Sunday Obligation on Saturdays

[staranthology]

Sorry if this is worded confusingly, I can’t quite seem to find the right words, but I’ve heard that Mass on Saturday Evening counts for fulfilling the Sunday Obligation, can someone explain why?

The reasoning I’ve heard, asides from it being convenient for some, is that it fits with the idea of the day starting at sundown , (I could be wrong) but that raises more questions- What if Saturday evening mass is held before sundown, because of the sun setting later in the summer? Is that still evening? Is there a certain time where it is too early for an anticipatory Saturday Mass to fulfil the Sunday obligation? How would we work out what counts as the night before? Is it a certain time, or certain signs (Like Sundown/ the Jewish practice of waiting for three stars to be visible before considering it evening/ Erev/ a new day)? Is it a decision that the church makes? Is it an intention for it to count as a Sunday Mass?

In other words, what makes a Saturday Evening Mass count for fulfilling the Sunday Obligation, and what differentiates such a Mass from any other Saturday Mass?

Not to be too legalistic, or anything. I’m just curious.

Additionally, if a Saturday Vigil mass in the evening counts for Sunday, does a Sunday evening Mass at the same time count for Monday, or is it still Sunday?

 

[Augustinian]

Actually, the “convenience” factor is big. And its not just convenient for those who attend, its convenient for those attending on Sunday too, as it spreads out the people a little bit making it less of a hassle in the parking lot and the pews.

Sunday evening masses count for Sunday too.

Jews have religious services on Friday evening, it isn’t unprecedented.

I think you are being a tad legalistic here

 

[JackMcCoy]

Sometimes we get so hung up on this or that.
The thing is that we give glory to God.
Can we quite worrying about small things and concentrate on the big things?!!

 

[1ke]

but I’ve heard that Mass on Saturday Evening counts for fulfilling the Sunday Obligation, can someone explain why?

Because the Church says so. The obligation is an ecclesial law, and the Church can set the conditions under which it is fulfilled. In order to give people ample opportunity to fulfill the obligation the Church begins its Sunday masses on Saturday evening. It has not always been this way, outside of certain Vigil feasts. It could change in the future. This is the current law.

 

[1ke]

is that it fits with the idea of the day starting at sundown , (I could be wrong) but that raises more questions- What if Saturday evening mass is held before sundown, because of the sun setting later in the summer?

It has nothing to do with sundown.

 

[1ke]

Sunday evening Mass at the same time count for Monday, or is it still Sunday?

It is still Sunday.

 

[staranthology]

Thank you for your explanations!

 

[1ke]

In other words, what makes a Saturday Evening Mass count for fulfilling the Sunday Obligation,

The current canon law says vespere, vespers, which means 4 p.m. on our modern time telling methods.

 

[ShowersofRoses]

I think it originally take precedence from the Jews beginning their days at sundown. But right now it is an ecclesial law that Mass after 4 or 5 pm counts for Sunday. It makes it much more convenient for many people to be able to attend Mass.

It does not matter what time sundown actually is. At 4 or 5 pm is when Saturday Vigils begin.

 

[Vico]

…
Additionally, if a Saturday Vigil mass in the evening counts for Sunday, does a Sunday evening Mass at the same time count for Monday, or is it still Sunday?

Before the current canon laws, it was a concession for modern life given by Pope Paul VI.

“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.”

Eucharisticum Mysterium – Instruction on Eucharistic Worship
Sacred Congregation of Rites on May 25, 1967

Eucharisticum Mysterium - Instruction on Eucharistic Worship

In the current canon laws for the Latin Church, it applies to both Sundays and solemnities. The solemnities that occur on Monday in the US, are normally transferred or not obligatory, except for Christmas.

Latin Canon Law (CIC)

Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated
anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of
the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

Christmas in 2017 was on Monday and it was obligatory, fulfilled on Sunday evening or Monday.

Monday, January 1, 2018 – Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God
“Since the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God on January 1, 2018 falls on a Monday this year, it is not observed as a Holyday of Obligation,” says the USCCB.

Monday, January 8, 2018 – The Baptism of the Lord
“In 2018, since the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated on January 7, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is transferred to the following Monday, January 8, with only one reading before the Gospel,” explains the USCCB.

Monday, March 19, 2018 – Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Monday, April 9, 2018 – Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
According to the USCCB, “Since March 25, 2018 is Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, normally assigned to this date, is transferred to Monday, April 9, 2018.”

It is not based upon the readings used.

