Mass times and fulfilling Holy Day of Obligation

[FrDavid96]

Once again the Church’s traditional wisdom shines forth. Traditionally, all Masses were said before noon. This meant there was never worry if, say, a given feast had First Vespers and started the night before; or if there were a Vigil, etc…everything was always done before noon.

The confusion and trouble started with the evening permissions, especially the Saturday evening…funny there was an alleged need for Saturday evening and not Sunday evening.

If there were simply morning Masses, this would never be an issue.

That was not always so “wise.”

It also meant that the Easter Vigil Mass was held in the morning of Holy Saturday—because it had to be before Noon. So deacons (more likely priests) were proclaiming the Exsultet in the bright light of morning.

It also meant that the Christmas Eve Mass (which is supposed to be an evening Mass as is clear from the text) was on the morning of December 24. It did not start there, but it was moved there because of the rule about Masses before Noon.

There is also strong a very solid biblical foundation for the Saturday evening Mass. It is our modern way of telling time that is inconsistent with both Scripture and the early centuries of the Church, both of which considered the transition from one day to the next as happening at sunset.

 

[Vadne]

Actually, the Easter Vigil was never supposed to be done at say, midnight.

It was a Vesperal liturgy that commenced after None, that is, in midafternoon, and was over in time for a shortened Vespers.

So the “1962” time is historically wrong, and so is the Novus Ordo time.

I’d be fine with restoring it to its authentic time…commencing at midafternoon and being finished a few hours later (with Pascal Matins as the true midnight office).

As for Christmas Eve, like almost all vigils, it was done after None as well.