Mass during the Night

[buc_fan33]

Certainly, yes!

Christmas happens at (ok, approximately) the “midnight” of the year, i.e. the winter solstice, when we transition from darkness (days growing shorter) to light (days growing longer). Midnight is (again, approximately) the transition from night-overcoming-day into day-overcoming-night.

Pope Benedict has a great explanation of this in his book “Spirit of the Liturgy.” I would cite the chapter, but I can’t recall it offhand, nor do I have the book handy.

The texts of the Midnight Mass speak to this theme of the Light overcoming the darkness. So, yes, it is a very special Mass and a very special time for that Mass!

I get this, but personally, I’ve never been comfortable with this analogy, as it only holds true in the northern hemisphere. The Church is universal. In fact, I’d have to check to be sure, but I think there are actually more Catholics living south of the equator than north of it. That said, I have used the analogy before, throwing in the caveat that it only works in the north.

Perhaps the south could use a different analogy…the light shines brightest and longest this time of year to remind us that Christ, the true Light of the World, comes to greet us.

 

[babochka]

Often they do it to accommodate the number of people who will be in attendance. It’s the one day of the year where we see parishioners we haven’t seen since the same time a year ago.

Our parish has one at 6:30 pm, dubbed “family Mass”. Most of the young families attend that one with their kiddos. Many seniors attend that one too, a lot of them because they are the grandparents children attending.

Then we have one at 10 p.m. rather than midnight. The last time I was here for it (we usually travel at Christmas) I noted that the church was about 1/2 full.

The Mass during the day is at 10:30 a.m and very poorly attended. The last time I attended that one, because I was reading, there were only about 30 people in attendance.

Personally I would get rid of the 6:30 pm Mass but I’m pretty sure it’s done because priests realize that of the families that attend that one more than 1/2 wouldn’t bother coming at all if that Mass wasn’t available. One priest commented sadly that many of the parents just want to “get it over with”. One year he sarcastically suggested that the Family Mass should be at 10 am on Christmas Eve he was greeted with delight that they could get that out of the way early and get on to the important things about Christmas.

I’ve never understood the early evening Mass as the “family Mass”. In my family, we call this “meltdown time” and do almost anything to avoid having to bring little ones to Mass between 4 and 7. It never goes well.

 

[FrancescaMaria]

Of course Christmas midnight is special! My family and especially my children always anticipate the midnight with great excitement. That is the special hour when Christmas happens, because we traditionally believe that our Savior was born at midnight, so a Mass at that time is very meaningful. We are very fortunate to have a Midnight Mass or at least a Mass that goes through the midnight. If we did not have it, I would still take my children to church at midnight for adoration, as that is (in my opinion) the most special time to be with our Lord and no better place to be than in the Church. With all of our singing and celebrating and overall excitement during Christmas night, it is not like the kids would sleep anyway! )

 

[pianistclare]

I’ve never understood the early evening Mass as the “family Mass”. In my family, we call this “meltdown time” and do almost anything to avoid having to bring little ones to Mass between 4 and 7. It never goes well.

It has more to do with kids getting up early and not wanting to leave their new toys. And mother’s not wanting to get everyone dressed and out of the house without breakfast.
Typically the Children’s (family) Mass is a nightmare zoo. Mostly because people show up with children who have never ever been to church, in itchy dressy clothes, and are allowed to run up and down the aisles. Once a child ran up around the Sanctuary and the mother just grinned. Father was not amused. Another time, a child crawled up around the Lector’s feet.
I’d do anything rather than go the Children’s Christmas Mass.

 

[Kielbasi]

In fact, I’d have to check to be sure, but I think there are actually more Catholics living south of the equator than north of it. .

I don’t think so, not even close.

Less than 400 million total population (not just catholic) in South America, and much of South America is north of the equator.

There are a lot of people in Africa, more than a billion I’m sure, but most of them are north of the equator as well, and they are probably less Catholic than S.A. Australia and New Zealand have low populations.

 

[Phemie]

It has more to do with kids getting up early and not wanting to leave their new toys. And mother’s not wanting to get everyone dressed and out of the house without breakfast.
Typically the Children’s (family) Mass is a nightmare zoo. Mostly because people show up with children who have never ever been to church, in itchy dressy clothes, and are allowed to run up and down the aisles. Once a child ran up around the Sanctuary and the mother just grinned. Father was not amused. Another time, a child crawled up around the Lector’s feet.
I’d do anything rather than go the Children’s Christmas Mass.

Yeah, zoo pretty much described it. I’ve avoided that particular Mass for years. In our parish it has traditionally been the one with the Christmas pageant. When I first came here the pageant took the place of the Gospel. Then a new Pastor insisted that the pageant take place before Mass started, more power to him.

The next Pastor pretty much invited chaos when he insisted that parents let their kids run wild because “Christmas is all about children.” One memorable Mass saw a member of the choir dash into the sanctuary to catch the candles that one child had knocked over. Things calmed down with the arrival of the next Pastor. Pageant went by the wayside and he started having kids bring the Nativity scene figures in and placed in the manger as they are mentioned in the Gospel.

Rather than go to that Mass we took our grandson to his first Midnight Mass when he was just 10 months old and did the same with his younger brother. Last year was the first time since his birth that we didn’t take him with us. We couldn’t get him to wake up so his dad stayed home with him.

 

[pianistclare]

Back home in Albuquerque, we do the Posadas. The Holy Family is finally allowed entrance to the Church, and Mary rides in on a live donkey, holding a live baby. They sit at the foot of the altar through the entire Mass at Midnight. Someone leads the donkey out the side door, and Father Salazar would always say: “well, I know some of you are scandalized…but I assure you; it’s not the first time there was a jackass at Mass.”.
Big laugh.
Fun memories for me as a child.
No such thing in this neck of the woods.

 

[twf]

We have about 1500 and get 10% attendance, many of whom are Filipino.

A local parish has 8 well attended Masses on the typical weekend- mostly Filipinos, but adds one or two more for Christmas. The Cathedral will offer 9 or 10 Christmas Masses as well. The midnight and the 11 am on Sunday will be the very solemn “high mass” liturgies- polyphony, lots of Latin, chant, incense…and of course His Grace as celebrant.

 

[GoGoDiego]

Back home in Albuquerque, we do the Posadas. The Holy Family is finally allowed entrance to the Church, and Mary rides in on a live donkey, holding a live baby. They sit at the foot of the altar through the entire Mass at Midnight. Someone leads the donkey out the side door, and Father Salazar would always say: “well, I know some of you are scandalized…but I assure you; it’s not the first time there was a jackass at Mass.”.
Big laugh.
Fun memories for me as a child.
No such thing in this neck of the woods.

As for our parish (and other parishes as well) we will stage a nativity play in the covered cour of the school adjacent to the parish. After the part where Christ is born, the Midnight Mass will start with the entrance hymn. Father will incense the live nativity scene (the baby is an image of the Christ Child) and they pose until the end of the Mass.