Vigil Masses

[applefan84]

Hello all, I found this forum looking for an answer to this question. The thread I saw was a discussion of whether “vigil” Masses (I know, it is a Mass in anticipation of Sunday, but that is a long and clunky way of saying something that can colloquially be expressed more usefully by just calling it a “vigil,” at least amongst those who understand the difference) satisfy the Sunday requirement; it seemed to go without saying to me that they did (I was surprised it was even a question), but the answers reflected that the community here has people who know what they’re talking about.

I am here to find whatever you can tell me about the rules surrounding actual Vigil Masses (Easter, Pentecost, St. John the Baptist, SS Peter & Paul, Assumption), as well as the 4 Masses that are associated with Christmas. With the exception of Easter, where the distinction was strictly maintained, for all of the rest of those celebrations the priests of every parish I have lived in have treated the Vigil as completely optional and usually said the Mass for the following day at any Mass the night before. For example, just this past June 23, I attended a 7pm Mass and it was celebrated as the appropriate day in Ordinary Time. Last year, the local parish had a night Mass on June 28, but celebrated it as the Memorial of St. Irenaeus.

Nothing against Ordinary Time or other regular weekday Masses, but it’s my feeling the Church provides for a Vigil Mass on these occasions for a reason. As a result, I am interested in what specific language from the varied authoritative texts exists as to the rules surrounding these, the times they are to be celebrated, etc. (e.g., is “Dawn” defined anywhere for the Christmas Mass at Dawn?).

 

[bpbasilphx]

"vigil" Masses (I know, it is a Mass in anticipation of Sunday, but that is a long and clunky way of saying something that can colloquially be expressed more usefully by just calling it a “vigil,” at least amongst those who understand the difference)

Is “vigial mass” really that much easier to say than “anticipated mass,” especially considering there’s a different, proper, use of the term “vigil mass”?

 

[Claire_from_DE]

I don’t have the answer to your specific question. But my pastor says 4 Sunday masses (including the anticipated or vigil mass). The holidays when the vigil mass is an option are usually very busy times for him so, except for the Easter vigil mass, he only prepares one homily. In a parish where there is more than one priest, it would be more practical to have varied readings at the different masses.

 

[applefan84]

I certainly get the argument from busy-ness at Christmas. It doesn’t make as much sense to me for the Assumption, and leaves me baffled for something like the Nativity of St. John the Baptist.

Also, it seems like it’d be possible to come up with a homily that is largely the same for all services, even with different sets of readings. After all, they are ultimately celebrating the same concept. At last week’s Mass, for example, my pastor made a point of working into his Sunday homily some commentary on the Gospel from the Vigil Mass the night before, since both are related to the Church’s position on Peter’s primacy.