Is The Sat. Vigil Mass Just Convenience To You?

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anniemart

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I’m not pleased about this but there are many families I know that attend the Saturday Vigil Mass because it’s a convenience and they want to have Sunday free–completely free from any obligations. Wasn’t this mass created for those who otherwise were unable to attend Sunday mass because of work? :confused:
 
is the 8 am Sunday Mass a convenience. Or the 11 am?
don’t we all go to Mass when it’s convenient for us? We schedule most things when it fits us best.

Or is part of the Catholic doctrine that we should always do things as hard and uncomfortable as possible…?
 
thechrismyster said:
is the 8 am Sunday Mass a convenience. Or the 11 am?
don’t we all go to Mass when it’s convenient for us? We schedule most things when it fits us best.

Or is part of the Catholic doctrine that we should always do things as hard and uncomfortable as possible…?
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however you see fit…but my question remains. wasn’t the vigil created for the sole purpose of allowing those to attend mass who othewise would be unable to fulfill their Sunday Obligation?
 
anniemart said:
however you see fit…but my question remains. wasn’t the vigil created for the sole purpose of allowing those to attend mass who othewise would be unable to fulfill their Sunday Obligation?
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No - canon law recognises that one can fulfil one’s Sunday obligation equally by attendance at mass on Saturday evening or Sunday, and makes absolutely no distinction between the status of the two nor any stipulation on needing a specific reason to choose Saturday vigil.

The Divine Office has always recognised Saturday evening as the start of the Sabbath by labelling the prayers of that evening ‘First Sunday Evening Prayer’ and major feasts have always had vigil masses - the introduction of Saturday evening masses simply ensures that the Sabbath vigil which by right occurs each weekend is similarly recognised.
 
anniemart said:
however you see fit…but my question remains. wasn’t the vigil created for the sole purpose of allowing those to attend mass who othewise would be unable to fulfill their Sunday Obligation?
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I kind of agree wuth the premise of the question. the only time I ever go to a saturday Mass my self is when I go camping up north. not because of convenience, but because me as well as my buddies who camp with me are known for being so relaxed on a camping trip that we’d sleep way over and miss Mass if we tried to get to sunday Mass. where we camp up north there are no sunday evening Mass’s. other than that I go early sunday morning Mass. I know it not used at my parish for those who work sunday, because the average age at my parish’s saturday Mass is about at least 75. what id like to ask those regulers at that Mass as well as those here who go to saturday Mass in htis furum who dont do it because of work. what is the big deal about having sunday morning free? I know for the seniors who go to that Mass at my church they arent sleeping in till 11am or anything like that. people that age are up at their 7 or 8 am every day. as for most americans I think we have gotten away from being morning people so much that doing anything in the morning puts us out. how sad.😦
 
I have no idea why parishes started offering Saturday evening Masses. I know that Sunday begins on Saturday evening and liturgically always has–Sunday is the longest day of the week since Sunday evening Masses are not vigils for Monday.

We attend Saturday evening Mass usually when we know we will not be able to make a Sunday Mass–and are always grateful for the opportunity. We often attend Sunday evening Mass during the school year as a way to remind us to stay close to Christ during the week.

Our parish offers 6 Sunday Mass times and we’ve attended at almost all of the time slots depending on our schedule for the day/week. Around here we could also attend at 3 or 4 different parishes within 5 miles of so of our house if there times were more convenient. So really if there is more than one time available, any time you attend is for your convenience.
 
I’ve seen this question several times in the past few days. I can’t imagine why it’s of such sudden interest.

Here’s what canon law says:

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.

It doesn’t say that you need a special reason or that it’s only for occasional use.

My personal preference is to go to the 9am Mass on Sunday morning. But that’s all it is, a preference. If someone else prefers Saturday evening or a later Mass on Sunday, that’s their choice to make.
 
I would love to go to Sunday morning Mass. I would love to go to Mass every morning. It is also very important for me to go to confession often- I try to go every week. I do not have a car. It is easier to find a ride to the church and back once than it is to find a ride there and back two days in a row. If I ever drive, or I move to a place that has a church within walking distance, I will go to the Sunday morning Mass. Until then…it’s Saturday evenings.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
I’ve seen this question several times in the past few days. I can’t imagine why it’s of such sudden interest.

Here’s what canon law says:

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.

It doesn’t say that you need a special reason or that it’s only for occasional use.
quote]

Amen and Amen.

Do what is best for your family and stop second guessing others motives.
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What’s so bad about going to Mass Saturday night so that you have Sunday free? If this enables you to both worship the LORD and make Holy his day, while yourself better resting or spending time with family, I think that the purpose of the day has been well fulfilled.

Shoot, I know people who go to Mass at 9:30 Sunday night. Is that really any better than 5:00 Saturday evening, just because it is within a certain 24 hour period? Liturgically, it’s ALL Sunday!
 
We live in a world where abortion is recommended by high school guidance counselors, condoms are handed our to freshmen in high school and from grade school children are told that their future plans must involve college because that is how they will make the most amount of money and be happy.

Our Catholic schools are turning into drug havens, our seminaries are nearly empty.

Is it not enough that people go to church anymore? A very large portion of our Catholic Population fails to meet their Sunday obligation regularly and of those who faithfully go each week, now we are judging them because they go on Saturday night so that they can sleep in on Sunday? Do you oppose people going to Sunday evening Mass as well because they are procrastinating all morning long by not just getting up and going right to church?

The Church says you can meet your Sunday obligation on Saturday evening and some people opt to do just that. You judge them because you say that wasn’t the original intent of the Mass. However, if a certain measure of personal convenience doesn’t play into Mass scheduling, why do we have multiple Masses and at the times they are offered?

