Christmas Octave

[Matthew_Holford]

I’ve noticed that many (arch)diocesan liturgy/worship commissions/departments/offices publish Lenten Regulations. I’ve never seen the equivalent for the Christmas Octave.

The norms for this Octave are quite complex. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone knew if their (arch)diocese published such regulations and if so could you provide me with a link or the URL.

In case anyone is thinking of asking, I don’t have a particular question I want answering; just want to know if any (arch)diocese publishes any such guidelines/norms/regulations.

Thanks

Matt

 

[tee_eff_em]

I’ve noticed that many (arch)diocesan liturgy/worship commissions/departments/offices publish Lenten Regulations. I’ve never seen the equivalent for the Christmas Octave.

The norms for this Octave are quite complex. Therefore, I was wondering if anyone knew if their (arch)diocese published such regulations and if so could you provide me with a link or the URL.

In case anyone is thinking of asking, I don’t have a particular question I want answering; just want to know if any (arch)diocese publishes any such guidelines/norms/regulations.

Thanks

Matt

I have a question.

Can you give some examples of the complex norms/regulations for the Christmas Octave?

tee

 

[Joe_5859]

I have a question.

Can you give some examples of the complex norms/regulations for the Christmas Octave?

tee

It gets complicated this year with Christmas (and Mary Mother of God) both being on a Saturday. Normally, Saturday evening Mass would be for Sunday, because the Sunday feast takes precedence. That’s not the case for Christmas (because Christmas trumps the Feast of the Holy Family). But I think it is for Mary, Mother of God (because the Epiphany trumps Mary, Mother of God). It gets similarly complicated when both are on a Monday.

For the OP, I would say that I haven’t seen anything online (but, then, I haven’t looked for it), but I suspect that an arch(diocesan) office of Worship would likely send a reminder letter to their priests and leave it to them to pass it on to their parishioners. So the absence of online directives doesn’t necessarily indicate that no direction is being given.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I have a question.

Can you give some examples of the complex norms/regulations for the Christmas Octave?

tee

OK! But remember you asked

This year 2010:

• Friday 24th December - evening is solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, holy day of obligation (HOD)
• Saturday 25th December - all day is solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, HOD; evening Masses today must be for the Nativity but can fulfil the Sunday obligation; Evening Prayer (EP) must be EP2 of the Nativity (feast of the Holy Family doesn’t get its EP1 this year)
• Sunday 26th December - all day is feast of the Holy Family; HOD because it’s a Sunday (no celebration of St Stephen this year)
• Monday 27th December - morning feast of St John the Evangelist; evening third day in the Octave, feria
• Tuesday 28th December - morning feast of Holy Innocents; evening fourth day in the Octave, feria
• Wednesday 29th December - morning feast (yes, a feast in England & Wales) of St Thomas of Canterbury; evening fifth day in the Octave feria
• Thursday 30th December - all day sixth day in Octave, feria
• Friday 31st December - morning seventh day in Octave, feria plus an optional commemoration of St Sylvester can be made; evening solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (not HOD in England & Wales)

2011

• Saturday 1st January - morning solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (not HOD in England & Wales); evening solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (this solemnity is transferred to the first Sunday after 1st January in England & Wales), HOD

Not within the Octave, but:

• Sunday 2nd January - all day solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (this solemnity is transferred to the first Sunday after 1st January in England & Wales), HOD

Somewhat more complicated than the Easter Octave.

Matt

 

[MarkThompson]

OK! But remember you asked

This year 2010:

• Friday 24th December - evening is solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, holy day of obligation (HOD)
• Saturday 25th December - all day is solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, HOD; evening Masses today must be for the Nativity but can fulfil the Sunday obligation; Evening Prayer (EP) must be EP2 of the Nativity (feast of the Holy Family doesn’t get its EP1 this year)
• Sunday 26th December - all day is feast of the Holy Family; HOD because it’s a Sunday (no celebration of St Stephen this year)
• Monday 27th December - morning feast of St John the Evangelist; evening third day in the Octave, feria
• Tuesday 28th December - morning feast of Holy Innocents; evening fourth day in the Octave, feria
• Wednesday 29th December - morning feast (yes, a feast in England & Wales) of St Thomas of Canterbury; evening fifth day in the Octave feria
• Thursday 30th December - all day sixth day in Octave, feria
• Friday 31st December - morning seventh day in Octave, feria plus an optional commemoration of St Sylvester can be made; evening solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (not HOD in England & Wales)

2011

• Saturday 1st January - morning solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (not HOD in England & Wales); evening solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (this solemnity is transferred to the first Sunday after 1st January in England & Wales), HOD

Not within the Octave, but:

• Sunday 2nd January - all day solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (this solemnity is transferred to the first Sunday after 1st January in England & Wales), HOD

Somewhat more complicated than the Easter Octave.

Matt

Those don’t look like regulations; they look like a schedule of which liturgy will be celebrated at each Mass on a given day. Just a liturgical schedule.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Those don’t look like regulations; they look like a schedule of which liturgy will be celebrated at each Mass on a given day. Just a liturgical schedule.

It was an application of what will happen this year based on Pope Paul VI’s Apostolic Letter motu proprio “General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar” #35. It doesn’t just affect Mass it also determines the Office to be said. I was simply pointing out how complex the Christmas Octave can be.

What I am looking for, as I said in my OP, is for some regulations that say on such and such a day Ritual Masses are not permitted. I’m searching for these as a time saver. All I need to do is read “Occasions when Mass texts of the day may be replaced” (a publication of my Bishops’ conference.)

 

[Joe_Kelley]

The regulations governing mass and LOTH, and options, for each day are published each year in a small book called the “ORDO” by each diocese or group of dioceses. I think that there is often a copy in the sacristy.

 

[Angelicus]

The attached link is the Ordo for the new church year. It is specific to the English province of the Order of Preachers, but I believe it contains most of the information you are looking for. Specific to your request for permissions for ritual Masses, I believe the last two pages of the document has a good checklist.

english.op.org/News_files/Ordo%20OP%202011.pdf

 

[Digitonomy]

This link provides recommendations for the celebration of Christmas masses from the CCCB. It’s not specific to this year, but it does discuss (at the bottom of the first page) scheduling masses when Christmas is on a Saturday.

 

[tee_eff_em]

Those don’t look like regulations; they look like a schedule of which liturgy will be celebrated at each Mass on a given day. Just a liturgical schedule.

Concur – When the OP inquired about norms/regulations comparable to Lenten regulations, I thought of fasting & abstinence, which Lenten regulations I see often published – I thought maybe I was eating meat when I wasn’t supposed to or something. I cannot recall ever seeing comparable Lenten liturgical guidelines widely published, outside of Ordo’s.

But as a Certified Liturgical Calendar Nerd I appreciate the complexites alluded to in the OP.

tee

 

[Matthew_Holford]

The attached link is the Ordo for the new church year. It is specific to the English province of the Order of Preachers, but I believe it contains most of the information you are looking for. Specific to your request for permissions for ritual Masses, I believe the last two pages of the document has a good checklist.

english.op.org/News_files/Ordo%20OP%202011.pdf

Thanks very much for attaching a copy of that Ordo. It is very useful thank you. My diocese (I won’t name and shame it) changed the style of its ordo several years ago - it’s terrible and not much use.

I just wondered if any diocese had made a guideline regarding Christmas similar to these excellent guidelines for Lent.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

This link provides recommendations for the celebration of Christmas masses from the CCCB. It’s not specific to this year, but it does discuss (at the bottom of the first page) scheduling masses when Christmas is on a Saturday.

Thanks very much for that interesting and useful link.