Christmas Mass

[AlexV]

This whole ridiculous issue wouldn’t even be raised if people actually cared about liturgical days and not just the legalism of “what can I legally do to fulfill my obligation?”

Sunday night, December 24, is a NEW LITURGICAL DAY.
That new day lasts throughout December 25.

The “Fourth Sunday of Advent” stretches from Saturday night through Sunday, midafternoon.

 

[franksta]

This whole ridiculous issue wouldn’t even be raised if people actually cared about liturgical days and not just the legalism of “what can I legally do to fulfill my obligation?”

This is presumptuous and unfair. You have no way of knowing people’s hearts or what they care about. The original poster seemed to want to observe both the Lord’s Day and the Nativity, but had a reasonable question about when s/he could/should do both. One ordinarily can observe the Lord’s Day until Sunday evening, but that opportunity is shortened this year. Instead of just answering the question or clarifying points, you seem to want to beat people over the head with liturgical rules. That kind of nit-pickery is what’s legalistic here.

 

[Digitonomy]

I agree with each of the last four posts, with the exception that franksta implies you can’t observe the Lord’s Day Sunday evening. Though it won’t be part of Sunday on the liturgical calendar, and mass at that time will be a Christmas mass, you are free to observe the Lord’s Day both privately and by attending that mass as your obligatory Sunday mass.

 

[AlexV]

In years like this, the question shouldn’t even come up.

Sunday night CHRISTMAS BEGINS and the Fourth Sunday of Advent ENDS.

Sure, legally, Canon Law has a loophole…you could go on Sunday night to a Christmas Mass and again on Monday for a Christmas Mass and “fulfill your obligation”.

But you’d be displaying zero liturgical sensitivity and awareness.

 

[CRW]

In years like this, the question shouldn’t even come up.

Sunday night CHRISTMAS BEGINS and the Fourth Sunday of Advent ENDS.

Sure, legally, Canon Law has a loophole…you could go on Sunday night to a Christmas Mass and again on Monday for a Christmas Mass and “fulfill your obligation”.

But you’d be displaying zero liturgical sensitivity and awareness.

Normally our Church has a 7 pm Teen Mass on Sundays. It has been canceled this year so all can attend the Sunday obligation either on the Saturday Vigil, or at the 8, 10, 11:30 or 1 pm Mass on Sunday. At 6 pm (Sunday), the Church will hold it children’s Christmas Vigil Mass (church tradition so the children can go to bed early and get up early), a Midnight Mass, 8, 10,11:30 and 1 pm Monday for the Christmas obligation. Our dear departed Pastor would always remind all, do not call me, the Midnight Mass is a 12pm.

 

[Magicsilence]

Can you imagine starting ‘Christ-mass’ day without mass!!

How rubbish would that be!

Even a normal Sunday without mass (ie going on Sat night) feels empty!

How much more so for the biggest day of the year. What possible excuse is there? Who works all day long on Christmas day and is Catholic?

Peace and God Bless!

 

[CRW]

Can you imagine starting ‘Christ-mass’ day without mass!!

How rubbish would that be!

Even a normal Sunday without mass (ie going on Sat night) feels empty!

How much more so for the biggest day of the year. What possible excuse is there? Who works all day long on Christmas day and is Catholic?

Peace and God Bless!

Fireman, police, hospital staff, the military, etc. Please keep our military in your prayers because they will still be on the front line, in harms way this Christmas.

 

[Magicsilence]

Fireman, police, hospital staff, the military, etc. Please keep our military in your prayers because they will still be on the front line, in harms way this Christmas.

The whole day? I am sure they have shifts…

And I am sure the military are excused of their obligation, if they are situated in a country without a Church!

Peace and God Bless.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Can you imagine starting ‘Christ-mass’ day without mass!!

How rubbish would that be!

Even a normal Sunday without mass (ie going on Sat night) feels empty!

How much more so for the biggest day of the year. What possible excuse is there? Who works all day long on Christmas day and is Catholic?

Peace and God Bless!

The “biggest” liturgical day is Easter!

