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.
You are puzzled on this one, my friend. In the morning Mass for December 24th, the reading comes from the Gospel of Luke and relates Zecchariah’s canticle, wherein he sings God’s praises over the birth of his son, John. In fact, if you were to look at the ordo in your parish, and, since you and I are both from Texas, that doesn’t change, you will find that the color for the morning of December 24th is purple.
When the time for the Christmas Eve vigil comes, the Church has prescribed readings. The Gospel for this Mass is St. Matthew’s account of the Incarnation, including the entire geneology for Jesus. Now, the sad trend is that many parishes, including several in my diocese (and I would imagine, in yours), have substituted the actual vigil Mass readings for those for the Midnight Mass. My dad’s parish did this, inclusive of the recitation of the Proclamation of the Birth of Christ.
Nonetheless, the Christmas Eve vigil readings are not supposed to be used in the morning, just as the anticipated Sunday Mass readings are not to be used on Saturday morning. These have their appointed time. Christmas Eve readings, therefore, have their appointed time, and it’s not the morning of December 24th.
