S
starkmunro
Guest
It seems I remember in the past that the Christmas Eve Mass on a Friday evening fulfilled the Sunday obligation. Does anyone know if this has happened in the past? What about this year?
- Status
S
Spirithound
Guest
It does not. Sunday obligations are never abrogated by the law itself.
M
MarkThompson
Guest
It would not meet the Sunday obligation. The Code of Canon Law states:
Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at * a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.
So you can meet the Christmas obligation by going on Friday evening (Christmas Eve), and you can meet the Sunday obligation by going on Saturday evening (Christmas Day evening), but you cannot meet the Sunday obligation by going on Friday evening.*
Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at * a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.
So you can meet the Christmas obligation by going on Friday evening (Christmas Eve), and you can meet the Sunday obligation by going on Saturday evening (Christmas Day evening), but you cannot meet the Sunday obligation by going on Friday evening.*
C
ConstantineTG
Guest
Canon Law states that you can only fulfill an obligation by going to a Mass on the day itself, or the night before. Since Friday is not the night before Sunday, it doesn’t fulfill Sunday. I do not know if its different in the past but what I said is what is in the Canon Law today so that is what is to be followed today.
Also, you cannot fulfill two obligations with one Mass. If you live in a place that would have Evening Masses because of a holiday like Christmas, you cannot attend Mass on Saturday evening of the 25th to fulfill your Christmas obligation and Sunday obligation on the 26th. The earlier obligation is fulfilled first, so going to Mass on Saturday evening will fulfill Christmas obligation if you haven’t done so yet. If you can get to another evening Mass, then that will fulfill your Sunday obligation. On the other hand, you can attend earlier in the day on Saturday to fulfill Christmas, then later in the evening to fulfill Sunday. Basically as long as the Christmas obligation is not yet fulfilled, you fulfill that first before you can fulfill Sunday, and never at the same time, unless of course they are the same day.
1
1ke
Guest
You remember wrongly.
Christmas Eve Mass satisfies the Christmas obligation. Christmas is a Holy Day of Obligation no matter what day if falls on.
You must still attend Mass on Sunday, Dec 26, or on Saturday evening the 25th if your parish offers an anticipatory mass for Sunday on that day (doubtful).
P
puzzleannie
Guest
in what past?
Christmas eve Mass on Friday fills the obligation for Christmas, Saturday, not for Sunday. If Christmas falls on Sunday yes the Christmas eve (Saturday evening Mass) would fill both obligations
C
ConstantineTG
Guest
It doesn’t have to be anticipatory. As long as the Liturgy in any Catholic Rite is held in the evening prior to a feast (including Sundays) then it fulfills the obligation for the next day but only if an obligation for the current day (which in this case is Christmas) has already been fulfilled. So if there is a 4pm and a 6pm Christmas Day Mass, one can attend the 4pm for Christmas, then the 6pm for Sunday, even though it would be technically the same Mass with the same Readings.
edit: LOL@Mark, same answer, same time. I just took a while to type
L
laszlo
Guest
If a Holy day of obligation falls of Monday of Saturday then the obligation of that Holy day is suppressed, but not on the other way for Sunday. If one attended Mass on 1st of November (Monday this year) that did not fulfilled the obligation for the previous Sunday.
So the only possible question could be is Christmas in this year being on Saturday Holy day of obligation or not. As far as I remember the above relief for the obligation does not apply for Christmas, so one must attend Mass both on 25 and 26 of December. Friday afternoon and Saturday night fulfills the obligation, but Saturday night in itself does not count twice.
M
MarkThompson
Guest
The abrogation of obligation for a holy day falling on a Saturday or Monday depends on (a) which day it is, and (b) the specific rules promulgated by the national conference of bishops and approved by the Holy See. In the United States, the rule is:
Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.
M
Matthew_Holford
Guest
Going to Mass on the evening of Friday 24th December 2010 cannot satisfy the Sunday obligation for Sunday 26th December 2010.
The Missal provides two Masses for the evening of 24th December: Mass of the Vigil of the Nativity and First Mass of the Nativity: Mass during the Night - both these Masses satisfy the obligation for the Lord’s Nativity (Christmas Day).
I would be careful about Masses celebrated on the evening of Saturday 25th December 2010. I have seen on a few diocesan websites that because the Lord’s Nativity (Saturday 25th December 2010) takes precedence over the Feast of the Holy Family (Sunday 26th December 2010) that Masses of the Holy Family cannot be celebrated on the eveing of Saturday 25th December 2010. Evening Prayer on Saturday 25th December 2010 will be EP II of the Lord’s Nativity (not EP I of Holy Family) and Compline will be Compline following EP II of Sundays.
I’d check with your parish priest/pastor or diocesan website (liturgy/worship office).
The Missal provides two Masses for the evening of 24th December: Mass of the Vigil of the Nativity and First Mass of the Nativity: Mass during the Night - both these Masses satisfy the obligation for the Lord’s Nativity (Christmas Day).
