Y
yaycatholic
Guest
I attended an EF Solemn Mass this year at 6:30 pm on Christmas Eve and it used the propers for the ‘Missa in Nocte’ (or Mass during the Night and/or Midnight) Will also attend the OF tomorrow morning at 8pm.
Count with my prayers that the Angels come to your aid and you have power tonight! Amen!Normally I’d go to midnight Mass at our Benedictine abbey. However we had a huge ice storm over the weekend and have been without power for three days. We live in a rural area which means no water (no power to run the well pump). We’ve been making daily trips to a local spring 10 km away to fill up water jugs for drinking, cooking and flushing toilets, and heating with our wood stove. I also had to clear a path in the snow and ice to an isolated power pole (the one feeding our house) so the hydro guys could get at it with their cherry picker. As I write, we still have no power since about 65 hours.
We’re beat and smelly on top of it, so we may defer until Christmas day Mass if the power returns by then. If not, we may miss Mass altogether this year. It’s only happened once or twice before (illness or travel).
Sorry to hear. My prayers for your Stepfather, for you, those who love him, and each of his caregivers.This year it will be the vigil Mass…
My beloved stepfather is at home in hospice care and isthisclose to leaving this life…
It’s a tough holiday…
Thanks, things finally turned our way so your prayers (and ours!) were answered! A friend who had power invited my wife and I over to her place for wine & cheese in the evening and she graciously allowed us to shower there as well; after 3 days without water to bathe we felt pretty grubby. Refreshed, we got back home at around 9 pm to find that the power was back on! Deo gratias! So without worries about keeping the wood stove stoked to keep the house from freezing in -20C weather, we were able to make it to Midnight Mass at the abbey, continuing our little tradition. The Oblate Master then invited us to a “réveillon” (French-Canadian feast) in the guests’ refectory after Mass. We got home at 3 am, after a lovely Mass in Gregorian chant, and a nice reception after Mass.I will keep you and yours in my prayers tonight.
What is this “freezing” you keep talking about?Thanks, things finally turned our way so your prayers (and ours!) were answered! A friend who had power invited my wife and I over to her place for wine & cheese in the evening and she graciously allowed us to shower there as well; after 3 days without water to bathe we felt pretty grubby. Refreshed, we got back home at around 9 pm to find that the power was back on! Deo gratias! So without worries about keeping the wood stove stoked to keep the house from freezing in -20C weather, we were able to make it to Midnight Mass at the abbey, continuing our little tradition. The Oblate Master then invited us to a “réveillon” (French-Canadian feast) in the guests’ refectory after Mass. We got home at 3 am, after a lovely Mass in Gregorian chant, and a nice reception after Mass.
We slept in 'till 10 this morning![]()
Deo Gratias! I’m glad things are improving!Thanks, things finally turned our way so your prayers (and ours!) were answered! A friend who had power invited my wife and I over to her place for wine & cheese in the evening and she graciously allowed us to shower there as well; after 3 days without water to bathe we felt pretty grubby. Refreshed, we got back home at around 9 pm to find that the power was back on! Deo gratias! So without worries about keeping the wood stove stoked to keep the house from freezing in -20C weather, we were able to make it to Midnight Mass at the abbey, continuing our little tradition. The Oblate Master then invited us to a “réveillon” (French-Canadian feast) in the guests’ refectory after Mass. We got home at 3 am, after a lovely Mass in Gregorian chant, and a nice reception after Mass.
We slept in 'till 10 this morning![]()
Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s a “rule” or a “guideline”.Is there really a rule that the night Mass must take place on December 25th? Where is this stated?
(I’m not trying to be confrontational.I just really want to know.)
Had I not been serving my parish’s own midnight Mass, I would have gone to the cathedralThe parish where I wanted to go to Midnight Mass didn’t have it this year!
So I went to the Cathedral instead - it was very nice. There were a lot of people there who seemed very confused, but the priests were really good about helping them out - it was nice to see.![]()