When does Sunday really starts?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thomh
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
T

Thomh

Guest
Hello.
I’m fasting everyday for Lent from Monday to Saturday midnight. But a friend, and I know a few others like that, told me that when vespers, at 5pm, pass, it’s considered as Sunday, meaning fasting is not required anymore.
But I know other catholics who say the contrary. In my opinion, we have to fast the whole 24 hours of a day, it’s more logical, but I couldn’t find any information about it so I’m a bit confused.
Can someone explain this to me and give me sources?
 
  1. Sunday starts at midnight on Sunday. Saturday is Saturday, Sunday is Sunday.
  2. Your own Lenten fast is a private devotion, and is not required. You are free to do whatever you’d like in that regard. If you want to relax your Lenten penance at 5 PM Saturday, have at it. If you’d rather not, that’s okay too.
  3. Make sure you’re not undertaking the discipline of fasting without the prudent advice of a priest or other spiritual mentor.
-Fr ACEGC
 
Thank you father.

Well, I’ve commited myself to fast everyday except sunday because I know we don’t fast on that day. That’s why I wanted to be sure about that specific question I haven’t heard before, rightly so because it is incorrect.
I’ve already talked about my fasting penance to the priest I usually go to for confession.
 
Last edited:
Sunday starts at 00:00:01 Sunday.

Liturgically the celebration of Sunday starts at First Vespers of Saturday evening. But the day itself starts at midnight like every other day of the week.

FWIW I do relax my Lenten privations after First Vespers of Sunday, but that is a personal choice as Fr. Edward points out; in fact I am enjoying a nice glass of scotch as I write this 😉
 
Sunday is Sunday. There is no other definition.

The weekly obligation to attend mass can be fulfill Saturday evening, but that does NOT make Saturday evening technically Sunday.

Fasting is also not “required” except on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. You may fast if you choose to from midnight to midnight, midnight to Saturday evening, or you may choose to not fast at all.
 
Last edited:
In the Roman Church, days of fasting are calculated as midnight to midnight.
 
Last edited:
This is something that always leaves me with something to think about. Most of the time the Church deems a day as being a 24-hour period, the same as a calendar day. Thus, Sunday would begin in the twenty-four clock at 00.00 or in the twelve hour clock at 12.00 a.m. or what we call 12 midnight. However, for some liturgical days we have retained the Jewish custom of starting a liturgical day on the evening of the previous calendar day. This applies to all Sundays and to solemnities that fall on any day other than Sunday. In the Jewish tradition the day begins at dusk wherever you are.

We do not follow the Jewish tradition exactly but begin a Sunday or solemnity with the first liturgy of that liturgical day. This could be First Vespers or an anticipated or vigil Mass. These have no precise times at which they must be celebrated.

I do not know how the Church counts days for the purposes of fasting. If it is like I understand the rules regarding the number of times you can receive Communion in one day I understand that to be the calendar day. So, my understanding is if you went to Mass at 7 pm on Saturday evening (and fulfilled your Sunday obligation) and received Communion at that Mass it would count as one of the times you received it on Saturday but not for Sunday.
 
TomH1 said:
However, for some liturgical days we have retained the Jewish custom of starting a liturgical day on the evening of the previous calendar day.
Click to expand...
I hope Father @edward_george1 will correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the only vestige of the Jewish day (sunset to sunset) to be found still today in the Christian calendar is the end of Lent at (around) sundown on Holy Thursday, when Jesus and the Twelve observed the beginning of Passover.
 
BartholomewB said:
I believe the only vestige of the Jewish day (sunset to sunset)
Click to expand...
I don’t think we do this at all, do we? It’s not what I wrote. I wrote (emphasis added):
TomH1 said:
we have retained the Jewish custom of starting a liturgical day
Click to expand...
That is, for Sundays, solemnities and feasts of the Lord in the General Calendar that fall on a Sunday we begin the celebration of the liturgical day on the evening of the previous calendar day.
 
Once again, I hope Father @edward_george1 will correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s such a thing as a “liturgical day” beginning on the previous evening. Attending Mass on Saturday evening exempts you from attending again on Sunday, but the Church never instituted – as far as I know – a “liturgical Sunday” beginning on Saturday.
 
Last edited:
It is not only Mass. The Divine Office (First Vespers and Compline) are of the liturgical day (Sunday or solemnity) and the liturgical colour is changed the evening before.
 
BartholomewB said:
Once again, I hope Father @edward_george1 will correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think there’s such a thing as a “liturgical day” beginning on the previous evening. Attending Mass on Saturday evening exempts you from attending again on Sunday, but the Church never instituted – as far as I know – a “liturgical Sunday” beginning on Saturday.
Click to expand...
Sundays and solemnities start with first vespers the evening before.
 
As others have said, Sunday proper is 12 to 12… the liturgical observance of Sunday is anticipated Saturday evening starting with Vespers (and for many people Saturday evening Mass).
 
In the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the liturgical day begins with Vespers and ends with Ninth Hour (None). We also use the Roman system of midnight to midnight.

Example: Wednesdays and Fridays are days of fast and abstinence, usually going from midnight to midnight.

However, Passion Matins with the 12 Gospels starts Good Friday. In most parishes like mine, this is done on Holy Thursday evening. So the precept for strict fast and abstinence on Good Friday goes from after Passion Matins to Holy Saturday evening.

Similarly, on Holy Saturday evening is either Vespers with the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great or Resurrection Matins with the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. After Liturgy, myrovania (anointing) and the blessing of the baskets, you can go home and eat whatever you like because there’s no fasting or abstinence from Pascha/Easter to the Sunday of St. Thomas (Low Sunday on the TL calendar) inclusive. 😊
 
Last edited:
From the life of St Notburga;
Notburga then entered the service of a peasant in the town of Eben, on condition that she be permitted to go to church evenings before Sundays and festivals. One evening her master urged her to continue working in the field. Throwing her sickle into the air she said: “Let my sickle be judge between me and you,” and the sickle remained suspended in the air.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11123a.htm

This happened on Saturday afternoon just after the bells for Vespers had rung. For purposes of the obligation to attend mass and meet the Sunday obligation, Canon Law says that the time is 4:00pm on Saturday afternoon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top