When Christmas falls on a Sunday

[lakotak]

When Christmas falls on Sunday, does going to the Vigil Mass on Christmas also satisfy the obligation of Sunday too?

 

[LilyM]

When Christmas falls on Sunday, does going to the Vigil Mass on Christmas also satisfy the obligation of Sunday too?

You don’t need to fulfill two separate obligations when Christmas falls on a Sunday, if my understanding is correct, neither would you if a Holy Day of Obligation fell on a Sunday or if perchance you attended a wedding Mass that was also on a Sunday.

You only have two separate obligations if the day of obligation falls on a weekday that isn’t a Sunday.

I’m sure I’ll soon be corrected if this is wrong. But the fact that every Saturday evening Mass will use the readings of Christmas Eve, and every Sunday Mass will use the readings of Christmas Day, would indicate that this year there is no separate obligation on the Sunday.

 

[kmuestwin]

I say go to both. It can’t hurt.

But the obligation is covered if you only do one.

 

[ConstantineTG]

When Christmas falls on Sunday, does going to the Vigil Mass on Christmas also satisfy the obligation of Sunday too?

Of course. If two things happen on the same day, then there is only one obligation. The only thing that you cannot do is attend one Mass to fulfill two days of obligation (like if Christmas is on a Monday and you haven’t attended Sunday Mass).

 

[ConstantineTG]

I’m sure I’ll soon be corrected if this is wrong. But the fact that every Saturday evening Mass will use the readings of Christmas Eve, and every Sunday Mass will use the readings of Christmas Day, would indicate that this year there is no separate obligation on the Sunday.

You will be corrected!

The readings have nothing to do with the obligation. The obligation is to attend Mass or a Liturgy from any Catholic Rite, no mention about specific readings. If you attend Divine Liturgy in a Byzantine Rite parish, the readings will be different.

 

[thistle]

You will be corrected!

The readings have nothing to do with the obligation. The obligation is to attend Mass or a Liturgy from any Catholic Rite, no mention about specific readings. If you attend Divine Liturgy in a Byzantine Rite parish, the readings will be different.

You are right. The readings have nothing to do with the obligation being fulfilled or not.
A Holy Day of Obligation is fulfilled by attending Mass on the day of Obligation or any Mass on the evening preceding the Holy Day of Obligation. The readings have nothing to do with it.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

The previous posters have quoted the canon law correctly. I thought it might be well to quote the law directly to remove any lingering doubts;

Can. 1247 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.
Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and aVairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.
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.

 

[MarkThompson]

The only thing that you cannot do is attend one Mass to fulfill two days of obligation (like if Christmas is on a Monday and you haven’t attended Sunday Mass).

We’ve been over that question repeatedly D), but yes, you can. In fact, your position on that issue (and FrDavid’s, IIRC), ought to lead to the conclusion that two Masses are required even when the HDO and the Sunday fall on the same day. After all, you have an obligation to attend on Sunday and an obligation to attend on feasts of precept, and we wouldn’t want to give people a “twofer,” now would we? Two obligations = two Masses, 'nuff said. No?

 

[ConstantineTG]

We’ve been over that question repeatedly D), but yes, you can. In fact, your position on that issue (and FrDavid’s, IIRC), ought to lead to the conclusion that two Masses are required even when the HDO and the Sunday fall on the same day. After all, you have an obligation to attend on Sunday and an obligation to attend on feasts of precept, and we wouldn’t want to give people a “twofer,” now would we? Two obligations = two Masses, 'nuff said. No?

Oh no, I never said that I believe the obligation exists twice if it falls on the same day. My position was one Mass or Liturgy on one day cannot account for 2 obligations falling on 2 separate days (Saturday and Sunday, or Sunday and Monday) but if its a Sunday and a feast, then there is only one obligation. What I said back then was, if for example Christmas is on a Monday and you haven’t attended Sunday Mass and you attended a 10pm Christmas Eve Mass on a Sunday, then you haven’t fulfilled your Christmas obligation because you’ve only attended for the Sunday. But if you have attended Sunday morning, then Sunday evening will count for Christmas which is on a Monday.

 

[jmjconder]

**Though this answer is not based on the Readings of the Day - it is based on the Liturgical Calendar which outlines the reading. There are some days that the readings cannot be changed. These are the called Solemnities of the Church.

