Midnight Mass/Christmas Day Mass

[KerryIsCatholic]

Hi, new to CAF and this is my first post

I have recently come back home to the Catholic Church (yay!) and I have a couple questions about Mass for Christmas. It is my understanding that going to Midnight Mass would satisfy the Christmas obligation. However, I just love going to Mass and was wondering if the Masses on Christmas day differ from Midnight Mass. Basically, is it ok/good to go to both? Or would it be like going to Mass twice on Sunday? My family growing up often did not go to Mass on Christmas, so I don’t have a good frame of reference. Also, if I went to both, could I receive the Eucharist at the second?

Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut!

 

[ConstantineTG]

For Christmas and Easter, the readings would be different from the Vigil Mass to Morning Mass to Afternoon Mass

 

[LilyM]

For Christmas and Easter, the readings would be different from the Vigil Mass to Morning Mass to Afternoon Mass

Typically there’s a ‘midnight mass’ a ‘dawn mass’ (or similar) and then a ‘mass during the day’. and all do have different readings.

I see nothing wrong with going to more than one Mass on a Sunday, by the way. Same readings, sure, but still not the same Eucharist or the same Mass. I

It’s like saying ‘my food at dinner tonight was leftovers from yesterday’s lunch, therefore they’re both the same meal and no point eating it over again’. No, they’re similar, but not the same.

 

[Phemie]

You certainly may go to Mass more than once on Christmas. As a previous poster said, there are 4 distinct Masses,each with different readings. While that is so, there is provision for the priest to use the same readings for every Mass, so, depending on what the priest decided, you might or might not see a difference.

 

[Bbigam]

To directly answer the other part of the OP’s question, on any day the faithful may receive Holy Communion twice as long as at least the second time is within the context of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (assuming, of course, that they are otherwise properly disposed to receive Communion).

Go ahead and go if you want to and can!

 

[ChadS]

You certainly may go to Mass more than once on Christmas. As a previous poster said, there are 4 distinct Masses,each with different readings. While that is so, there is provision for the priest to use the same readings for every Mass, so, depending on what the priest decided, you might or might not see a difference.

In my experience this is most likely what you’ll find if you go to mass on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, itself. I’m not sure many parishes actually go about having all the various masses available on Christmas Day with all of their different readings. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go to all those masses on Christmas Day?

However, I try to go both Christmas Eve and Day and if I don’t hear the same readings I may get the same homily, or more likely same readings with an abbreviated homily.

ChadS

 

[Phemie]

In my experience this is most likely what you’ll find if you go to mass on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, itself. I’m not sure many parishes actually go about having all the various masses available on Christmas Day with all of their different readings. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to go to all those masses on Christmas Day?

However, I try to go both Christmas Eve and Day and if I don’t hear the same readings I may get the same homily, or more likely same readings with an abbreviated homily.

ChadS

The only time I’ve ever experienced the Mass at Dawn was before Vatican II when, in our parish, it was tacked on to the Midnight Mass. I remember my very first Midnight Mass. Communion was over and the priest was saying the Collect and all my 10 year old self could think was “Good, we’ll soon be on our way home for the Réveillon” (that’s the post-Midnight Mass opening of gifts and party so common in Francophone families). Then Mass started all over again. I looked at my Dad with a most puzzled look and he whispered “Mass at Dawn”. Hmm, dawn at 1:30 a.m. in December, who’d a thunk it?

 

[TheMc]

Here’s the scoop.
a) You may always go to Mass whenever you want.
b) You have no obligation to recieve communion every time you go to Mass (although it’s very praise worthy to recieve as much as possible, within restrictions, see below)

Reguarding reception of communion. You can recieve communion 2 times each day (day = midnight to midnight, not the “litirgical day”). The second time, you must participate in the Mass (IE, be there all or most of the Mass). Yes, the first time, you may simply walk into church and recieve communion, as long as you have prepared yourself.

After recieving twice, you are welcome to go to Mass again, but you just can’t recieve, unless in danger of death.

I love going to Mass a lot. On Easter and Christmas, I usually go to the Vigil/Midnight Mass (respectively), and then to the morning Mass a couple hours later!

 

[KerryIsCatholic]

Thanks for the replies. I was considering going to both, I was just curious about what might be different.

 

[corsair]

Kerry, you must be rather young. My old body just will not function well if I go to mid-night Mass and then try to make it for Mass the next day. This year I’ll go to mid-night Mass (24th) then coast on the 25th. But I will be struggling to make it on Sunday the 26th. However, I will make it.

 

[stephraim]

I was just curious about what might be different.

Well, depending on the parish, the Office of Readings might be joined with Midnight Mass. You might also hear the Proclamation of the Birth of Christ in the Midnight Mass.

 

[ciero]

Typically there’s a ‘midnight mass’ a ‘dawn mass’ (or similar) and then a ‘mass during the day’. and all do have different readings.

I see nothing wrong with going to more than one Mass on a Sunday, by the way. Same readings, sure, but still not the same Eucharist or the same Mass. I

It’s like saying ‘my food at dinner tonight was leftovers from yesterday’s lunch, therefore they’re both the same meal and no point eating it over again’. No, they’re similar, but not the same.

