4th Sunday of Advent/Christmas Mass Obligation

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929dad

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I was talking with some family members yesterday and I think I shared the right information, but I know I’ll either get clarification or charitable correction here.
What I told them:
Attending a 9PM Christmas Eve Mass (Sunday night this year) would fulfill the obligation to attend both Sunday Mass AND Christmas.

Was I right?

I also encouraged them to attend Mass twice, but that’s what the conversation focused on.
 
No. There are two obligations, one for Sunday and one for Monday (Christmas). That requires attendance at two Masses. The Sunday Mass obligation can be fulfilled Saturday evening or on Sunday. The Christmas obligation could be fulfilled Sunday evening or Monday. But there are no two-fers.
 
If in the US see USCCB Newsletter of Feb 2017…there are circumstances that a individual dispensation can be granted (as usual) by pastors, and even a regional dispensation by Bishops.

So, you are unlikely to get a definitive answer here, because it depends on a lot of circumstances.

See you Pastor and follow his advice.
 
No. Two different obligations. Not satisfied by attendance at one mass.
 
Everything above about no two fers was also clearly spelled out by my bishop recently. He very clearly stated that we need to schedule enough masses that people may satisfy both their Sunday and Christmas obligations separately. That means we will likely be adding additional Saturday anticipatory masses.

I haven’t been cheeky enough to ask Father if we will do a 2:45 pm mass on Sunday followed by a 4pm Christmas Vigil Mass so that people can just take a quick bio break between the two masses and not have to “go” to mass twice.
 
TheLittleLady said:
No Two-Fer on Christmas or Easter.
Click to expand...
On Easter, there’s only one obligation.

Attending the Easter Vigil through to an Easter Sunday night actually fulfills the “Sunday” obligation and the “Feast of Easter” obligation because the Easter obligation replaces what would otherwise be the Sunday one.
 
Since my parents attend the Mass during the Night every year, I told them that they also have to go to Mass on Sunday morning or afternoon since we have to meet the Sunday obligation as well. But my mother said that: “Our Lord would understand! The Mass during the Night falls on a Sunday night.” and with a sermon concerning liturgical rigidity :((
 
I, unfortunately, have family members that think that way, too.
 
That is what you get for telling your parents what they need to do. It sounds like you got a lecture in respecting your parents, which would not be the least surprising. Had you said that as a child, to my parents or grandparents, you likely would have been picking yourself up from the floor.
 
First of all, I never got any lecture concerning respecting parents. I got lectured concerning on how I was too ‘attached’ to the church rules. Don’t assume that I was lectured on such. I am doing my Christian duty to remind them to go to Mass. Now if they don’t want to, it is up to them. I reminded them already out of that same duty.
 
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