I would be careful about Masses celebrated on the evening of Saturday 25th December 2010. I have seen on a few diocesan websites that because the Lord’s Nativity (Saturday 25th December 2010) takes precedence over the Feast of the Holy Family (Sunday 26th December 2010) that Masses of the Holy Family cannot be celebrated on the eveing of Saturday 25th December 2010. Evening Prayer on Saturday 25th December 2010 will be EP II of the Lord’s Nativity (not EP I of Holy Family) and Compline will be Compline following EP II of Sundays.
I’d check with your parish priest/pastor or diocesan website (liturgy/worship office).
1
1ke
Guest
My point was that it is doubtful the parish will have a Saturday evening Mass when they have celebrated numerous Masses Friday night and Saturday. My old parish never had an evening Mass on Christmas, even when it fell on Saturday.
I doubt there will be any weddings or funerals on Christmas Day night that the OP could attend either.
M
MarkThompson
Guest
It is not relevant which Mass is celebrated on the evening before a day of obligation (incl. Sunday), only that it is celebrated. A wedding, funeral, or any other Mass will be sufficient, without regard to which readings are used, which EP is said, etc. 1ke may well be right that few or no parishes celebrate Mass on the evening of Christmas Day, but the general principle remains that “a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.” Precedence of celebrations and choice of liturgical texts are immaterial to the obligation.
M
Matthew_Holford
Guest
My misunderstanding then. Which may be related to my own personal choice of going on the day itself. I grew up when “anticipated Mass” on the previous evening was a privilege (if that is the appropriate word), e.g. if you had to work on Sunday so were allowed to fulfil the obligation on Saturday evening. I struggle getting used to the new discipline - Mass on Saturday evening is Sunday Mass not an anticipated (or vigil) Mass. Linked to this I thought that in fulfilling the obligation on Saturday evening meant, if you like, the full Sunday serving - liturgical colour of Sunday, ordinary of the Sunday (e.g. Gloria used or omitted), homily, Credo, propers and readings of the Sunday, Preface for that Sunday, etc.
M
MarkThompson
Guest
I’m with you on preferring Sunday, Matthew. I think I’ve been to an anticipated Mass maybe twice in my life, if that. Usually this issue comes up on this forum because, for whatever reason, the myth is widespread and surprisingly deep-seated that you must hear the Sunday readings for it to count. A couple of months ago there was a thread that went on for pages because someone just couldn’t wrap his mind around the notion that a wedding Mass, or a graduation Mass, or a Mass said by a priest who chose the wrong readings just to be ornery, could meet the Sunday obligation. But anyway, no, the Sunday’s liturgical color, the Credo, etc., are not required. The requirement is to go to Mass on Sunday, not to go to Sunday Mass.
M
Matthew_Holford
Guest
While we’re on this topic I repeatedly read that if the Mass is after 4 pm it satisfies the obligation. Is that a ruling by the USCCB or just a general rule most US dioceses accept? There doesn’t appear to be any such ruling about the time in England & Wales. I can confirm that because I emailed our Bishop’s secretary and he said he didn’t know what the time was in our diocese and he’d get back to me (he hasn’t yet despite several follow up emails) so if a priest in my diocese doesn’t know we mustn’t have a standard time in England & Wales. I think it’s up to each diocesan bishop to decide but from this forum I get the impression it’s 4 pm across the States.
M
MarkThompson
Guest
I have read an explanation for the 4:00 pm figure, and if memory serves it comes from a statement from a Pope once about the earliest that Vespers ought to be said. To my knowledge, though, 4:00 PM as an objective limit for Saturday anticipated Masses is just an inference based on vagueish pronouncements and has never been officially declared. As a data point to the contrary, the cathedral in Las Vegas has anticipated Masses at 2:30 pm, 4 pm, and 5:30 pm on Saturday (as well as five Masses on Sunday). I have heard that this is necessary because of the amount of people who must work long hours on Saturday and Sunday in the Vegas casinos. I would be inclined to think that the general principle to be divined from this is that a Mass on Saturday is an anticipated Mass for purposes of the Sunday obligation if it is said after 4:00 pm or if the bishop determines that it does.
P
Phemie
Guest
The time rule comes to us from Pope Pius XII’s 1953 Apostolic Constitution “CHRISTUS DOMINUS” which first gave permission for evening Masses and set 4 p.m. as the time after which an ‘evening Mass’ could be celebrated. Remember that before 1953 Masses had to be celebrated before noon.
F
franciscanhobbi
Guest
But only for those particular days: ie. Jan i, Aug 15, or Nov 1. It is not a general rule to be applied whenever a day falls on Saturday/Monday.
M
MarkThompson
Guest
Uh, right. It “depends on (a) which day it is, and (b) the specific rules promulgated by the national conference of bishops and approved by the Holy See.”
- Status