 

[CRW]

The whole day? I am sure they have shifts…

And I am sure the military are excused of their obligation, if they are situated in a country without a Church!

Peace and God Bless.

I only retired from the military after 30 years so I am speaking from actual experience. Sometimes the shift workers cannot meet the times of Mass. Military man, responsible for maintaining missiles, stayed underground for 24/7 shifts. If it was your week to stay underground, you celebrated Christmas early or later with your family. Many fireman are on 48 to 72 hour shifts. They eat, they sleep, they live in the firehouse. Our local TV stations always have a special news broadcast, during the news, that feature those that had to work on Christmas.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I only retired from the military after 30 years so I am speaking from actual experience. Sometimes the shift workers cannot meet the times of Mass. Military man, responsible for maintaining missiles, stayed underground for 24/7 shifts. If it was your week to stay underground, you celebrated Christmas early or later with your family. Many fireman are on 48 to 72 hour shifts. They eat, they sleep, they live in the firehouse. Our local TV stations always have a special news broadcast, during the news, that feature those that had to work on Christmas.

If you cannot attend Mass and it is out of your control, you are excused from the obligation. That assumes that you tried everything reasonably available to you.

 

[CRW]

Org Post CRW
I only retired from the military after 30 years so I am speaking from actual experience. Sometimes the shift workers cannot meet the times of Mass. Military man, responsible for maintaining missiles, stayed underground for 24/7 shifts. If it was your week to stay underground, you celebrated Christmas early or later with your family. Many fireman are on 48 to 72 hour shifts. They eat, they sleep, they live in the firehouse. Our local TV stations always have a special news broadcast, during the news, that feature those that had to work on Christmas.
Br. Rich SFO:

If you cannot attend Mass and it is out of your control, you are excused from the obligation. That assumes that you tried everything reasonably available to you.

Br. Rich thanks for the post and I understand that one is excused from the obligation. I was just responding to the post that suggested that one does not work on Christmas or can work around their Christmas work schedule. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen that way.

 

[maryjk]

The whole day? I am sure they have shifts…

And I am sure the military are excused of their obligation, if they are situated in a country without a Church!

Peace and God Bless.

No they don’t. When my Dad was in the military, he worked all day and night of New Years. And the single people worked the same for Christmas.

Yes, they are excused from their obligation. But they do start their Christ Mass day without Mass.

Prayers to our men and women in uniform.

 

[LilyM]

This whole ridiculous issue wouldn’t even be raised if people actually cared about liturgical days and not just the legalism of “what can I legally do to fulfill my obligation?”

Sunday night, December 24, is a NEW LITURGICAL DAY.
That new day lasts throughout December 25.

The “Fourth Sunday of Advent” stretches from Saturday night through Sunday, midafternoon.

It’s not always about ‘getting away with’ bare minimum of anything

Some people have to drive very long distances to attend Mass, which is costly in terms of fuel and very tiring, especially on folks who are older or not in the best of health. Nothing wrong with them finding out if they have to repeat the process twice in two days or not.

If you are one who doesn’t have to think about the time it takes or the money it costs you to get to church then count your blessings. There are more than a few who aren’t so fortunate.

 

[decn2b]

The whole day? I am sure they have shifts…

.

I want to say “you ninkumpoop” but I will refrain. I am standing in a whole room of people who I invited to read your misinformed post. And we all agree…you must have no idea what it is like to work in the Healthcare profession I WORK THE WHOLE DAY CHRIATMAS DAY FROM 5 AM UNTIL 5PM. the entire dialysis world operates that way and you are talking about THOUSANDS of people. Nurses commonly work 12 hour shifts now. AND you live in london I live in an isolated town of 6000 people with ONE CHURCH!! AND ONE PRIEST. WE HAVE 2 Masses for sunday and 4 for x-mas eve. Saturday Mass starts 1/2 hour before I take scrubs off and head out the door. I am sure that there are thousands and thousands of people like me who without the grace of God would like to …never mind. Merry X-mas and remember…people like me get to take care of Jesus in the sick and infirmed on Christmas day.

