I’m guessing that I asked the question because of some controversy going on in another thread.
In this parish we have the 4:30 p.m. Family Mass, when the church is filled to overflowing, and the 9 p.m. “Midnight” Mass. I’m happy to be going to our daughter’s for Christmas. Mass there is a true Midnight Mass. I have to wonder why old people were hardier when I was a kid and Midnight Mass had the church filled to capacity.GordonP:
For others, Midnight Mass is part of the tradition with family and friends. Little kids are carried into Mass in their flannel Christmas PJs and often sleep right through the Mass.
Adults dress up in their Christmas clothes, everyone walks in the dark, beautiful winter midnight, it feels magical and special.
I know parishes who have a breakfast meal after Midnight Mass, I know families who go home and eat, open gifts and then sleep late on Christmas Morning.
What is inconvenient for one person is the most special part of Christmas for others. That is why I thank God we have 4 Masses from which to choose!
IIRC, prior to the reforms of Vatican II, every Christmas Mass had to be celebrated on Christmas Day, they could not be celebrated on Christmas Eve. Hence, the EARLIEST the celebration of the First Mass of Christmas (with its unique readings and prayers) could begin was at 12 Midnight (and no earlier).
Both the USCCB and the CCCB 1974 Sacramentaries had it as “Christmas Mass at Midnight”. When the 2011 Roman Missals were promulgated it had changed to “Mass during the Night”.Jen95:
I do not know if the Latin versions of the Roman Missal ever used a version of the word “midnight” or not. And I do not know if the English language titles were or are standardized across the English speaking world.
Edited to say: The USCCB uses the title: The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) - Mass During the Night
The key words being “had changed.” Publishers had been referring to “Mass During the Night” long before the 2011 Roman Missal was promulgated. In the older thread I referenced a few posts back, you yourself said that the phrase had been in use in Canada for some time.
As someone else said, it’s not only the increase in street crime and the increased need for people to be driving a significant distance to Mass in many areas as opposed to just walking a couple blocks to the church or taking a bus/ streetcar/ subway etc, but also the fact that parishes have fewer priests, and Father is not going to be able to say a midnight Mass, get 4 hours of sleep, and then function well enough to say 2 more Masses in the morning, especially when one of those might require him to drive a distance to some other parish. In the olden days there would be enough other priests that Father could sleep in after celebrating Midnight Mass.
That certainly wasn’t the case when I was growing up in a rural area. Father was the sole priest in our parish, as were the priests in neighbouring villages, and they all celebrated Midnight Mass, immediately followed by Mass at Dawn and then got up to celebrate the Christmas Day Mass. Granted, few parishioners had to drive more than 5 miles to reach their church in an area without public transportation.Phemie:
As someone else said, it’s not only the increase in street crime and the increased need for people to be driving a significant distance to Mass in many areas as opposed to just walking a couple blocks to the church or taking a bus/ streetcar/ subway etc, but also the fact that parishes have fewer priests, and Father is not going to be able to say a midnight Mass, get 4 hours of sleep, and then function well enough to say 2 more Masses in the morning, especially when one of those might require him to drive a distance to some other parish. In the olden days there would be enough other priests that Father could sleep in after celebrating Midnight Mass.
Ours is at 8:30 p.m. for similar reasons. Our priest is in his 70s, and has undergone cancer treatment in recent years. He also does not participate in the distribution of communion at Sunday Mass, leaving it to the EMHC’s; I presume out of charity that is due to his health issues.
Well, our priest is pastor of three parishes, so yes.
Yes, I keep seeing that the lack of “midnight Mass” is being blamed on old people. Well, I’m old and so are most of the people I know, and we don’t have any trouble staying up later if there is a good reason. I would think the earlier “late Mass” time would be more due to younger people with small children who will be getting up at some early time the next day.
Someone calling the rectory to find out “What time is midnight Mas” was still one of the classic stupid questions when I was growing up . . .
If your point is that we should commemorate the exact hour at which Jesus rose, that would be midnight in Jerusalem and 5 pm on the preceding day where I am at, because Jerusalem is 7 hours ahead of us. And various other times depending on where one is in the world from Jerusalem.