Easter Vigil Mass.

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Nelka

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Why isn’t the Easter Vigil Mass at midnight like it is at Christmas?

(Not that it’s ever at midnight anymore).
 
I think you answered your own question?

But in case not, midnight Mass is seldom used in local parishes. Our priests tend to be overworked as it is, and anything to keep them healthy and “in the saddle” is encouraged.

Our priest travels between 4 different churches and travels miles and miles every day. The holy week is quite hard on him, and he has already had a severe heart attack. He cooks for himself, and cleans his own rectory. He only gets a few hours a week secretarial help. There are no substitute priests available if he gets a cold or the flu - we resort to communion services without him. But during Easter and Christmas… we just roll with whatever will best preserve his energy and health.
 
The Easter Vigil has always been around 8:30pm since I was a child but midnight Mass was always midnight, now it is 11pm or 11:30pm.

This is true for all the churches I have been to in my life.

So why isn’t the Easter vigil the same as the Christmas one? (As far as Mass time).
 
Nelka said:
The Easter Vigil has always been around 8:30pm since I was a child but midnight Mass was always midnight, now it is 11pm or 11:30pm.

This is true for all the churches I have been to in my life.

So why isn’t the Easter vigil the same as the Christmas one? (As far as Mass time).
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My understanding is that the Sabbath begins at sunset on Saturday and therefore Easter can properly be celebrated at Saturday vigil since Easter is always on Sunday.

Christmas can be on any day of the week so it is not actually Christmas Day until midnight.
 
Our Easter Vigil lasted until 12:30, and it started at 9:30. I think it doesn’t start at midnight because if it did we’d all be in Mass still when the sunrise service started!!! :eek:
 
nickybr38 said:
Our Easter Vigil lasted until 12:30, and it started at 9:30. I think it doesn’t start at midnight because if it did we’d all be in Mass still when the sunrise service started!!! :eek:
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I think that’s most of the point, humor aside.

Liturgically, the day always begins the preceding sundown, so EV must always start after dark.

There is a long-standing tradition about Christmas and midnight, possibly because of the Bethlehem star. No such custom has developed around Easter, so there is no reason to start the EV that late.

And as beautiful as it is, EV is strenuous for everybody. Delaying it to midnight and carrying on until the funny hours of the morning adds difficulty that serves no sacred purpose. The late evening is just as much “Easter” as the midnight hour.

He is risen, ICXC NIKA.
 
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