Saturday Vigil Mass

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My understanding for the catholic church allowing parishoners to fulfill their Sunday obligation on Saturday was that the church reckons Sunday from Saturday sundown through Sunday sundown (similar to Judaism). In my dioscese there is one church with a 4:30 pm Saturday mass and a different church with a 4:30 pm Sunday mass. Why the inconsistency, especially within the same dioscese? Seems like it should be one of the other.
thanks dljl 🙂
 
Seems like it should be one or the other, but Canon Law explicitly allows it to be both:
Can. 202 §1 In law, a day is understood to be a space of twenty-four hours, to be reckoned continuously and, unless expressly provided otherwise, it begins at midnight…
…
Can. 1248 §1 The obligation of assisting at Mass is satisfied wherever Mass is celebrated in a catholic rite either on a holyday itself or on the evening of the previous day.
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So a holyday (including Sunday) is twenty-four hours from midnight to the subsequent midnight, but the obligation is fulfilled even on the evening of the preceding day.

tee
 
All liturgical days begin at midnight and end at mdnight, except Sundays and solemnities (the very highest of feast days), which begin at sundown the evening before and extend until midnight the following day. Hence, liturgically speaking, Sunday begins with First Vespers on Saturday evening, and continues through midnight on Sunday. That is why there are First and Second Vespers for Sundays and certain solemnities, but not for other days.
 
Our former pastor (R.I.P.) required that all Masses for a specific day begin no later than 5:00pm on that day.

Any Vigil Masses, or “Masses of Anticipation”, were required to begin at 5:30pm or later.

So in our parish, Saturday evening Mass begins at 5:30pm, and Sunday’s afternoon Mass begins at 5:00pm.

On Solemnities and Vigils, we also have a daily 7:00pm Mass.
 
Let’s take this opportunity to clear something up. The Saturday evening Mass is in NO sense a Vigil Mass. Since Sunday begins liturgically with First Vespers the so-called Saturday Vigil Mass is simply the Sunday Mass celebrated as soon as Sunday liturgically begins. In contrast, a Vigil Mass always precedes First Vespers or (as with the Easter Vigil) replaces it. With a Vigil Mass the Sunday or Solemnity has not yet started and the Propers of the Mass e.g. the Epistle and Gospel, are entirely different from the Mass of the Sunday or Solemnity. Such is not the case with the Saturday Evening Masses. If you have missals, folks, look them up. You will find no reference to a Saturday “Vigil” Mass.
 
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Legatus:
Let’s take this opportunity to clear something up. The Saturday evening Mass is in NO sense a Vigil Mass. Since Sunday begins liturgically with First Vespers the so-called Saturday Vigil Mass is simply the Sunday Mass celebrated as soon as Sunday liturgically begins. In contrast, a Vigil Mass always precedes First Vespers or (as with the Easter Vigil) replaces it. With a Vigil Mass the Sunday or Solemnity has not yet started and the Propers of the Mass e.g. the Epistle and Gospel, are entirely different from the Mass of the Sunday or Solemnity. Such is not the case with the Saturday Evening Masses. If you have missals, folks, look them up. You will find no reference to a Saturday “Vigil” Mass.
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You are correct. I spoke about this in length on a similar thread last year. (forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=186563#post186563).
 
It’s listed as a vigil in the church bulletin. At least they got the times right.
 
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dljl:
It’s listed as a vigil in the church bulletin. At least they got the times right.
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The Saturday evening Mass these days is listed as a Vigil Mass in bulletins all over North America which illustrates the fact the Sunday Bulletins all over North America a quite capable of being wrong, especially if the error sounds nice. More trusty is your missal or even the missalette in the pew. If the Saturday evening Mass is a Vigil Mass then you will find another different Mass (i.e. set of Propers) provided for Sunday Morning. But in fact you will only find one Mass which may be celebrated on Saturday evening, Sunday morning or Sunday evening. It is the Sunday Mass and NOT a Vigil.
 
Taken from “Catholic Replies” by James J. Drummey - pg. 394, “Permission for attending Mass on the eve of holy days & Sundays was granted by the Sacred Congregation of Rites in 1967, and pastors were told to explain the meaning of the change carefully . . . . . The SCR may have had in mind those who had essential jobs on Sundays ( nurses, bus drivers, . . .), . . . . . The preferred day to attend Mass ought to be Sunday, and we should make every effort to begin this day of rest by worshiping at Mass.”
 
OK - so what are the rules for those that WANT to attend to separate masses and receive communion twice - one on Sat. and one on Sunday? I ask this since I want to initiate the First Saturday Devotions (today is first Sat for Dec) revealed at Fatima.

Is it OK to attend Saturday mass to meet that first sat. devotion and to attend Sunday mass also and receive the eucharist 2 times as if two seperate masses?

James
 
CentralFLJames said:
OK - so what are the rules for those that WANT to attend to separate masses and receive communion twice - one on Sat. and one on Sunday? I ask this since I want to initiate the First Saturday Devotions (today is first Sat for Dec) revealed at Fatima.

Is it OK to attend Saturday mass to meet that first sat. devotion and to attend Sunday mass also and receive the eucharist 2 times
Code: 
as if
two seperate masses?
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“As if”…? :confused:

I don’t understand the question – Can you rephrase?

tee
 
CentralFLJames said:
OK - so what are the rules for those that WANT to attend to separate masses and receive communion twice - one on Sat. and one on Sunday? I ask this since I want to initiate the First Saturday Devotions (today is first Sat for Dec) revealed at Fatima.

Is it OK to attend Saturday mass to meet that first sat. devotion and to attend Sunday mass also and receive the eucharist 2 times as if two seperate masses?

James
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Yes, that is acceptable. It is even possible to receive Holy Communion twice a day, if one goes to two Masses in the same day. For instance, if you go to a funeral Mass on Saturday morning, you can go to the Saturday evening Mass that is for Sunday and receive again.
 
I think its okay. When I had my First Communion at my Catholic parish 20 years ago, the First Communion Mass was held in the morning and then later that day, my family and I went to Saturday vigil Mass @ 5:30. So, I received Communion twice that day.

As long as you fast both times.
 
CentralFLJames said:
OK - so what are the rules for those that WANT to attend to separate masses and receive communion twice - one on Sat. and one on Sunday? I ask this since I want to initiate the First Saturday Devotions (today is first Sat for Dec) revealed at Fatima.

Is it OK to attend Saturday mass to meet that first sat. devotion and to attend Sunday mass also and receive the eucharist 2 times as if two seperate masses?

James
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From the Code of Canon Law:
Can. 917 One who has received the blessed Eucharist may receive it again on the same day only within a eucharistic celebration in which that person participates, without prejudice to the provision of can. 921 ß2.
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Thanks all. I was reasonably sure it was OK without consulting the CCC. I just started the Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary which requires 5 first Saturday masses (with penance and communion). I didn’t want that Saturday mass to count as my Sunday obligation since I wanted to receive communion on Sunday as well as participate in the mass again on Sunday to receive full graces.

James
 
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