Saturday Vigil at 3:30?

[FrDavid96]

That is interesting. I wonder whether there were any restrictions on the hour of Christmas Vigil, other than after 12 noon?

I’m also curious whether this “afternoon” provision for Christmas is related to the determination of the Canon Law Society of Great Britain that “evening” begins at noon.

Canon law societies don’t make “determinations.” Bishop’s conferences and the Holy See make determinations.

Yes, old Sacramentaries did contain provisions for what we now call a “vigil” or “anticipated” Mass to be celebrated earlier. In some places the Easter Vigil Mass was celebrated on Saturday morning. The Church has since come to the realization that this practice was inappropriate and has been clear that “evening means evening.”

 

[Joe_Kelley]

. . .In some places the Easter Vigil Mass was celebrated on Saturday morning. The Church has since come to the realization that this practice was inappropriate and has been clear that “evening means evening.”

That was standard everywhere that I am familiar with until Pope Pius XII moved the Thursday, Friday and Saturday Holy Week Liturgies to the evening in the late 50’s. Before that all masses had to be between midnight and noon except for special dispensations.

 

[Marysann]

Father Rich, I don’t mean to highjack this post, but the Easter Vigil Mass is still celebrated on Holy Saturday morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem because the Greek Orthodox Church is the dominant power there, and the Catholics are not allowed to have their services in the evening. The other Catholic churches in Jerusalem have their Easter Vigil services after dark. We lived in Israel for three years and spent two Holy Weeks in Jerusalem, and experienced this. Those who attend the service at the Holy Sepulcher have known to tease their friends who would be attending a service in the evening, by saying “alleluia” to them!

 

[tee_eff_em]

Interesting.

Browsing through an old Sacramentary (Catholic Book Publishing, 1974) I find 6 proper vigil (not: “anticipated”) Masses: Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, the Nativity of John the Baptist, the Solemnity of SS Peter and Paul, and the Assumption of the BVM. Excepting the Easter Vigil, which explicitly may not begin prior to nightfall, each opens with this rubric or similar (the proper dates being filled in for the [bracketed] phrase):
This Mass may be used on the evening* of the date preceding], either before or after Evening Prayer I of the solemnity

(* The Christmas Vigil substitutes the word “afternoon” for “evening”)

Not wanting to be reliant on “old” books, last evening after reading at Mass, I checked the Ordo for my area. I only spot-checked a couple of the vigils, but those that I did* all bore the instruction that the vigil may be celebrated “before or after Evening Prayer I”.

Often times in these fora, the time of Evening Prayer I is been pointed to as the papal (or USCCB-al) line of demarcation. It would appear that it is erroneous to do so, at least in the case of vigil Masses.

(* Including the vigil of Christmas – No sign of the word “afternoon” there)

tee

 

[FrDavid96]

Not wanting to be reliant on “old” books, last evening after reading at Mass, I checked the Ordo for my area. I only spot-checked a couple of the vigils, but those that I did* all bore the instruction that the vigil may be celebrated “before or after Evening Prayer I”.

Often times in these fora, the time of Evening Prayer I is been pointed to as the papal (or USCCB-al) line of demarcation. It would appear that it is erroneous to do so, at least in the case of vigil Masses.

(* Including the vigil of Christmas – No sign of the word “afternoon” there)

tee

The Ordo (and there are many) is not an official publication, but a guideline.

In Dies Domini adoremus.org/DiesDomini.html

Pope John Paul II has the following to say, and I would hesitate to call that “erroneous”:

1. Because the faithful are obliged to attend Mass unless there is a grave impediment, Pastors have the corresponding duty to offer to everyone the real possibility of fulfilling the precept. The provisions of Church law move in this direction, as for example in the faculty granted to priests, with the prior authorization of the diocesan Bishop, to celebrate more than one Mass on Sundays and holy days, the institution of evening Masses and the provision which allows the obligation to be fulfilled from Saturday evening onwards, starting at the time of First Vespers of Sunday. From a liturgical point of view, in fact, holy days begin with First Vespers. Consequently, the liturgy of what is sometimes called the “Vigil Mass” is in effect the “festive” Mass of Sunday, at which the celebrant is required to preach the homily and recite the Prayer of the Faithful.
   The following is referenced in a footnote:
   Cf. Pius XII, Apostolic Constitution Christus Dominus (6 January 1953): AAS 45 (1953), 15-24; Motu Proprio Sacram Communionem (19 March 1957): AAS 49 (1957), 177-178. Congregation of the Holy Office, Instruction on the Discipline concerning the Eucharist Fast (6 January 1953): AAS 45 (1953), 47-51

 

[Joe_Kelley]

That phrase

“before or after Evening Prayer I”.

has always fascinated me. When else pray tell? Certainly not during Evening Prayer.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Father Rich, I don’t mean to highjack this post, but the Easter Vigil Mass is still celebrated on Holy Saturday morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem because the Greek Orthodox Church is the dominant power there, and the Catholics are not allowed to have their services in the evening. The other Catholic churches in Jerusalem have their Easter Vigil services after dark. We lived in Israel for three years and spent two Holy Weeks in Jerusalem, and experienced this. Those who attend the service at the Holy Sepulcher have known to tease their friends who would be attending a service in the evening, by saying “alleluia” to them!

Hi, I’m not a priest, just for clarification. I’m sure that circumstances in some parts of the world require this as with the Sunday issue in some places in the Middle East.