Christmas Vigil Help?

[L_Marshall]

Hi Everybody:

I’m serving as an acolyte for our church’s vigil this evening. For the more elaborate masses (like Easter Vigil and Christmas), I like to review what’s needed of me. This past Easter, I was able to get an extensive guide the Easter Vigil’s Order of Mass from a very helpful Franciscan.
Does anyone have a similar guide for Christmas Vigil, so I can brush up?

Thanks in advance, and God Bless!

 

[Brenda_V]

Christmas Vigil Mass is not nearly as elaborate as Easter Vigil is. As far as I know, it is like any regular Sunday Mass, now MIdnight Mass is a different matter, that is the more elaborate of the Christmases Masses.

I could be wrong and if so, I pray that someone checks in here and gives you the help you request.

Brenda V.

 

[kristanl]

Every Christmas vigil mass I have been to is the same as a Sunday Mass, one hour long. Some churches may act out the nativity scene, but this happens usually on the Children masses. Hope this helps!

 

[mwscott]

The Christmas Vigil Mass will be exactly like any other Sunday Mass. The priest may want to use incense. If this is the case then one server will need to act as a “thurifer” meaning he handles the thurible (the censor hung on a chain where the incense is burned). In a perfect situation, this would be his only job and he would process in and out with the thurible during the entrance and exit processions.

When incense is used at a Mass it is typically used at the beginning of the Mass before the Collect (opening prayer), at the Gospel (used by the Deacon, Priest, or Bishop to incense the Book of Gospels), and at the Offertory to incense the Gifts, the Altar, and usually the Crucifix and Nativity Scene). It is sometimes used by the thurifer or deacon to incenses the Blessed Sacrament during the Elevation of the Host and Chalice during the Eucharistic Prayer.

Besides the role of the thurifer, there are no other changes to the roles of the other servers.

On a side note (sorry for being picky). The term “acolyte” has two meanings within the Church. The first, which is now rather extinct, refers to the servers who attend to candles during the liturgy (in the processions and at the Gospel) in the Tridentine Mass. The other term, which is more widely used today refers to a person who has been “duly instituted” as an acolyte. Many years ago the acolyte (and lector) were Minor Orders within the Church and were actually “ordained.” Now however, these men are simply instituted as part of their journey to the priesthood or diaconate. Duly instituted acotlyes are the only other people besides clergy who can licitly purify the Sacred Vessels after they have touched the Blessed Sacrament.

Have a very Blessed and Merry Christmas!

 

[Mintaka]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen an instituted acolyte (priests and deacons excepted), so that’s certainly the less common usage of the word.

OTOH, it’s becoming fairly common to call altar servers “acolytes”, in the EF or the OF. Old-fashioned, but certainly roaring back from oblivion now. (It’s not at all like the eighties, when you never heard the term either way, unless it was in a heroic fantasy story about eldritch gods and their arcane priests’ evil acolytes of DOOOOOM.)

This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood usage nerd.

 

[mwscott]

Its just important to know the distinction because the Sacramentary and the GIRM still use the term “duly instituted acolyte” when referring to who can purify the sacred vessels and a few other things. Although acolytes are no longer “ordained” to a minor order, they are still very much used in the seminary and in rubrics.

 

[L_Marshall]

Hello Again Everyone:

Thanks to a little contribution from everyone, everything went off without a hitch!

Just in case any one had any questions how it turned out; we had used the incense with myself as the thurifer; and had used it for the blessing of the Nativity Scene and the Offertory.

And yes, I’m institute Acolyte. Only difference between myself and an Altar Server is that I’m allowed to cleanse the Sacred Vessels and act as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist (under special circumstances).

Any ways, thanks for all the help!

God Bless and Merry Christmas!