Does Attending Saturday Evening Mass Always Fulfill One's Sunday Obligation?

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captainmike

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Or must there be a “good” reason for going on Saturday night?
 
It always fulfils it, provided that it’s at the correct time on Saturday (I think it must be later than 4pm to qualify as a vigil Mass).

There’s morally no difference.
 
From Canon Law:

Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

As you can see, it says nothing about needing a reason to attend a Mass the evening before.
 
Hi Captain Mike,

The previous two posters are correct. I just thought I would add the “why” behind this, as you may be interested. It follows from the Jewish tradition. The Sabbath begins Friday at sunset and ends Saturday at sunset. The Catholic Church has just applied the same premise with some leeway regarding when sunset actually is. Obviously, 4PM (common in most diocese as the deadline) is before sunset nearly everywhere, but that is the earliest time usually allowed. I suppose it was chosen because that is right around sunset in the dead of winter.
 
Does this understanding of vigil Masses apply also to the 1962 Missal?
 
What about attending wedding Mass on a Saturday evening? Does that satifsy your Sunday obligation? I tend to think it does not, but don’t know for sure.
 
txstm said:
What about attending wedding Mass on a Saturday evening? Does that satifsy your Sunday obligation? I tend to think it does not, but don’t know for sure.
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The generally accepted cutoff time is 4pm. If the wedding Mass is after 4pm it counts for Sunday. This was answered at EWTN:

Sunday Obligation
Question from on 05-05-2006:

In my diocese the Saturday vigil for Sunday Mass begins at 4:00 pm. Thus, if one attends a 4:00 pm Saturday wedding Mass, is one still obligated to attend Mass on Sunday?

Answer by Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL on 05-05-2006:

If someone attends a Catholic wedding Mass that take place after 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, that fulfills one’s Sunday Mass obligation.
 
This is really. I submitted a question to Fr. Mark about
his response to the “Mass Obligation.”

I have understood, and apparrently incorrectly, that you cannot
substitute the Sunday readings. When a mass for a funeral or
wedding is offered, I tend to believe the readings would not with
the Sunday liturgy. Are these exceptional cases whereby the
readings for Sunday mass can be substituted?

Also - curious why we look for substitutes and refer to this as
meeting an obligation? (Maybe my narrow interpretation of the
word…)
 
While we call it a nuptial mass, afaik, it is a Saturday evening mass that just happens to have the sacrament of marriage as part of it… The mass is the mass is the mass.
 
StephenB said:
Also - curious why we look for substitutes and refer to this as meeting an obligation? (Maybe my narrow interpretation of the word…)
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I wouldn’'t say these members are looking for “substitutes”, but rather “coincidences”.
🙂 obligation? I’ve started referring to it as our Sunday Privilege. 😃
 
Scottgun said:
While we call it a nuptial mass, afaik, it is a Saturday evening mass that just happens to have the sacrament of marriage as part of it… The mass is the mass is the mass.
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No, there are specific readings for Sunday Mass, they are part of the three year lectionary.

It is my understanding that for a nuptual Mass, the bride and groom may choose the readings they will have. If they have different readings than what would be read on the Sunday lectionary cycle, then it would not be the same Mass.
 
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