Christmas and our Sunday Obligation

[Thom18]

Does the Christmas Eve Mass meet our Sunday obligation (as it’s on Sunday this year)? I only ask because I’m aware that a Mass after 4 o’clock on Saturday fulfills your Sunday obligation, so I’m wondering how a Sunday Mass after 4 o’clock works.

 

[Kei]

Ok, here’s how it goes.
You need to go to both a Sunday Mass and a Christmas mass.
Some masses on Christmas Eve fulfill the obligation, but not if they are merely a Sunday Mass.

So this weekend (Sat-Mon) you have two masses to go to.

 

[Spyridon]

It fulills your Sunday Obligation.

But then you are also still obliged to attend a Christmas Day Mass.

You could go to Mass say at 10am for the 4th Sunday of Advent, then go to a Christmas Day Vigil Mass at say 5pm Sunday, and this would fulfill both Obligations.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

I would note that just about every Church bulletin I have seen has explained this in detail this year. You may want to check with your parish bulletin or one from a neighboring parish.

 

[1ke]

Does the Christmas Eve Mass meet our Sunday obligation (as it’s on Sunday this year)?

It can.

What it cannot do is fulfill both your Sunday and your Christmas obligations at the same time. Two obligations = two masses.

I’m aware that a Mass after 4 o’clock on Saturday fulfills your Sunday obligation

Yes, because the law says any mass on the evening before or the day of the obligation fulfills the obligation.

so I’m wondering how a Sunday Mass after 4 o’clock works.

It works the same way any other mass on Sunday does. Sunday is midnight to midnight.

The Sunday mass at or after 4 pm can instead fulfill the Monday obligation, if you’ve gone to a different mass on Saturday or Sunday to fulfill the Sunday obligation.

Note: you are likely to be told that it doesn’t fulfill the Sunday obligation because of the readings, or some other reason… this is incorrect though often repeated information. It certainly can fulfill the Sunday obligation.

I would suggest you try to attend one liturgy that is celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Advent and one celebrating Christmas if you can.

 

[1ke]

Some masses on Christmas Eve fulfill the obligation, but not if they are merely a Sunday Mass.

All masses on Christmas Eve can fulfill either the Sunday or the Christmas obligation, but not both at the same time.

 

[PetraG]

The Sunday mass at or after 4 pm can instead fulfill the Monday obligation, if you’ve gone to a different mass on Saturday or Sunday to fulfill the Sunday obligation.

Note: you are likely to be told that it doesn’t fulfill the Sunday obligation because of the readings, or some other reason… this is incorrect though often repeated information. It certainly can fulfill the Sunday obligation.

I would suggest you try to attend one liturgy that is celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Advent and one celebrating Christmas if you can.

If I understand you correctly, you’re saying
(a) if someone were to go to a Christmas Eve Mass and a Christmas Day Mass, that would legally satisfy the obligation according to canon law, because canon law does not specify that the obligation can only be satisfied by a Mass that includes readings specific to the reason for the obligation,

but also

(b) it is more in keeping with the Church’s reason for making Mass obligatory on certain days to find a Mass that is specfically meant to recognize that point on the liturgical calendar.

Or is that not quite right?

 

[1ke]

(a) if someone were to go to a Christmas Eve Mass and a Christmas Day Mass, that would legally satisfy the obligation according to canon law, because canon law does not specify that the obligation can only be satisfied by a Mass that includes readings specific to the reason for the obligation,

This is correct.

(b) it is more in keeping with the Church’s reason for making Mass obligatory on certain days to find a Mass that is specfically meant to recognize that point on the liturgical calendar.

I am not going to say it is “more in keeping”. I could go to mass in a language I don’t understand. I could go to a mass in the Eastern Catholic Church which (depending on the day) may be celebrating a totally different calendar than the Latin Church (some feast days in the Eastern Catholic Churches do not line up with the Latin Catholic Church). I could go to a ritual mass for a wedding, funeral, or other sacramental event.