This seems to be similar to the question if a Wedding Liturgy on a Saturday afternoon fulfills the Sunday obligation. Many Catholics think this answer is yes.

If you attend any vigil Catholic Liturgy on the day before a HDO it will fulfill your obligation.

If Christmas Day (+ New Years) falls on a Saturday or Monday - yes Catholics are obliged to attend Mass two days in a row.**

 

[jimrob]

Yes. The feast of Christmas takes precedence over the Sunday so that you need satisfy only the Christmas requirement by attending Mass on the day or the Vigil Mass of Christmas.

Things get more interesting when Christmas Day falls on a Monday. If a Vigil Mass is said on the Sunday evening, attending it can satisfy either the Sunday obligation (any Mass said on the Sunday counts) or the Christmas obligation (the Vigil Mass counts) but not both.

 

[thistle]

**Though this answer is not based on the Readings of the Day - it is based on the Liturgical Calendar which outlines the reading. There are some days that the readings cannot be changed. These are the called Solemnities of the Church.

This seems to be similar to the question if a Wedding Liturgy on a Saturday afternoon fulfills the Sunday obligation. Many Catholics think this answer is yes.

If you attend any vigil Catholic Liturgy on the day before a HDO it will fulfill your obligation.

If Christmas Day (+ New Years) falls on a Saturday or Monday - yes Catholics are obliged to attend Mass two days in a row.**

Afternoon Mass on the day preceding a Holy Day of Obligation does not fulfill the obligation. Canon Law is clear when it states it must be the evening of the day preceding a Holy Day of obligation.

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.

 

[ConstantineTG]

**Though this answer is not based on the Readings of the Day - it is based on the Liturgical Calendar which outlines the reading. There are some days that the readings cannot be changed. These are the called Solemnities of the Church.

This seems to be similar to the question if a Wedding Liturgy on a Saturday afternoon fulfills the Sunday obligation. Many Catholics think this answer is yes.

If you attend any vigil Catholic Liturgy on the day before a HDO it will fulfill your obligation.

If Christmas Day (+ New Years) falls on a Saturday or Monday - yes Catholics are obliged to attend Mass two days in a row.**

Its been conclusively answered that a wedding or funeral Mass satisfies the obligation. Like I said, because you can go to a Liturgy of any Rite, the reading will definitely be different in the other Rite. The readings have nothing to do with fulfilling the obligation.

 

[FrDavid96]

We’ve been over that question repeatedly D), but yes, you can. In fact, your position on that issue (and FrDavid’s, IIRC), ought to lead to the conclusion that two Masses are required even when the HDO and the Sunday fall on the same day. After all, you have an obligation to attend on Sunday and an obligation to attend on feasts of precept, and we wouldn’t want to give people a “twofer,” now would we? Two obligations = two Masses, 'nuff said. No?

Mark,
If we’re talking about one day, then there’s only one obligation, and one need only attend one Mass.

If we’re talking about two different days, then there are 2 obligations, and one has the obligation to attend two Masses.

If Christmas is a Sunday (like it is this year), then a Catholic only need attend one Mass–from Saturday 4 PM until Sunday night midnight (ok, technically 11:59 PM, but let’s not go there)

If Christmas is a Monday, then a Catholic has 2 obligations; one for Sunday, and one for Monday. One cannot go to a single Mass (say Sunday at 7 PM) and get a two-for-one.

 

[FrDavid96]

**Though this answer is not based on the Readings of the Day - it is based on the Liturgical Calendar which outlines the reading. There are some days that the readings cannot be changed. These are the called Solemnities of the Church.

This seems to be similar to the question if a Wedding Liturgy on a Saturday afternoon fulfills the Sunday obligation. Many Catholics think this answer is yes.

If you attend any vigil Catholic Liturgy on the day before a HDO it will fulfill your obligation.

If Christmas Day (+ New Years) falls on a Saturday or Monday - yes Catholics are obliged to attend Mass two days in a row.**

and later

Its been conclusively answered that a wedding or funeral Mass satisfies the obligation. Like I said, because you can go to a Liturgy of any Rite, the reading will definitely be different in the other Rite. The readings have nothing to do with fulfilling the obligation.

