The opposing positions of Melanie McDonagh (“For everything a season”, 31 May) and Mgr Basil Loftus (Letters, 7 June) on the vexed question of the date of the Ascension could surely be reconciled if we could get rid of the notion of “obligation”. We all know that the vast majority of people come to church when and where they can or will, and they are not going to be persuaded by grim and outdated titles. One forms the impression that the Ascension was moved to a Sunday in this country mainly to combine obligations and thus kill two birds with one stone.  Maybe we should talk of Days of Delight rather than of Obligation.What is to stop one celebrating the Ascension on the Thursday (along with Anglicans, Lutherans, Orthodox and others besides) with one Mass for