When Does the Liturgical Day Start and End?

[Digitonomy]

That is incorrect. As I noted in the other thread, the General Norms for the Liturgical Year as published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, states very clearly that “The liturgical day runs from midnight to midnight, but the observance of Sunday and solemnities begins with the evening of the preceding day.”

This means that the liturgical day does not ever start at 4pm, but only that the observance of Sunday and solemnities starts at evening of the first day. This sentiment is backed up by Canon 1248, as well as by earlier Canons which state, rather plainly, that a day is from midnight to midnight.

Thanks for that clarification, I wasn’t aware of that quote. Nonetheless, the effect on the answer to the OP is that we can still say for most practical purposes, we can think of the liturgical day as running from 4pm on the eve of Sundays and solemnities.

I also have to question whether your interpretation of that sentence is rock-solid. The sentence could also be interpreted to mean “The liturgical day is observed from midnight to midnight, except on Sunday and solemnities when it is observed beginning the evening of the preceding day.” I think you’ve probably discussed this point in other threads, so my apologies for not being up to speed on your explanation.
Matthew Holford:

This applies to solemnities rather than all holy days.

Thanks for the correction; I was a little hazy on which days were included and which were not.

 

[thistle]

Most liturgical days begin and end at midnight. For the most part, they follow the calendar days of 24 hours.

The exception is solemnities (all Sundays are solemnities) and major feasts of the Lord. These begin at First Vespers (ie, the evening before) and end at midnight (roughly 32 hours).

So, Sunday begins at the time of First Vespers on Saturday evening (4 PM) and continues until midnight of Monday.

Monday begins at midnight and continues until Tuesday midnight.

Thanks. So that means that I can attend Mass on Saturday evening and receive Communion, and could attend Mass twice on Sunday and receive Communion at both these Masses too?

 

[FrDavid96]

Thanks. So that means that I can attend Mass on Saturday evening and receive Communion, and could attend Mass twice on Sunday and receive Communion at both these Masses too?

You’re missing the point. Sunday begins on Saturday evening.

All of the Masses from Saturday evening through Sunday night are completely and entirely Sunday Masses. The Mass on Saturday evening is not a Saturday Mass, but a Sunday Mass.

That’s why (for example) wedding Masses, Confirmation Masses, Ordination Masses, etc. that happen on Saturday evening must follow the liturgical day of Sunday, not Saturday.

When Sunday begins (on Saturday evening in the secular calendar), Saturday has ended. It’s in the past. At the same time, all of Sunday, from Sat. evening through Sun. night is one single day.

 

[Bookcat]

Thanks. So that means that I can attend Mass on Saturday evening and receive Communion, and could attend Mass twice on Sunday and receive Communion at both these Masses too?

From the point of view of receiving Holy Communion at a second Mass one participates in …in Canon Law the day for such runs from midnight to midnight. So yes one could receive a second time on Sunday having already received at the Vigil on Saturday and already once on Sunday morning say.

jimmyakin.org/2005/02/how_many_times_.html

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=44742&highlight=communion+second+time

 

[FrDavid96]

From the point of view of receiving Holy Communion at a second Mass one participates in …in Canon Law the day for such runs from midnight to midnight. So yes one could receive a second time on Sunday having already received at the Vigil on Saturday and already once on Sunday morning say.

jimmyakin.org/2005/02/how_many_times_.html

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=44742&highlight=communion+second+time

Canon law does not say that receiving Communion must be counted from midnight to midnight, despite your repeated claims that it does. No matter how many times you keep posting it, what you are posting is your own interpretation, not canon law itself. That’s an important distinction.

This is not about how many times one can receive Communion on a given day, it’s about when the liturgical day begins and ends.

 

[Bookcat]

Canon law does not say that receiving Communion must be counted from midnight to midnight, despite your repeated claims that it does. No matter how many times you keep posting it, what you are posting is your own interpretation, not canon law itself. That’s an important distinction.

This is not about how many times one can receive Communion on a given day, it’s about when the liturgical day begins and ends.

We have been around and around in circles on this again and again.

No matter how many times you wish to continue to post your private interpretation it remains that. And I would suggest that it is not the common understanding but rather what I and others have stated is (such as Jimmy Akin, the other Catholic Answers Apologist, the editor of Adoremus (such is their area!), others in these threads, etc).

Here is yet another: ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=598265&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=2010&Author=&Keyword=liturgical+day&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=1&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ReplyDate+DESC&start_at=

I wish you and all a blessed Lords Day!

 

[thistle]

I just got a response from a priest friend of mine and he tells me that with regard to Communion the “day” is midnight to midnight.

 

[FrDavid96]

I just got a response from a priest friend of mine and he tells me that with regard to Communion the “day” is midnight to midnight.

Congratulations.

 

[FrDavid96]

We have been around and around in circles on this again and again.

No matter how many times you wish to continue to post your private interpretation it remains that. And I would suggest that it is not the common understanding but rather what I and others have stated is (such as Jimmy Akin, the other Catholic Answers Apologist, the editor of Adoremus (such is their area!), others in these threads, etc).

Here is yet another: ewtn.com/vexperts/showresult.asp?RecNum=598265&Forums=0&Experts=0&Days=2010&Author=&Keyword=liturgical+day&pgnu=1&groupnum=0&record_bookmark=1&ORDER_BY_TXT=ORDER+BY+ReplyDate+DESC&start_at=

I wish you and all a blessed Lords Day!

And yet, you keep looking for excuses to bring it up again and again.

What you have been posting is your own personal opinion. It is not canon law, although you keep repeating that the Code says it–which the Code does not.

Your private interpretation of the code is just that, a private interpretation. Likewise, so is mine. The difference is that I have articulated reasons for why I hold this position; reasons which you have completely refused to even attempt to dispute.

 

[Bookcat]

And yet, you keep looking for excuses to bring it up again and again.

What you have been posting is your own personal opinion. It is not canon law, although you keep repeating that the Code says it–which the Code does not.

Your private interpretation of the code is just that, a private interpretation. Likewise, so is mine. The difference is that I have articulated reasons for why I hold this position; reasons which you have completely refused to even attempt to dispute.

Excuse to bring it up?

It was a question in this thread…

Your personal opinion not withstanding. I have provided several others in theological circles who agree with what I noted. (I have not seen any to the contrary and I do not believe you have linked any). It would be I would suggest the common understanding.

As to responding…I have in various threads.

Again I am not going round and round again.

I truly wish you a wonderful and joyful Lords day!

 

[TimothyH]

I am the OP. I have my answer. Thank you all for your posts. Please don’t fight.

It was a benign question and I’m sorry that I didn’t notice the other thread. I have my answer on when to pray the mysteries of the rosary. I’m also an altar server and frequently serve, so I wanted to know when I could recieve. I also had a question about what day to set up for in the Roman Missal for Father at Mass. I understand now why we sometimes set the ribbons in the book for an evening Mass for tomorrows feast day but for most evening Masses, we just use the ribbons which were set up for that days’ morning Mass.

I have my answer. Thank you all. Please don’t fight. Please don’t sin. Please let this thread die a peacful death.

-Tim-

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I suggest discussing what constitutes a day for the purpose of the number of times we may receive communion, i.e. us lay persons, should be a banned topic for discussion.