Saturday evening: Liturgically Saturday or Sunday?

[savedbychrist]

As Sundays (and I Class Feasts) start from 1st Vespers of the previous day, does it mean that Saturday evening is no longer liturgically Saturday (i.e. Saturday would have only 16 hours, from 0000 to 1600), or do liturgical Saturday and Sunday overlap in the period of Saturday 1600 to Sunday 0000?

Also, what happens for consecutive I Class Feasts, or I Class Feasts falling on Saturday and Monday? The typical example that happens every year is All Saints and All Souls, as they are both I Class Feasts. Is 1 November 1600 to 2 November 0000 liturgically All Saints, All Souls, or both?

 

[Beryllos]

The Church allows Mass for a Sunday or Holy Day to be celebrated the evening before (anticipatory Mass), but this does not define when the day starts or ends, or the length of the day. The correct understanding, I believe, is simply that the Mass the evening before fulfills the obligation to attend Mass for that Sunday or Holy Day.

This fulfillment approach avoids paradoxes like, for example, the “27-hour day” if a parish celebrates an anticipatory Mass at 1600 (4pm) on Saturday and a regular Mass at 1900 (7pm) on Sunday.

I am not sure what the Church does for Holy Days on consecutive days.

 

[phil19034]

As Sundays (and I Class Feasts) start from 1st Vespers of the previous day, does it mean that Saturday evening is no longer liturgically Saturday (i.e. Saturday would have only 16 hours, from 0000 to 1600), or do liturgical Saturday and Sunday overlap in the period of Saturday 1600 to Sunday 0000?

It’s a little bit complicated.
Liturgically speaking, First Vespers on Saturday liturgically starts Sunday & all Solemnities (1st Class Feasts)

Now, while that Saturday is technically “shorter” in a liturgical sense, a priests (for pastoral reasons) my celebrate a Saturday’s liturgy on Saturday night for the good of the parish. One example would be when All Saints Day falls on a Saturday. The priest may decide to celebrate All Saints Day at a 6PM Saturday Mass instead of All Souls Day.

Also, what happens for consecutive I Class Feasts, or I Class Feasts falling on Saturday and Monday? The typical example that happens every year is All Saints and All Souls, as they are both I Class Feasts. Is 1 November 1600 to 2 November 0000 liturgically All Saints, All Souls, or both?

Feasts are also ranked within their own rankings.

The 1970 Missal has the folloiwng Table of Precedence to determine which takes precedence when similarly ranked feasts clash with one another
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranking_of_liturgical_days_in_the_Roman_Rite#Table_of_precedence

The 1962 Missal has the following rubics in the front of their Brievery

Occurrence is when two liturgical days (feast, feria, Sunday) coincide on the same day. Which Office is celebrated and which commemoration is or is not made is determined by the Table of Occurrence given in the front of the Breviary, at the end of the praenotanda.

Concurrence is when II Vespers of one liturgical day encroaches upon I Vespers of the next liturgical day. Which Vespers are celebrated and which commemoration is or is not made is determined by the Table of Concurrence given in the front of the Breviary, at the same place.

Precedence determines which liturgical day outranks and supersedes another, or which may be transferred. Reference is made to the Table of Liturgical Days, which is found in Rubricae generales at no. 91.

Occasions of occurrence and concurrence in the general calendar are resolved in the individual entries of this Ordo so that the tables need not be consulted except where a conflict is created by a local observances.

Finally, regardless of which missal you use, each diocese, religious order, etc has an Ordo which is used to determine which feast day is to be celebrated.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

Good question! I have a similar one:

Since Sunday begins at Vespers on Saturday evening, is it a sin to do servile work on Saturday evening even if one does not go to Liturgy?

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

No, because as @Beryllos stated above:

The Church allows Mass for a Sunday or Holy Day to be celebrated the evening before (anticipatory Mass), but this does not define when the day starts or ends, or the length of the day.

Sunday begins at 12:00am, not Vespers.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

Is that RC or EC?

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

That’s Roman; I can’t speak to the Eastern. My apologies, as I was “locked in” to that mode in my thoughts.

 

[Margaret_Ann]

Thank you.

 

[TomH1]

First of all, you are using terminology associated with the liturgical calendar for the Extraordinary Form so I am cautious about which angle you are approaching this from.

The answer is a little more nuanced.

Yes, Sunday or, indeed, any liturgical day begins with the first liturgy of that liturgical day. So, the liturgical observance of a Sunday, solemnity or a feast of the Lord in the General Calendar that occurs on a Sunday begins with Mass or Vespers, whichever is celebrated first.

For other purposes Sunday does not begin until 12 midnight also written 12.00 a.m. or 00:00 hours. For example, the number of times you can receive Communion per day refers to the calendar day.