I understand your premise and I can see your argument. However, it is a woefully scrupulous argument to make. Particularly because the Church places no conditions on who may attend the Saturday Vigil Mass. Can’t we avoid judging our fellow church goers for one day? Why don’t we instead work on getting our non-church going friends to Mass. Any Mass, at any time on Sunday or Saturday evening. Isn’t that a more worthwhile venture?
 
The Saturday evening Mass is a carryover from the Jewish faith where the sabbath starts at sundown.

I think that is a beautiful way to remember our Jewish roots.

What’s the problem?
 
I find that, with our family, the Saturday evening vigil mass actually prolongs the Sabboth.

When we come home after the 5:00 PM mass, the Sabboth has effectively begun, and I find our evening meals much more of an occasion after that mass than after a hectic day of Saturday activities. And the next day, Sunday, the Sabboth atmosphere of quiet enjoyment tends to continue (subject to exigencies, of course.)

So, rather than trivializing the Sabboth, it extends it.

Blessings,

Gerry
 
I prefer saturday evenings or Early sunday mornings. Mid-day masses tend to cut the day in half and it seems that before you know it the day is over and work is just a few hours away. It seems with a saturday mass or Early sunday the time spent with family is more significant.
 
Little_Mary said:
The Saturday evening Mass is a carryover from the Jewish faith where the sabbath starts at sundown.

I think that is a beautiful way to remember our Jewish roots.

What’s the problem?
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While the Jewish sabbath starts at sundown, I’m afraid the rest of your statement is incorrect. The Saturday evening Mass is not a carryover from that tradition.

Originally, only Sunday Mass met the Sunday obligation. However, much much later, our Holy Church decided that attending Mass on Saturday evening would meet the Sunday obligation to accommodate those who were impeded from attending Sunday Mass.

While the original intent of this permission was to accommodate those who could not attend Sunday Mass, the Church has never placed a condition upon attending Saturday Evening Mass. It was never established as something that could be done, but only under certain circumstances. It was a general permission by the Church.
 
I attend Saturday Vigil for the sole reason of relaxing all day Sunday. :o

I have to drive 30 minutes to get to “town” to go to work during the week. Saturday morning is for groceries and errands. I like to have at least one day where I don’t put myself or my kids in the car and stay at home and relax.

If it weren’t for Saturday Vigil, I would probably not enjoy mass as much.
 
anniemart said:
I’m not pleased about this but there are many families I know that attend the Saturday Vigil Mass because it’s a convenience and they want to have Sunday free–completely free from any obligations. Wasn’t this mass created for those who otherwise were unable to attend Sunday mass because of work? :confused:
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**I don’t like Saturday Mass because it would feel ‘weird’ to me to wake up Sunday morning and not go to Mass. That’s just how I was raised, Sunday was “church day” not Saturday. And after Mass on Sundays, we would come home and have a huge breakfast, unlike the other days of the week. Just how you are raised I guess. 🤷 **
 
TimOliv said:
Originally, only Sunday Mass met the Sunday obligation. However, much much later, our Holy Church decided that attending Mass on Saturday evening would meet the Sunday obligation to accommodate those who were impeded from attending Sunday Mass.

While the original intent of this permission was to accommodate those who could not attend Sunday Mass, the Church has never placed a condition upon attending Saturday Evening Mass. It was never established as something that could be done, but only under certain circumstances. It was a general permission by the Church.
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I agree fully with this point!

When Saturday evening Masses to meet the Sunday obligation were first allowed, the general consensus of the priests, religious, teachers, liturgists, etc, that I knew was that the intent was to make things easier for people who found Sunday attendance difficult. And I have met a few liturgy experts, (who might otherwise be considered progressive), who think Church leaders privately consider Sunday Masses to be the ideal.

However…

As was stated in the quoted post, the Church gave the permission for attending Masses on the eve of a Sunday or Holy Day unconditionally. Whatever those who granted the permission privately thought, hoped for, or wanted, they thought it best not to lay any such burden on the Catholic population.

Since our Church is not giving us any formal indication that She prefers Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays rather than Saturdays I think it is wise that we don’t pretend to be wiser than She is.
 
Ooh, ooh, ooh! This is good, because Fathers Levis and Trigilio covered this in last week’s “Web of Faith” on EWTN. :extrahappy:

According to those wise priests, not only is Saturday Vigil Mass a perfectly acceptable way to meet one’s obligation for Sunday, and just as good as Sunday; but it ALSO can be applied to First Saturday of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And Father Levis suggested to the emailer that, because confession was also part of the deal for indulgences (usually 8 days before or after), and most parishes had confessions on Saturday afternoon right before Saturday Vigil Mass, the whole family be rounded up for a trip to confession, First Saturday, and Sunday obligation through the Saturday Vigil Mass, in one fell swoop!
 
anniemart said:
I’m not pleased about this but there are many families I know that attend the Saturday Vigil Mass because it’s a convenience and they want to have Sunday free–completely free from any obligations.
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Be glad you have a priest to say Mass.

Your post shows a serious lack of charity. There are those of us out in rural America who would *love *a choice of Masses. We share a priest with two other parishes and there is one Mass per weekeend at each parish.

We rotate on a three year schedule, so for a whole year Saturday evening is our ONLY Mass.
anniemart said:
Wasn’t this mass created for those who otherwise were unable to attend Sunday mass because of work? :confused:
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No. Sunday has always been recognized as beginning the evning before.

However, prior to 1964 the Eucharistic fast was from midnight on, therefore there were no Saturday evening Masses as no one could fast the entire day on Saturday, practically speaking. There were also few, if any, Sunday evening Masses for this same reason. Pope Paul VI changed the fast to one hour in 1964.

When fast requirements changed, this enabled more Mass times from a practical standpoint.
 
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