M
Merrick
Guest
When someone is unable to attend mass on Sunday but they can get to a Saturday evening mass that fulfills the Sunday obligation, must that person go to the Saturday evening mass under pain of mortal sin?
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thistle
Guest
We must fulfill our Sunday obligation upon pain of sin not to do so.
To fulfill that obligation you may attend Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday. If you know in advance that you will not be able to attend Mass on the Sunday then yes you must attend a Saturday evening Mass otherwise your obligation is not fulfilled if you do not go to Mass on either.
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hadulzo
Guest
If you are physically able to attend and and you are aware opportunities to attend exists you must satisfy the obligation.
H
Hoosier_Daddy
Guest
A
Angel_Bradford
Guest
I think you answered your own question…
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dans0622
Guest
Hello,
This is an interesting question. I’ve only seen one published opinion on the matter (that’s not to say that there are no others) and the author said there is no obligation to attend Mass on Saturday (The Jurist, 74, p. 396). His conclusion is in accord with the text of the law: we are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays/Holy Days. So, the obligation starts at midnight. We *can *fulfill the obligation during the prior evening.
That being said, if it was me, I’d go to Mass during the evening and fulfill the obligation. It is for just such circumstances that the opportunity is there.
Dan
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Burt_Macklin
Guest
The text of Canon makes no mention of creating an obligation for Saturday mass. The only mention of the vigil is that the obligation for Sunday mass is fulfilled on the evening preceding.
Canon 1247
On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass; they are also to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord’s Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body.
Canon 1248
Canon 1247
On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass; they are also to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord’s Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body.
Canon 1248
- The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day.
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spiderweb
Guest
It is true that there is no obligation to attend Mass on Saturday. That being said there is an obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. The obligation for attending Mass on Sunday is filled either by attending the Sunday Mass or the Saturday Vigil Mass.
Therefor, if one cannot attend the Sunday Mass, but they can attend the Saturday Mass, then in order to fulfill the Sunday obligation, they are obligated to attend the Saturday Vigil Mass.
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Burt_Macklin
Guest
The text of the law doesn’t create any such obligation. I think if there were such an obligation it would be spelled out for us.
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Hoosier_Daddy
Guest
:crying::crying:
What was I thinking that this could be black and white to anybody…
What was I thinking that this could be black and white to anybody…
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dans0622
Guest
Hello,
I would certainly appreciate it if you could direct me to an official statement which said people are “*obligated *to attend the Saturday” Mass in those situations.
Dan
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dans0622
Guest
Well, no matter what the right answer is, it is certainly a black and white issue.:crying::crying:
What was I thinking that this could be black and white to anybody…
Dan
A
AKDee
Guest
I don’t know, to me it seems obvious, no shades of grey.
The Sunday obligation can be fulfilled by attending Vigil Mass on Saturday evening.
If I cannot make Sunday Mass, I do attend Saturday Vigil Mass. Even if not specifically spelled out in the CCC, to not do so seems to be trying to find a deliberate loophole but I think the intent is obvious. I’m pretty sure God knows when we’re seeking out loopholes to not meet our obligation to Him. In the scriptures, Jesus made this same accusation of the Pharisees when he said that them making their belongings “corban” (dedicated to God) in order to avoid taking care of their parents was a sin. We know what the commandments are. Our Mass obligation falls under the First and Third Commandments.
The Sunday obligation can be fulfilled by attending Vigil Mass on Saturday evening.
If I cannot make Sunday Mass, I do attend Saturday Vigil Mass. Even if not specifically spelled out in the CCC, to not do so seems to be trying to find a deliberate loophole but I think the intent is obvious. I’m pretty sure God knows when we’re seeking out loopholes to not meet our obligation to Him. In the scriptures, Jesus made this same accusation of the Pharisees when he said that them making their belongings “corban” (dedicated to God) in order to avoid taking care of their parents was a sin. We know what the commandments are. Our Mass obligation falls under the First and Third Commandments.
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dans0622
Guest
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ProVobis
Guest
Right. I believe JPII spelled it out by defining the Lord’s Day (dies dominici) which begins on Saturday vespere. While it is not obligatory to attend a 5pm Saturday Mass any more than 8am on Sunday, for example, sometime during the 32-hr window Mass is obligatory.
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spiderweb
Guest
The text of the law says that there is an obligation to attend Mass on Sunday. The main purpose of the Saturday vigil Mass is to make it possible for people who specifically cannot attend the Sunday Mass to still fulfill the Sunday obligation to keep Holy the Lord’s Day as well as possible depending on circumstances. The Church does not require us to attend a specific time Mass, but it does spell out that it is required.
It is also clear that the Church sees the Saturday Vigil in the same way as the Sunday Mass with the same readings, etc. I think it is correct (although I could be wrong) to say that for liturgical purposes the Saturday Vigil Mass and the Sunday Mass liturgically take place on the same day, even though they take place on two separate 24 hr. calendar days. So liturgically speaking, in order to fulfill the Sunday obligation, if one can’t make the scheduled Sunday Mass times, but they can attend the Saturday Vigil (which liturgically is actually Sunday) then they are obligated to attend the Saturday Vigil. It would be no different than attending any one of the various time scheduled Sunday Masses. It doesn’t matter which one you go to, but you are obligated to go to one of them if possible.
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LilyM
Guest
The real question for the Saturday naysayers is why on earth, if you are able to go, and can’t go on Sunday, would you not go? Why would uou take such a bare-bones do-only-what-you-are-forced-to attitude to Holy Mass?
The whole point is that the Sunday Mass has enormous spiritual benefit for us. Indeed it is the supreme of all activities spirituallh speaking. Qualitatively Sunday Mass is no different to Saturday night, being that the prayers, readings etc are the very same for both. Why would anyone willingly miss out on that benefit on a technicality?
The whole point is that the Sunday Mass has enormous spiritual benefit for us. Indeed it is the supreme of all activities spirituallh speaking. Qualitatively Sunday Mass is no different to Saturday night, being that the prayers, readings etc are the very same for both. Why would anyone willingly miss out on that benefit on a technicality?
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thistle
Guest
???Yep.
Thistle, you are just cherry picking the easy answers!
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Burt_Macklin
Guest
If “dies Dominica” is the 32 hour period starting on Saturday afternoon, then the evening proceeding mentioned in canon 1248 would be Friday afternoon not Saturday afternoon. So Friday afternoon masses would fulfill the obligation of participating in a mass on “dies Dominica.”
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ProVobis
Guest
I’ve heard that argument. It would be easier I think if they were to mention it in terms of Vespers. Oh wait…
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