Saturday Evening Mass

[Vico]

Wondering why it was introduced?

When I was very new in Ireland and to the Catholic Church, my landlady told me she always went to Vigil Mass as “otherwise there would be no time to get anything done on Sunday” She was horrified at the idea of Mass on Sundays

The 1967 Eucharisticum Mysterium is about anticipated masses.

A specific time for the beginning of evening was not defined in Eucharisticum Mysterium nor in the 1983 CIC. The 1983 CIC constructors commented that it was intentionally made vague, and also it was considered to be a concession, and the Liturgical Norms already state that observance of Sunday begins on the prior evening, so if Can. 1248 intended 4 PM, it would not be a concession.

The reason is given in Eucharisticum Mysterium (May 25, 1967) is:

28. Anticipating the Sunday and Feast Day Masses on the Previous Evening

Where permission has been granted by the Apostolic See to fulfill the Sunday obligation on the preceding Saturday evening, pastors should explain the meaning of this permission carefully to the faithful and should ensure that the significance of Sunday is not thereby obscured. The purpose of this concession is in fact to enable the Christians of today to celebrate more easily the day of the resurrection of the Lord.

All concessions and contrary customs notwithstanding, when celebrated on Saturday this Mass may be celebrated only in the evening, at times determined by the local Ordinary.

In these cases the Mass celebrated is that assigned in the calendar to Sunday, the homily and the prayer of the faithful are not to be omitted.

What has been said above is equally valid for the Mass on holy days of obligation which for the same reason has been transferred to the preceding evening.

The Mass celebrated on the evening before Pentecost Sunday is the present Mass of the Vigil, with the Creed. Likewise, the Mass celebrated on the evening of Christmas Eve is the Mass of the Vigil but with white vestments, the Alleluia and the Preface of the Nativity, as on the feast. Nevertheless it is not permitted to celebrate the Vigil Mass of Easter Sunday before dusk on Holy Saturday, certainly not before sunset. This Mass is always that of the Easter Vigil, which, by reason of its special significance in the liturgical year and in the whole Christian life, must be celebrated with the liturgical rites laid down for the Vigil on this holy night.

The faithful who begin to celebrate the Sunday or holy day of obligation on the preceding evening may go to Communion at that Mass even if they have already received Communion in the morning. Those who “have received Communion during the Mass of the Easter Vigil, or during the Mass of the Lord’s Nativity, may receive Communion again at the second Easter Mass and at one of the Masses on Christmas Day.” 80 Likewise “the faithful who go to Communion at the Mass of Chrism on Holy Thursday may again receive Communion at the evening Mass of the same day,” in accordance with the Instruction Tres abhinc annos of May 4, 1967, no. 14.
[14. The faithful receiving communion at the chrism Mass on Holy Thursday may receive again at the evening Mass on the same day.]

80 S.C.R. Instruction Inter Oecumenici, 26. ix. 1964, n. 60-AAS 56 1964). p. 891.

 

[Rosebud77]

The reason it’s OK, is that, like the Jewish calendar, the Catholic calendar starts the day at sundown on the day before.

Shabbat starts in Friday evening, and Sunday begins on Saturday evening.

Jesus’ body had to be dealt with before evening on Friday because of not only Shabbat, but Passover would begin at sundown. The women didn’t come back to anoint the body until Shabbat was over. They waited until the sun came up on Sunday morning.** (No flashlights back then…)**

They had torches, fire, mentioned there…

 

[Vico]

From Wikipedia:

"With regard to the Roman Rite, it states that “Advent begins with First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of the Sunday that falls on or closest to 30 November and it ends before First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of Christmas”.

First Sunday of advent begins the liturgical year. Advent begins on the Saturday evening before. Thus, the calendar begins, and thusly every other time period in that calendar, takes its official beginning from the day before.

As to the question of when is sunset… I would think that the world wide Church at some point decided to do away with astronomical observations and time tables and regularised the beginning to the “evening” before. But then again there is a Jesuit pope these days. Maybe they’ve gone back to the observatory.

I’ve heard from several sources the Jewish explanation. But what do I know?

The liturgical day is, in Roman style, and per the 1969 liturgical norms, from midnight to midnight (whereas in Greek style is it sunset to sunset). So the Roman liturgical norms reflect that. The celebration (observance) begins “with the evening of the preceding day” (anticipated).

I. The Liturgical Day in General

1. Each day is made holy through the liturgical celebrations of the people of God, especially through the eucharistic sacrifice and the divine office.

The liturgical day runs from midnight to midnight, but the observance of Sunday and solemnities begins with the evening of the preceding day.

ewtn.com/library/CURIA/CDWLITYR.HTM

 

[Reuben_J]

The 1967 Eucharisticum Mysterium is about anticipated masses.

**
In these cases the Mass celebrated is that assigned in the calendar to Sunday, the homily and the prayer of the faithful are not to be omitted.**

Thanks.

What does that exactly mean (the bold).

 

[Vico]

Thanks.

What does that exactly mean (the bold).

Per the Norms of 1967:

The Sunday Mass is used on Saturday evening.
The Mass on holy days of obligation transferred to the preceding evening, follow the Solemnity day they were transferred from.
Pentecost Sunday Eve uses Mass of the Vigil.
Christmas Eve uses the Mass of the Vigil.
Easter Sunday Eve not before sunset on Holy Saturday uses Mass of the Vigil.

The 1983 canon law established a less restrictive norm.

 

[Reuben_J]

Per the Norms of 1967:

The Sunday Mass is used on Saturday evening.
The Mass on holy days of obligation transferred to the preceding evening, follow the Solemnity day they were transferred from.
Pentecost Sunday Eve uses Mass of the Vigil.
Christmas Eve uses the Mass of the Vigil.
Easter Sunday Eve not before sunset on Holy Saturday uses Mass of the Vigil.

The 1983 canon law established a less restrictive norm.

Thank you.