 

[franksta]

God bless you decn2b.

I just today saw the Christmas weekend schedule for our parish…they decided on odd hours for the vigils this year: 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. I’ll be sure to tell all the 3pm folks they’re going to hell for participating in vigil too early…or at least displaying no “liturgical sensitivity.”

 

[agapewolf]

I am a parish music director…I have more masses than my parish priests who split them up.(I am in St. Louis, so we are not experiencing a dire shortage like other diocese)

Here’s my Christmas Weekend schedule

Sunday the 24th:

8:30 AM 10:00 AM and Noon

Play another place at 4 PM vigil (while another group plays at my parish)

Then to dinner with other Catholic musicians who are as close to me as my family because I have to have holiday dinners with them because of weekends like this Christmas weekend.

Then back to my parish for a 10:30 PM mass (choir starts at 10) Please do NOT criticize the earlier time. THANK GOD for the earlier time…because I’m not quite done…

Monday Christmas morning…back to my parish for an 8:30 and a 10 AM

By then, I’m a little “massed” out…

It’s exhausting and emotionally draining. So whoever asked about someone working on Christmas? I AM!!!

By the time I am done on Christmas morning, I’m so wiped out that I can’t really enjoy family.

 

[palmas85]

The whole day? I am sure they have shifts…

And I am sure the military are excused of their obligation, if they are situated in a country without a Church!

Peace and God Bless.

Having served in the military both in peace and war and as a sworn Law enforcement Officer I will let you in on a few things. In Law Enforcement, shifts are often at least 12 hours long sometimes much longer depending on what you are doing. Firefighters and a lot of Medical Peopel work 24 hour shifts. Sounds tough, but they do.

The military does not work at all like the civilian world. In peace time, your job may mimic a civilian job in many respects but you are constantly on call and if you have the duty you are required to be on station for the whole 24 hours.

In war time, you do what you can when you can and however you can. You will have long periods of utter inaction and boredom and periods of of intense danger and fear.
Even if a church or Mass is available, you may not be able to attend for any number of reasons completely beyond your control The same applies for peacetime military service.

Holidays such as Christmas are popular days for family gettogethers. Normally many people who don’t have families close will volunteeer to cover those shifts so that those with families can have some quality time with their loved ones.

If you are unable to get to Mass on these occasions my understaning has always been that you were excused from your obligation.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I am a parish music director…I have more masses than my parish priests who split them up.(I am in St. Louis, so we are not experiencing a dire shortage like other diocese)

Here’s my Christmas Weekend schedule

Sunday the 24th:

8:30 AM 10:00 AM and Noon

Play another place at 4 PM vigil (while another group plays at my parish)

Then to dinner with other Catholic musicians who are as close to me as my family because I have to have holiday dinners with them because of weekends like this Christmas weekend.

Then back to my parish for a 10:30 PM mass (choir starts at 10) Please do NOT criticize the earlier time. THANK GOD for the earlier time…because I’m not quite done…

Monday Christmas morning…back to my parish for an 8:30 and a 10 AM

By then, I’m a little “massed” out…

It’s exhausting and emotionally draining. So whoever asked about someone working on Christmas? I AM!!!

By the time I am done on Christmas morning, I’m so wiped out that I can’t really enjoy family.

Be thankful that your parish does not have a Midnight Mass!

It is people like you that help make the special liturgies so great for the rest of us.

Feel free to take Tuesday off.

 

[Mommyof02green]

But it’s my understanding that if a parish holds a separate evening vigil mass for the HDO that will work. For instance, go to mass Sunday morning for Sunday, then Sun eve for the vigil to Mon. Some parishes won’t do this, so you’ll have to check scheduling at your parish.

Yep it’s true…

My parish Sunday Morning Masses the 9:00 am and 11:00 am is for the 4th Sunday of Advent.

Then Sunday Night at 5:00 pm is the Vigil for Christmas.

Then there is also a Midnight Mass and 9:00 Am and 11:00 Am on Christmas Day for Christmas.