The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Of the Marian holidays (holy days), the Feast of the Assumption is considered the most important.  It is also a holy day of obligation for Catholics - so faithful Catholics must find time to be at Mass this day.  Check with your local parish/diocese for options here.  The feast day is August 15th, which falls on Thursday this year.  

DEFINED DOGMA
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also defined dogma in the Catholic Church.  No faithful Catholic can deny this event.  The definition is found in MUNIFICENTISSIMUS DEUS (MD), and while that whole document is good, technically the only "infallible" part is the sentence which contains the definition of the Assumption, and that is:

by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: 

that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.

As you can see, in the definition - there is no mention of whether or not she died - only that she "completed the course of her earthly life."  Thus you will find faithful Catholics who disagree on this particular point.  In 2011 I wrote another article on this topic: Did Mary Die?

ORDINAL TIME?
This is also an opportunity, yet another, for me to get on my soapbox about calling this particular season "Ordinary Time."  There are SO MANY very EXTRA-ordinary feasts during this season, to refer to it as "ordinary" - by our modern use of the word, seems to downplay these HUGE feast days!  The traditional reference to this season comes from the same root word - but makes it more clear - and that reference is "Ordinal Time" and "ordinal" means "counting."  Along the same note, there are TWO "ordinal" seasons in the liturgical calendar where we "count days."  The first ordinal season is the season after Epiphany which counts the Sundays after Epiphany up until the beginning of Lent.  The second ordinal season is the season after Pentecost, where we count the Sundays from Pentecost to the end of the liturgical year which starts anew at Advent.  In the modern lectionary these two seasons are combined - which, in my opinion, minimizes the importance of these season all the more.  

Easter Duty

What is the Easter Duty or Easter Obligation?
Well, let's first discuss the precepts involved here:

CCC 2042 The first precept ("You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor") requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts honoring the Mysteries of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints; in the first place, by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered, and by resting from those works and activities which could impede such a sanctification of these days.

The second precept ("You shall confess your sins at least once a year") ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism's work of conversion and forgiveness.

The third precept ("You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season") guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2042

Can. 920 §1. After being initiated into the Most Holy Eucharist, each of the faithful is obliged to receive holy communion at least once a year.

§2. This precept must be fulfilled during the Easter season unless it is fulfilled for a just cause at another time during the year.

Code of Canon Law 920

What Easter Duty is NOT
So, first off we must understand that "Easter Duty" is NOT merely the requirement to go to Mass once a year at Eastertide. This is a misnomer held by many a Catholic who doesn't really know their faith. Many "Catholics" show up for Mass once per year on Easter Sunday (some go twice per year with Easter and Christmas), my challenge to those was posted in 2006, (click here). Easter Duty does not imply that Catholics are only required to attend Mass once per year! Those who think this way are ignoring the First Precept, wherein faithful Catholics are required to participate in Mass on ALL SUNDAYS and Holy Days of Obligation. To only go to Mass once per year grossly ignores the First Precept.

What Easter Duty IS
Easter Duty refers to the Third Precept, mentioned above. It is the requirement to receive the Eucharist at least once during the Easter Season. In years past reception of the Eucharist was not an every Sunday affair and especially not daily reception - as many modern Catholics are accustomed to. Reception of Eucharist could be once per quarter, once per 6 months or even once per year. The Church decreed that faithful Catholics must receive Eucharist at least once during the season of Easter, or Eastertide.

What is Eastertide?
The season of Easter, or Eastertide, begins on Easter Sunday and lasts through Pentecost Sunday. There's no rush to get ones Easter Duty done on Easter Sunday. You have from the First Mass of Easter, during the Easter Vigil, through the last Mass of Pentecost Sunday.

In Summary
To summarize - faithful Catholics are required to attend and participate in Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation (the First Precept). At least once per year, during Eastertide, faithful Catholics are to receive the Eucharist (the Third Precept). In order to licitly receive the Eucharist, faithful Catholics must be spiritually prepared, that is, they cannot have mortal sin on their soul (to not fulfill the First Precept not attending Mass every Sunday is a mortal sin), thus the necessity to go to Confession prior to Eucharist arises, and we are required to confess our sins at least once per year too (the Second Precept). So the "Easter Duty" or "Easter Obligation" is to receive Eucharist at least once between the First Mass of Easter (during Easter Vigil) and the final Mass on Pentecost Sunday.