 

[AlbertDerGrosse]

The reasoning I’ve heard, asides from it being convenient for some, is that it fits with the idea of the day starting at sundown , (I could be wrong)

I’ve heard this as an explanation also and I think while the basic idea it’s trying to convey isn’t wrong, it’s too simplistic and naturally gives rise to pretty much all the questions you asked!

The real reason Saturday evening “counts” is because different kinds of feasts start at different times based on their importance. Traditionally speaking while a liturgical “day” begins at Midnight (00:00) and ends at 11:59, some really important celebrations have their liturgies beginning the evening before. Specifically the Liturgy of the Hours (or Divine Office) has two Vespers/Evening prayers: I Vespers and II Vespers (said as “First Vespers” and “Second Vespers”). As you likely guessed I Vespers
begins the evening before.

All Sundays are included in this which means technically there’s no such thing as “Saturday Vespers” or “Saturday Evening Prayer.” You go straight from Saturday None (or Saturday Afternoon Prayer) to Sunday I Vespers. Besides Sundays, all Solemnities (1st Class Feasts in the Latin Mass) and most/some Feasts (2nd Class Feasts in the Latin Mass) also begin the night before and have two Vespers services, for example Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, etc.

On top of some liturgies beginning the night before due to importance of the celebration, others last an entire week as octaves due to the celebration being really really important. For example: Easter. Technically All of Easter week is one, huge Solemnity (1st Class Feast) that begins on Holy Saturday evening at I Vespers and continues through Easter Saturday afternoon to None (Afternoon Prayer).

As you can see it’s not as simple as all liturgical days “starting at sundown”. In fact, sundown doesn’t really have anything to do with it. I think people mention this as a shorthand for “beginning in the evening” most likely because historically speaking Vespers was just aligned with sunset before there were clocks. Since a liturgical day either starts at Midnight of the day or at I Vespers if there are two Vesper services, days that have such (like all Sundays) may have their Mass when I Vespers would otherwise be or after it has been celebrated. Vespers doesn’t have to be celebrated at or after sunset, but the community does have to be reasonable in ascribing to it an appropriate time given the nature of the service. I Vespers at 2:00 PM is ridiculous because that’s clearly still the afternoon. 5:00 PM could go either way. 6:00 PM is pretty much the “standard time” Vespers is celebrated on any given day (+/- 2 hours or so).

[Continued…]

 

[AlbertDerGrosse]

[… Continued]

Is there a certain time where it is too early for an anticipatory Saturday Mass to fulfil the Sunday obligation?

It’s too early if the local Bishop says it’s too early. He gets to decide these liturgical norms for his diocese, within reason of course. I’m sure the Vatican would have something to say if Anticipated Masses in a particular diocese were being celebrated at, say, Noon.

How would we work out what counts as the night before? Is it a certain time, or certain signs (Like Sundown/ the Jewish practice of waiting for three stars to be visible before considering it evening/ Erev/ a new day)?

While the connection to Judaism clearly contributed to the Christian practice of celebrating particular feasts (i.e. celebrating their liturgies) on the evening before, it’s not strictly speaking correct to say that we reckon days beginning the night before as Jews do. We rekcon days much like the Roman Empire did: Midnight to Midnight. and that’s officially the case according to the Church as I mentioned above.

Additionally, if a Saturday Vigil mass in the evening counts for Sunday, does a Sunday evening Mass at the same time count for Monday, or is it still Sunday?

Since we’re clearing up misconceptions in this thread please allow me a moment to be pedantic. The Mass celebrated on Saturday evenings using the Sunday liturgy (i.e. the Mass that is commonly but erroneously referred to as “the Vigil Mass”) is technically called the Anticipated Mass. Vigils, while very few on the modern Catholic calendar, are a specific day. They last the whole day, they are not liturgies per se. A holiday’s vigil would have its own readings, its own prayers, its own practices, etc. different than those of the holiday to which it is a vigil. Think of the Easter Vigil as a true vigil. The readings at the Easter Vigil are not the same as Easter Sunday.

Now, does a Sunday evening Mass “count” for Monday? No, because as I mentioned already it has nothing to do with how a day is reckoned. Sunday liturgies begin on Saturday evening because they are Sunday liturgies. Because they specifically call for commencement the evening before. Mondays do not have two Vespers services.

I know this can be a little confusing so please let me know if I’ve made any sense.

 

[runningdude]

Sorry if this is worded confusingly, I can’t quite seem to find the right words, but I’ve heard that Mass on Saturday Evening counts for fulfilling the Sunday Obligation, can someone explain why?

