If celebrating these feasts on weekdays is not conducive to their festive nature, or there is a strong devotional reason to ensure their observance and this is unable to be done through a weekday observance, it may be pastorally sensitive and appropriate to transfer them to the Sunday. As this use of Holy Days with Precedence in this way is not envisioned by the BAS no facilitating directions or suggestions have been included in this ordo.