I checked the Liturgical Guide. For the USA, unless the local bishop decides otherwise, the Evening Prayer for this Dec 25 will be Evening Prayer II of Christmas, but it must be celebrated before the anticipated mass for Sunday. That would bring Christmas Day to a close, not the season, just the day. Parishes may opt NOT to have an Sunday evening mass on Dec 25.
If the mass being celebrated is the Mass for the Sunday, then you have missed the Christmas mass.
I agree with the last few posts
You have to keep in mind two points.
The Midnight Mass is the mass for Christmas. It does not fulfill the obligation for any other day except Christmas.
We have to go to Mass on Either Friday at midnight or they are having a 10 AM Mass on Saturday. Christmas is a holy Day of Obligation.
Actually I believe Christmas is the one exception to that rule. Even in the “olden days” priests were freely allowed (yea, even expected) to celebrate the 3 Masses of Christmas (Dominus Dixit, Lux Fulgebit, and Puer Natus). AFIK, that is still the case.
I can’t handle large crowds so I attend morning Masses.
I can’t handle large crowds so I attend morning Masses. Besides there is no doubt as to which day they’re for.
Yes, this is still the case. And in the Chicago area you will find all three. It isn’t unusual to find some who go to more than one.
You’re right about the three masses allowed for Christmas. The problem this year is that Christmas falls on a Saturday. If you have anticipated mass on Friday, then Midnight mass, then several masses on Saturday, followed by several more masses on Sunday, it adds up and is exhausting.
Every Catholic is expected to attend both the mass for Christmas and the mass for Sunday. The obligation for January 1st has been waved this year.
For the US. Here in Canada its still is an obligation.
rcav.org/christmas/
That’s what he was saying.
Actually, at least in the United States, the feast of the Holy Family will be moved in 2011 to the Friday after Christmas. The link I provided on the previous page from the USCCB says it’s because there is no Sunday between Christmas and Jan. 1.Next year, Christmas will fall on a Sunday. The Midnight Mass will begin Sat night, if it begins before midnight. It will cover Christmas and Sunday, because the two solemnities fall on the same day. In that case, Holy Family Sunday moves to the following Sunday, which will be Jan 2. That will push back the feast of the Epiphany to the following Sunday in those countries where it’s celebrated on Sunday instead of Jan 6.
God bless,
Br. JR, OSF
That’s not a definitive answer at all. In fact, those two things have absolutely nothing to do with each other, and I’m at a loss as to how you might think that there’s any answer at all to be taken from this.
I’ll be happy to explain to you what you’ve missed.
Because otherwise U.S. Catholics will think they’re obligated to go to Mass twice that weekend.
Yes it does. Q.E.D.
Not for us - - January 1st is the Circumcision a Holy Day of ObligationEvery Catholic is expected to attend both the mass for Christmas and the mass for Sunday. The obligation for January 1st has been waved this year.
That one is always a tricky one, because it’s not a holy day of oligation around the globe. I’m not sure how they decide where it is and where it’s not. I know that like other holy days of obligation, if they fall back to back with a Sunday, the obligation for the holy day is waved. But you cannot do that with Christmas, because it is a day of obligation for all 22 Catholic Churches, as well as the Orthodox Churches. There are no exceptions.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
Ah a Byzantine
Sure it’s inconsistent. AS I’ve said umpteen times, it is not a “2-fer” situation unless it has been announced as such. One pastor whom I know personally remarked about this in the parish bulletin. To forestall any question or argument on the matter, he canceled the normal Saturday 5:30pm Mass and moved it to Sunday at 5:30 pm. No muss, no fuss, no question of a 2-fer.
Not exactly. The “obligation” is to to attend (or assist at) Mass for the Holy Day and for the Sunday. In pre-conciliar times, this question would never have even been raised. In any case, even in post-conciliar times, it’s not dependent on what amounts to a manipulation of the calendar.
January 1st is the Feast of the Circumcision in the Syriac Churches as well. In the Latin Church it had two names (Circumcision and the Octave of Christmas) until the name was changed to the alternate (“Octave of Christmas”) by Bl PP John XXIII. For the Latin Church, note that it was only the name that was: the Propers of the Mass remained the same. In the EF it still commonly (if not officially) called “The Circumcision”.