Or I could go to a mass in my own language, my own rite, and with certain readings.

They all fulfill the obligation.

I think could be awkward to try to cram in two obligations on the same day, so suggested to try for one for the 4th Sunday of advent (for example, Saturday night or Sunday morning) and then one for Christmas on Sunday night or Monday morning.

 

[PHXsunsAZ]

Easter and Christmas mass would be a lot more enjoyable if not for the hundreds of people coming out of the wood work. I’m already dreading having to park in a nearby neighborhood just because of these twice a year Catholics.

 

[Spyridon]

Being irritated because it inconveniences your parking situation is not the way you should view that.

Being grateful and joyful that at least they are attending Mass at all is a more appropriate Catholic response.

Offer your irritation at the parking situation as a penance to Jesus.

 

[PetraG]

I think could be awkward to try to cram in two obligations on the same day, so suggested to try for one for the 4th Sunday of advent (for example, Saturday night or Sunday morning) and then one for Christmas on Sunday night or Monday morning.

That makes sense.

 

[PetraG]

Easter and Christmas mass would be a lot more enjoyable if not for the hundreds of people coming out of the wood work. I’m already dreading having to park in a nearby neighborhood just because of these twice a year Catholics.

I’m actually charmed by the relatives willing to go to Christmas or Easter Mass with their grandmother in order to make her happy, even if there is no other reason on the planet they’d ever darken the door of a Catholic Church. Maybe that’s just avoiding conflict, but I prefer to think of it as an act of self-sacrifice. I wish they were not ignorant of the grace they’re habitually refusing, but giving in to the grace they see is encouraging. There is always hope for someone willing to act in self-sacrifice because of love or even human affection.

 

[Joe_5859]

Here’s a handy infographic (pay no attention to the bottom half ). Obviously individual parish Mass times will vary.

 

[Tulitas]

Don’t be irritated. Remember the prodigal son. That’s US. All of us at some point or another, especially when we sin. Rejoice that they came home. Make them welcome. Smile, pray with them, remember them all in your prayers.
Make this a joyous Christmas for them, by being joyful yourself.
Christianity and mercy are not always convenient
May you be particularly blessed this Christmas season

 

[phil19034]

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/com...-go-to-mass-twice-on-christmas-eve-this-year/

 

[Elf01]

That’s not true. You need to attend one Mass per obligation. The readings don’t matter.

 

[1ke]

Indeed you do.

This is not true.

 

[Thom18]

Would going to the Christmas eve Mass and the midnight Mass work? I just found out that I work too late to make it Saturday evening, and too early to make it Sunday morning.

 

[1ke]

Yes. That works just fine.

 

[MrZoom]

Would going to the Christmas eve Mass and the midnight Mass work? I just found out that I work too late to make it Saturday evening, and too early to make it Sunday morning.

Yes. That works just fine.

I knew this from previous discussions in other fora, but I wish I had known this back in 2000, a previous instance where Christmas fell on a Monday.

That year, at my parents’ suggestion because of the weather, I took Amtrak and Greyhound to visit them in Detroit rather than drive all the way from West Virginia. So I was without a car and dependent on them for transportation.

On that Sunday, my dad drove me over to St. Mary of Redford parish, the Catholic church nearest their home, only to find that Mass was being dismissed at the time it would normally be getting ready to start.

My parents (neither of whom were Catholic at that time; my dad never was, and mom had left the church a few years previous) made no attempt to find another Mass to take me to. I was a bit upset. Mom tried to calm me down by suggesting the bishop might have dispensed the Sunday obligation, as had been done in a previous occurrence of that calendar configuration.

She did accompany me to not-quite-Midnight Mass at St. Mary of Redford later that evening.

I did not confess missing Sunday Mass in this case, as I reasoned I had made my best effort to make it, but was thwarted by the circumstances.