Because Canon Law says so. The church leadership chose to make Saturday Mass an option out of pastoral convenience.

 

[Elizabeth3]

It seems to me that the Church on one hand stresses the Sunday obligation and the risk of mortal sin for not fulfilling it without good reason. This is because in justice, we owe worship to God and God has said to keep the Sabbath.

On the other hand, the Church is about mercy and so provides us with ample opportunity to fulfill that obligation with as little burden as possible so we remain in a state of grace.

 

[staranthology]

Thank you for such a thorough and informative explanation! You’ve made sense, and answered all of my questions. None of the sources I read before making the thread went into much detail, (although in all fairness, I didn’t get quite as far as reading official church documents, more like… blog posts and articles which were pretty vaguely worded.) I knew what I thought before was definitely too simplistic a model, so it’s nice to know precisely where I went wrong, and the ins and outs of how it actually does work! Again, thank you, you’ve been a big help! And thank you for taking the time to type out this to make me informed!

 

[AlbertDerGrosse]

By the way, I know your original questions specifically had to do with the Sunday obligation, while my answer didn’t touch on that at all. As others have said, the answer to the questions you actually asked is simple: Because the Church says so. Just like with Holy Days of Obligation, she can amend, alter, rescind, add, magnify, any and all of our liturgical obligations however she sees fit. She never does so arbitrarily though, and thats why I went into detail about the justification for liturgies starting when they do. It used to be in the past that Anticipated Masses were not allowed, and so you could only satisfy your Sunday obligation on actual Sunday, even though Sunday liturgies have always begun the evening before at I Vespers.

 

[staranthology]

I mean, it’s not that anyone would disagree with that, but it’s also perfectly natural to ask questions and wonder why things are the way they are. Making inquiries and finding out more is important for people to understand and grow in faith.

It’s less of me worrying and more curiosity.

 

[Spyridon]

@AlbertDerGrosse gave you the best, most accurate, most thorough answer by far.

Read what he said a few times over.

 

[AlbertDerGrosse]

In the current canon laws for the Latin Church, it applies to both Sundays and solemnities. The solemnities that occur on Monday in the US, are normally transferred or not obligatory, except for Christmas.

Latin Canon Law (CIC)

Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated
anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of
the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass.

^^^ This is a very important point I failed to mention in my posts!

@staranthology,

You’ll recall that I said Sunday evenings do not “count” for Mondays because Mondays do not have I Vespers. That’s only generally true. If a Solemnity, which as we’ve determine always has two Vespers services and therefore always begins the evening before, then in the case of a Solemnity falling on a Monday, any obligation attached to that Solemnity would indeed be satisfied by attendance the Sunday evening before!

Now wait a minute! Sundays have two vespers and Solemnities have two vespers, so if a Solemnity falls on a Monday there can’t be two different vespers occurring on the same Sunday evening! (i.e. II Vespers of Sunday and I Vespers of the Solemnity). In this case whichever of two outranks the other gets to have two vespers services. Last year (2017) Christmas was on a Monday. Christmas outranks Sundays, so the 4th Sunday of Advent 2017 had a I Vespers the night before on Saturday, and no II Vespers whatsoever, instead Sunday evening was I Vespers of Christmas.

It was even weirder in the traditional Latin Mass. In the TLM theres a proper “Vigil of Christmas” which outranks even the Sundays of Advent This means last year according to the 1962 calendar we didn’t even have a 4th Sunday of Advent!

Saturday 12/23 went like this:

None of Saturday in the 3rd Week of Advent —>
I Vespers of the Vigil of Christmas —>

Sunday 12/24:

None of the Vigil of Christmas —>
I Vespers of Christmas

 

[po18guy]

In short, Rome, with God-given authority, has declared it so.

It is the vigil mass. From EWTN:

Vigil Mass
Question from Kenny on 6/25/2002:

I have been told that we should only attend saturday vigil or anticipation mass when we cannot attend on sunday for a serious reason. That vigil mass should not be made a regular practice in lieu of attending on sunday. If this is the case, is this church law or tradtion? Thanks and God bless
Answer by Colin B. Donovan, STL on 6/26/2002:

Where the anticipated Mass is available it may be freely utilized.

The danger is a moral one, if it frees someone for over-indulging Saturday night, or neglecting the Sunday rest, then the problem is a personal moral one and not a canonical liturgical one.

In his apostolic letter on Sunday the Pope wrote,

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.