Every mass and every Eucharist IS ONE AND THE SAME, we are participating in the heavenly banquet.

 

[LilyM]

Every mass and every Eucharist IS ONE AND THE SAME, we are participating in the heavenly banquet.

From an eternal point of view, God’s point of view if you will, that’s true. For Him it is an event entirely outside of time and space, as He Himself is.

From our human perspective obviously it’s not, for us each Eucharist is an event that happens in linear time and space and so each occurrence isn’t the same. If it were completely one and the same from our point of view then we’d be required to receive the Eucharist only once in our lifetimes and any further reception would be useless and pointless.

Think of the old saying ‘you cannot cross the same river twice’. Which is true. Certainly you can go to the same geographical point more than once. But because the river is a body of water, which water constantly moves, changes and flows down its length and into the ocean, there’s an important sense in which it’s really not the same river. If it were, it would have exactly the same molecules of water in it as were there the last time you crossed, and it doesn’t.

 

[Thyme]

Go to both! Midnight Mass and Christmas morning Mass are lovely.

One year, there was a special midnight Mass with children acting out the Nativity. Mary came in on a real donkey

 

[puzzleannie]

Hi, new to CAF and this is my first post

I have recently come back home to the Catholic Church (yay!) and I have a couple questions about Mass for Christmas. It is my understanding that going to Midnight Mass would satisfy the Christmas obligation. However, I just love going to Mass and was wondering if the Masses on Christmas day differ from Midnight Mass. Basically, is it ok/good to go to both? Or would it be like going to Mass twice on Sunday? My family growing up often did not go to Mass on Christmas, so I don’t have a good frame of reference. Also, if I went to both, could I receive the Eucharist at the second?

Thanks for your (name removed by moderator)ut!

The Midnight Mass is the principal Mass for Christmas, it is NOT a vigil, nor are Masses earlier Christmas eve if the bishop gives permission for them to be Masses of Christmas. The vigil is celebrated in the morning of the 24th if it is observed at all. The masses on Christmas day are offered to accommodate all those unable to attend at midnight. Yes on any Sunday or Holy Day you may attend Mass as often as you wish, and receive communion twice in any calendar day as long as the second reception is in the context of a complete Mass you attend. (you could receive a third time that day as part of last rites or communion for the sick)

we tried the live donkey thing exactly once, but for posada, not Mass. never again, unless somebody wants to come the next day and clean the school yard (we also had sheep and goats, and one small cow, this is Texas after all).

 

[Bbigam]

The Midnight Mass is the principal Mass for Christmas, it is NOT a vigil, nor are Masses earlier Christmas eve if the bishop gives permission for them to be Masses of Christmas. The vigil is celebrated in the morning of the 24th if it is observed at all. The masses on Christmas day are offered to accommodate all those unable to attend at midnight.

Not quite… there is an actual Vigil Mass for Christmas that is celebrated in the evening of Christmas Eve, separate from the Midnight Mass: usccb.org/nab/122510.shtml

And there is a Mass for Dec 24, in the morning, a weekday Mass: usccb.org/nab/122410.shtml

So there is a weekday Mass for Dec 24 in the morning, and 4 different Masses for Christmas - Vigil, Midnight, Dawn, and Day.

 

[Phemie]

Not quite… there is an actual Vigil Mass for Christmas that is celebrated in the evening of Christmas Eve, separate from the Midnight Mass: usccb.org/nab/122510.shtml

And there is a Mass for Dec 24, in the morning, a weekday Mass: usccb.org/nab/122410.shtml

So there is a weekday Mass for Dec 24 in the morning, and 4 different Masses for Christmas - Vigil, Midnight, Dawn, and Day.

I know that what you say is true, but I’ve never in my 57 years experienced a Christmas Vigil Mass. In ever parish where I’ve attended Mass on Christmas Eve, they celebrated an anticipated Midnight Mass.

In fact, several years ago our new pastor was indignant when the Vigil was mentioned as the celebration for the 7 p.m. family Mass on Christmas Eve: “Whoever heard of celebrating the Christmas Vigil on Christmas Eve?!” Er, if not on Christmas Eve, when??? We never brought that up again.

 

[Bbigam]

I know that what you say is true, but I’ve never in my 57 years experienced a Christmas Vigil Mass. In ever parish where I’ve attended Mass on Christmas Eve, they celebrated an anticipated Midnight Mass.

In fact, several years ago our new pastor was indignant when the Vigil was mentioned as the celebration for the 7 p.m. family Mass on Christmas Eve: “Whoever heard of celebrating the Christmas Vigil on Christmas Eve?!” Er, if not on Christmas Eve, when??? We never brought that up again.

Hmm, that’s too bad. I know that some variation is allowed as far as using the different readings and prayers at different times, but they are prescribed the way they are for a reason and it’s been that way for ages… here parishes including mine tend to have separate Vigil, Midnight, and Day Masses. The Dawn Mass seems to be hard to find.