It seems to me that you’re both giving the same answer, you’re just phrasing it different ways.

The readings themselves have to bearing on whether or not the obligation is fulfilled. There are any number of reasons why the readings might be different–even to the point that the priest might accidentally choose the wrong readings, and this would have no effect on the obligation.

 

[FrDavid96]

When Christmas falls on Sunday, does going to the Vigil Mass on Christmas also satisfy the obligation of Sunday too?

The short answer is “yes.”

However, that does need to be explained.

When Christmas (or any other liturgical day which outranks the Sunday in the calendar) falls on a Sunday, then the observance of Christmas replaces the observance of Sunday (of course, it’s still the Lord’s Day, but from a liturgical point of view, it gets replaced). We all know that there’s no such thing as the 5th Sunday of Advent. There is only one obligation for December 25–so a Catholic is only required to attend one Mass; and (since you did ask), attending on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 24 does fulfill that obligation.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

When Christmas falls on Sunday, does going to the Vigil Mass on Christmas also satisfy the obligation of Sunday too?

Yes, it does fill it. The Lord’s Nativity is a holy day of obligation. All Sunday’s are holy days of obligation. However, when the Lord’s Nativity falls on a Sunday there isn’t two obligations. There’s just one obligation. All the Masses that fulfil the obligation for the Lord’s Nativity will fulfil your obligation.

 

[jmjconder]

Afternoon Mass on the day preceding a Holy Day of Obligation does not fulfill the obligation. Canon Law is clear when it states it must be the evening of the day preceding a Holy Day of obligation.

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.

I did mean afternnon Masses - I referred to the Vigil Mass which we know is 4:00 pm or after on the preceeding day.

 

[Spirithound]

The only thing that you cannot do is attend one Mass to fulfill two days of obligation (like if Christmas is on a Monday and you haven’t attended Sunday Mass).

yes, you can. In fact, your position on that issue (and FrDavid’s, IIRC), ought to lead to the conclusion that two Masses are required even when the HDO and the Sunday fall on the same day. After all, you have an obligation to attend on Sunday and an obligation to attend on feasts of precept, and we wouldn’t want to give people a “twofer,” now would we? Two obligations = two Masses, 'nuff said. No?

FWIW, and however it might fit into the conversation, I would like to point out that all of the Sundays around this time are “special” Sundays. In approximately 6 out of 7 years, Christmas will not fall on a Sunday. In these years, the Sunday in between Christmas and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God celebrates the Holy Family. On this exceptional year, the Feast of the Holy Family is moved to January 30. This tells me that someone has already thought this through and acknowledged that a Catholic ought only attend one Mass on Christmas Sunday.

 

[Kathryn_Ann]

Mark,
If we’re talking about one day, then there’s only one obligation, and one need only attend one Mass.

If we’re talking about two different days, then there are 2 obligations, and one has the obligation to attend two Masses.

If Christmas is a Sunday (like it is this year), then a Catholic only need attend one Mass–from Saturday 4 PM until Sunday night midnight (ok, technically 11:59 PM, but let’s not go there)

If Christmas is a Monday, then a Catholic has 2 obligations; one for Sunday, and one for Monday. One cannot go to a single Mass (say Sunday at 7 PM) and get a two-for-one.

I appreciate the clarifications here. On the last statement about Christmas falling on a Monday, I would have thought (incorrectly, I see here, ) that the “Midnight Mass” (Christmas Eve Mass on Sunday in this case) would have fulfilled both the Sunday and the Monday Christmas obligation. I see your point, but I wonder how many follow this…? I wonder if many would think, "Well, I’m here and it’s actually Sunday, as it’s ten pm when the special (Christmas Eve, Vigil) music beings, and then I’m still here at one minute after Midnight, so that’s really Monday, Christmas! Do you think this mis-understanding occurs often (for new folks?) Thank you for your patience with a newbie. I joined the Church in 2004, and am still learning.

Also, I love attending Mass and love to go on Holy Saturday and then again on Easter morning. I hope that is all right. Was it David who said* "I was glad when they said to me, ‘let us go unto the House of the Lord?’ " *

That’s exactly how I feel!:harp::heaven:

Peace,
Kathryn Ann:angel1: