Mass on Christmas Eve and Christmas?

[irisheyes66]

What is the obligation? If I go to one of our 5 Christmas Eve masses am I still obligated to go to Christmas Day mass? I don’t mind going to both but it’s hard getting the kids out of the house Christmas morning.

 

[baltobetsy]

Any Mass celebrated between 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve and midnight at the end of Christmas Day will fulfill your obligation. You need not go twice. You may, if you wish, and you may receive Holy Communion both times, provided you are in a state of grace and have fasted for an hour.

Betsy

 

[dixieagle]

Any Mass celebrated between 4:00 PM on Christmas Eve and midnight at the end of Christmas Day will fulfill your obligation. You need not go twice. You may, if you wish, and you may receive Holy Communion both times, provided you are in a state of grace and have fasted for an hour.

Betsy

Absolutely…what she said.

 

[fdmilkis]

Isn’t it 4:00pm because it counts as sunset and thus represent a new day among Jews? But then what about before midnight of the next day? Are we flip-flopping between time measurement of the Jews and today’s time for convenience? Sorry for another run-off question

I’m more concerned about the Saturday vigil and Sunday Mass more than Christmas Eve and Christmas day Mass

 

[JMJ_coder]

Hello,

What is the obligation? If I go to one of our 5 Christmas Eve masses am I still obligated to go to Christmas Day mass? I don’t mind going to both but it’s hard getting the kids out of the house Christmas morning.

Five Masses on Christmas Eve!!! Wow!!! Are you sure you don’t mean the Fourth Sunday of Advent? Christmas Eve is on Monday, Christmas on Tuesday this year.

But yeah, any Mass after 4:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve will suffice for the obligation.

 

[irisheyes66]

Hello,

Five Masses on Christmas Eve!!! Wow!!! Are you sure you don’t mean the Fourth Sunday of Advent? Christmas Eve is on Monday, Christmas on Tuesday this year.

But yeah, any Mass after 4:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve will suffice for the obligation.

I was wrong…there is actually 7 masses

2:00 Chamber Ensemble
2:15 Gym with vocalist/piano
3:30 Children’s Choir
3:45 Gym with vocalist/piano
5:30 Chamber Ensemble
7:00 Spanish
10:30 Chancel Choir

I guess we’ll go to the 5:30 Mass.

There are also 4 masses on Christmas Day.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

I was wrong…there is actually 7 masses

2:00 Chamber Ensemble
2:15 Gym with vocalist/piano
3:30 Children’s Choir
3:45 Gym with vocalist/piano
5:30 Chamber Ensemble
7:00 Spanish
10:30 Chancel Choir

I guess we’ll go to the 5:30 Mass.

There are also 4 masses on Christmas Day.

The bolded Masses would not count toward the vigil “rule”.

 

[Vox_Borealis]

I was wrong…there is actually 7 masses

2:00 Chamber Ensemble
2:15 Gym with vocalist/piano
3:30 Children’s Choir
3:45 Gym with vocalist/piano
5:30 Chamber Ensemble
7:00 Spanish
10:30 Chancel Choir

I guess we’ll go to the 5:30 Mass.

There are also 4 masses on Christmas Day.

And yet, not a single midnight mass?

 

[KephasAugustine]

And yet, not a single midnight mass?

Isn’t that technically Christmas Day?

Obviously, it’s still a ‘vigil…’

 

[Phemie]

Isn’t that technically Christmas Day?

Obviously, it’s still a ‘vigil…’

Midnight Mass isn’t a vigil. There is a Christmas Vigil Mass but that’s not what most of us will experience after 4 p.m. What we usually celebrate is an anticipated Midnight Mass.

Christmas itself has 3 different Masses: Midnight Mass, Mass at Dawn, Christmas Day Mass. Three different sets of readings. The priest has the option to use the same Gospel for all Masses he celebrates at Christmas.

I’m old enough to remember when going to Midnight Mass meant attending 2 Masses back to back: Midnight Mass ended and the priest immediately started the Mass at Dawn.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Isn’t it 4:00pm because it counts as sunset and thus represent a new day among Jews? But then what about before midnight of the next day? Are we flip-flopping between time measurement of the Jews and today’s time for convenience? Sorry for another run-off question

I’m more concerned about the Saturday vigil and Sunday Mass more than Christmas Eve and Christmas day Mass

Try instead following the time set by your Bishops conference instead of figuring it out for yourself.

 

[puzzleannie]

? Are we flip-flopping between time measurement of the Jews and today’s time for convenience? Sorry for another run-off question

“we” aren’t flip flopping on anything. the bishops have said any Mass on Saturday for Sunday, or the vigil for the Holy Day, after 4 pm meets the obligation, so it does. period. these evening masses by the way are “anticipated” NOT “vigil” masses.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

I was wrong…there is actually 7 masses

2:00 Chamber Ensemble
2:15 Gym with vocalist/piano
3:30 Children’s Choir
3:45 Gym with vocalist/piano
5:30 Chamber Ensemble
7:00 Spanish
10:30 Chancel Choir

I guess we’ll go to the 5:30 Mass.

There are also 4 masses on Christmas Day.

The Monday Masses@
2:00 Chamber Ensemble
2:15 Gym with vocalist/piano
3:30 Children’s Choir
3:45 Gym with vocalist/piano

Won’t satisfy your Christmas obligation.

The Monday Masses@
5:30 Chamber Ensemble
7:00 Spanish
10:30 Chancel Choir

Will, as will any Mass on Tuesday.

Going to one of the eariler Masses Monday will require you to return for a later one or on Tuesday.

 

[Sr_Sally]

And yet, not a single midnight mass?

It seems that in many areas Midnight on Christmas eve has been moved to 10:30pm. Our “midnight” Mass also begins at 10:30. Since I expect it to be 1.5 to 2 hours long, I guess ending at midnight also counts.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

“we” aren’t flip flopping on anything. the bishops have said any Mass on Saturday for Sunday, or the vigil for the Holy Day, after 4 pm meets the obligation, so it does. period. these evening masses by the way are “anticipated” NOT “vigil” masses.

Actually there is a Vigil Mass. Christmas has it’s own Vigil Mass with different readings.

There are four different Masses for Christmas.

The Christmas Vigil.

Mass at Midnight (which cannot start before midnight)

Christmas early morning Mass

Christmas day Mass

All with different readings.

 

[puzzleannie]

Actually they are Vigil Masses. Christmas has it’s own Vigil Masses all with different readings.

yes it does, but these anticipated masses have the readings for the Sunday or the Holy Day, so they are not vigil Masses. here the actual vigil Mass is celebrated the morning of Christmas eve. also for years now, all the Masses for Christmas eve and Christmas days have used the Midnight Mass readings, we never hear the other ones that used to be specified for early am or Mass during the day.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

yes it does, but these anticipated masses have the readings for the Sunday or the Holy Day, so they are not vigil Masses. here the actual vigil Mass is celebrated the morning of Christmas eve. also for years now, all the Masses for Christmas eve and Christmas days have used the Midnight Mass readings, we never hear the other ones that used to be specified for early am or Mass during the day.

That would be liturgically incorrect according to the rules of the Lectionary. Midnight Mass readings may only be used for Midnight Mass, Mass beginning at midnight. There is a reason the Church has gone to the effort to specifiy four different sets of readings.

 

[Phemie]

Actually they are Vigil Masses. Christmas has it’s own Vigil Masses all with different readings.

They’re ‘anticipated’ Sunday Masses, not Vigil Masses which are always different from the Mass of the day.

There is a Vigil of Christmas – I’ve never experienced it. All parishes I’ve ever been in celebrated anticipated Midnight Masses. not the Vigil of Christmas.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

They’re ‘anticipated’ Sunday Masses, not Vigil Masses which are always different from the Mass of the day.

There is a Vigil of Christmas – I’ve never experienced it. All parishes I’ve ever been in celebrated anticipated Midnight Masses. not the Vigil of Christmas.

There is no such thing as “anticipated midnight Mass”. This is just an example of a pastor or “liturgical director” wanting to do his or her thing and not following the liturgical rules.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

It seems that in many areas Midnight on Christmas eve has been moved to 10:30pm. Our “midnight” Mass also begins at 10:30. Since I expect it to be 1.5 to 2 hours long, I guess ending at midnight also counts.

Any Mass beginning between 4pm and 11:59 pm is required to be the Christmas Vigil Mass. Midnight Mass is not to start before midnight. Midnight Mass readings may only be used at Midnight Mass.