The Lord's Day

[PeteZaHut]

Is there any official document that says how long the Lord’s Day is? I have heard from midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday. I have heard from sundown Saturday to sundown Sunday. I have heard from when masses start on Saturday to midnight Sunday.

This is from newadvent.com:
As with the Jewish Sabbath, the observance of the Christian Sunday began with sundown on Saturday and lasted till the same time on Sunday…The method of reckoning the Sunday from sunset to sunset continued in some places down to the seventeenth century, but in general since the Middle Ages the reckoning from midnight to midnight has been followed

 

[benedictgal]

Technically, I believe the Church sees it from 4PM late Saturday afternoon (when the first Vigil Mass may be celebrated) to all day Sunday (which could, conceivably, include 11:59PM).

Now, there is one caveat to all of this: the time of the Easter Vigil. According to Paschalis Sacramentalis, the Circular Letter issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments back in 1988, the time of the Easter Vigil is set as follows:

1. “The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes place at night. It should not begin before nightfall; it should end before daybreak on Sunday.” [82] This rule is to be taken according to its strictest sense. Reprehensible are those abuses and practices that have crept into many places in violation of this ruling, whereby the Easter Vigil is celebrated at the time of day that it is customary to celebrate anticipated Sunday Masses. [83]

Those reasons that have been advanced in some quarters for the anticipation of the Easter Vigil, such as lack of public order, are not put forward in connection with Christmas night nor other gatherings of various kinds.

Thus, you can’t have the Easter Vigil at 4:30PM, just because you normal anticipated Sunday vigil Mass starts at that same time on Saturday.

I hope this helps you.

 

[Digitonomy]

Is there any official document that says how long the Lord’s Day is?

From the Code of Canon Law,

Can. 202 §1. In law, a day is understood as a period consisting of 24 continuous hours and begins at midnight unless other provision is expressly made

I asked about this a few years ago before I was aware of the canons in question:

When does Sunday begin and end?

Summary: the Lord’s Day lasts from midnight to midnight on Sunday. Liturgically, the Church begins its celebration the evening before the Lord’s Day.

 

[benedictgal]

From the Code of Canon Law, I asked about this a few years ago before I was aware of the canons in question:

When does Sunday begin and end?

Summary: the Lord’s Day lasts from midnight to midnight on Sunday. Liturgically, the Church begins its celebration the evening before the Lord’s Day.

So, there you have your answer. There is a loophole in the section you quoted from Canon Law:

unless other provision is expressly made

The liturgical norm (Anticipated Sunday vigil at 4PM Saturday through 11:59PM Sunday) would then count as the “other provision expressly made.”

I worked in the Texas Legislature for 12 years. They, too, had the same rule. The clock could read 12:01 AM Tuesday, but, the House would suspend the rules to continue the same legislative day (which had started at 10AM Monday). In fact, they even suspended the rules so that debate could continue past midnight on the day the session was supposed to have ended. It was hard to explain this concept to people who were unfamiliar with the Legislature.

Looking at it in that manner, the same principle applies regarding the issue of when Sunday begins and when it ends. Of course, there are special cases such as the Easter Vigil time that I referenced in my earlier post.

 

[Digitonomy]

So, there you have your answer. There is a loophole in the section you quoted from Canon Law:

The liturgical norm (Anticipated Sunday vigil at 4PM Saturday through 11:59PM Sunday) would then count as the “other provision expressly made.”

I think you are reading this a bit too broadly. The only canon I’m aware of that makes another provision is Canon 1248 (no doubt there are others). But if we read Canons 1247 and 1248 in context, it appears that the evening of the day before only satisfies one’s Mass obligation. The requirement to abstain from work is not included in the provision.

Can. 1247 On Sundays and other holydays of obligation, the faithful are obliged to assist at Mass. They are also to abstain from such work or business that would inhibit the worship to be given to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, or the due relaxation of mind and body.

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.

The Lord’s Day remains the Lord’s Day, midnight to midnight. The provision to satisfy one’s holyday obligation on the evening of the previous day does not mean the previous day is the Lord’s Day in a general sense, only that for this particular purpose one may satisfy one’s obligation beyond the normal 24 hour period.

 

[benedictgal]

I think you are reading this a bit too broadly. The only canon I’m aware of that makes another provision is Canon 1248 (no doubt there are others). But if we read Canons 1247 and 1248 in context, it appears that the evening of the day before only satisfies one’s Mass obligation. The requirement to abstain from work is not included in the provision.The Lord’s Day remains the Lord’s Day, midnight to midnight. The provision to satisfy one’s holyday obligation on the evening of the previous day does not mean the previous day is the Lord’s Day in a general sense, only that for this particular purpose one may satisfy one’s obligation beyond the normal 24 hour period.

I was reading it only from the liturgical standpoint of fulfilling one’s Sunday obligation, since I understood it to be the scope of the OP. I wasn’t referring to the actual abstention from work. However, I’m not quite sure if he meant just the Sunday obligation or the whole day.