EDITED: Dawn Christmas readings for all Christmas Masses?

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Miserissima

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This year, our priests have decided to use the readingsfrom the Mass at Dawn throughout Christmas day. Is this unusual? The priests say it is because they have written the homilies already.
 
I don’t really know if it is okay per se, because my priest did read the Gospel for the Vigil Mass at Midnight Mass last year.
 
Miserissima said:
This year, our priests have decided to use the readingsfrom the Mass at Dawn throughout Christmas day. Is this unusual? The priests say it is because they have written the homilies already.
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The rubrics in the Roman Missal say:
On the Nativity of the Lord all Priests mat celebrate or concelebrate three Masses, provided the Masses are celebrated at their proper times
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Therefore, it would not seem appropriate to use the Dawn Mass throughout the Day. It would appear they looking to reduce the number of homilies they want to write.
 
Funny thing.

I seem to remember a thread last Christmas about the readings for the Christmas Masses. I have this recollection that there is/was a rubric permitting the priest to choose one set of readings and use it at all the Masses. Now that I’m looking for it, I can’t find it. I checked the old Sacramentary, the current Roman Missal, and a Lectionary (although the Lectionary at my desk is a bit old).

My memory tells me that this can be done–but I am NOT certain of it, and I don’t trust my memory on this without being able to verify it.
 
Matthew_Holford said:
The rubrics in the Roman Missal say:

Therefore, it would not seem appropriate to use the Dawn Mass throughout the Day. It would appear they looking to reduce the number of homilies they want to write.
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He cannot use the Dawn Mass at those times.

It might (not sure, see my other post here) be licit to use the Dawn Mass readings at the other Masses, while keeping the Mass texts that match the time.
 
FrDavid96 said:
He cannot use the Dawn Mass at those times.

It might (not sure, see my other post here) be licit to use the Dawn Mass readings at the other Masses, while keeping the Mass texts that match the time.
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I think you’re right. I seem to recall hearing/reading that as well.
 
TheMc said:
I think you’re right. I seem to recall hearing/reading that as well.
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OK. So are we both imagining it?

I’ve been looking for a while now, and still can’t find it.

If you do find it, please post because it’s driving me crazy.
 
FrDavid96 said:
OK. So are we both imagining it?

I’ve been looking for a while now, and still can’t find it.

If you do find it, please post because it’s driving me crazy.
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I think we’re both going bonkers. I can’t find it anywhere either. 🙂
 
I suppose this is semi-official since it comes from the Diocese of Davenport. See davenportdiocese.org/lit/liturgylibrary/LiturgyNotes/litSeptember2011LN.pdf for the complete document.
  1. Regarding the various Christmas Masses:
    [snip]
    c. According to the Lectionary for Mass, for the three Masses of Christmas (Midnight, Dawn, Day) the proper readings for the Mass may be used or the readings may be chosen from among any of the readings for Christmas or the Vigil–based on pastoral need. Pastors should carefully discern those needs before selecting readings other than those proper to each Mass. Only the Vigil readings may be used at the Vigil Mass.
Perhaps someone who has the lectionary handy can find the statement there.
 
For what it’s worth, I also remember the discussion and remember the Lectionary saying that from my time as the chair of the Liturgy committee. I don’t know why a priest would want to use the Vigil readings for Masses though. Ours usually uses the readings from the Mass at Night. Anyone check the ORDO?
 
Phemie said:
For what it’s worth, I also remember the discussion and remember the Lectionary saying that from my time as the chair of the Liturgy committee. I don’t know why a priest would want to use the Vigil readings for Masses though. Ours usually uses the readings from the Mass at Night. Anyone check the ORDO?
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I don’t do it myself–I stick to the scheduled readings.

But I can see where some might see this as a benefit. A priest could base a homily on just one set of readings (or that one Gospel) instead of several different ones; even though a priest can preach about Christmas from any of the readings, naturally.

Maybe a priest who chants the Gospels might want to practice only one.

Even a parish that prints the readings locally can save some costs by only printing one set.

A priest/deacon who has some problems with language and needs to practice the Gospel has one less thing to worry about (1 Gospel instead of 4). If I had to do the Gospel in Spanish (which I don’t speak, but I can read it and sound like an Italian Kindergartner), I’d certainly like to have this option.

I don’t particularly like it and I don’t do it, but at the same time I can see where some pastors might find it a useful option.
 
I’m winding down (with a nice cup of camomile tea) from the parish ten o’clock Mass, which we celebrated at Midnight this year.

I peeked at the current Lectionary before Mass. Yes, it does say that the readings can be “moved” for the Christmas Masses.

I have an older printing in the office which I use for reference. It wasn’t in that book, but it’s in the current one.

So using the readings from one Christmas Mass at a different Mass is just fine.

Merry Christmas!
 
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