Which Mass is most popular

[Brenda_V]

They are called block heaters and they are very uncommon because it is after market modification. Heated garages were a rarity as a child and they are quite uncommon nowadays. Garages that are attached to houses are slightly warmer but detached garages (common in rural areas) are no good.

With that in mind IT IS 37 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!! YAHOOOO.

anyways MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I don’t know if I ever knew what they were called, I just remembered that if I didn’t plug my car in, it wouldn’t start the next day. As a matter of fact the Motels around where I went to High School and College had plugs outside the rooms!

It is snowing here right now in the High Desert. It won’t be that cold because of the snow and cloud cover. Our low is supposed to be around 26.

Looks like it will all be gone by Christmas Eve but back again Christmas Day.

Merry Christmas to everyone, enjoy whichever Mass you do go to.

Brenda V.

 

[Cat]

Midnight Mass is packed in our parish. Absolutely packed. You have to get there an hour early, but that’s the Lessons and Carols Mass, so you have to wait to get into the sanctuary.

I think, based on personal experience, that many Protestants will attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. I used to, and I know others that do. It’s a special “experience” for Protestants, a connection with ancient roots. I honestly believe that a lot of Protestants yearn to be “home” even if they don’t recognize it in themselves, and the Midnight Mass is something that they can do because there are usually no Protestant services (at least in evangelical and fundamentalist Protestant churches) at midnight on Christmas Eve.

So many Protestant evangelical churches (not all) are so devoid of art and beauty and traditional music and especially holy communion. (NOT ALL! Our church in South Carolina always had a Christmas Eve Communion service–so nice). This is another reason why Protestants sneak into the Midnight Mass–they long to be reminded of how beautiful Jesus is.

It’s also great for young parents. When our daughters were babies, my husband’s family would drive down South to spend Christmas with us, and we would leave the kids with them while we headed off to Midnight Mass. It was so good to have that little break.

Anyway, be especially friendly at Midnight Mass–you might be the instrument that the Lord uses to bring a Protestant back home to Catholicism. You don’t have to hug and gush, but a warm smile will go far. Protestants are impressed when Catholics look like they really like being at Mass.

 

[THurifer2]

Midnight Mass is packed in our parish. Absolutely packed. You have to get there an hour early, but that’s the Lessons and Carols Mass, so you have to wait to get into the sanctuary.

I think, based on personal experience, that many Protestants will attend Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. I used to, and I know others that do. It’s a special “experience” for Protestants, a connection with ancient roots. I honestly believe that a lot of Protestants yearn to be “home” even if they don’t recognize it in themselves, and the Midnight Mass is something that they can do because there are usually no Protestant services (at least in evangelical and fundamentalist Protestant churches) at midnight on Christmas Eve.

So many Protestant evangelical churches (not all) are so devoid of art and beauty and traditional music and especially holy communion. (NOT ALL! Our church in South Carolina always had a Christmas Eve Communion service–so nice). This is another reason why Protestants sneak into the Midnight Mass–they long to be reminded of how beautiful Jesus is.

It’s also great for young parents. When our daughters were babies, my husband’s family would drive down South to spend Christmas with us, and we would leave the kids with them while we headed off to Midnight Mass. It was so good to have that little break.

I find it amazing to hear that evangelicals "sneak " into Midnight Mass. Many of the evangelicals that I know think the Mass is paganism.

I also find it kinda neat though.

It likely doesn’t happen in the town i live in. I pretty much know almost everyone that attends the local evangelical church. When I see a non-catholic in our church I can almost always name them. But then perhaps around here people who would do what you said likely would go to a nearby town to remain annonymous.

 

[Karl_M]

Our parish’s 6pm Mass is by far the most popular. They bring in folding chairs to place at the end of the pews, people stand in the new and old narthex, and several times, they’ve had to turn people away so as not to run afoul of the fire marshal.

The Midnight Mass I’d say probably the church is about 3/4 full, maybe about 300 or 400 people.

I’ve never been to our 10am Mass, but I hear it’s somewhere in between.

It would be nice if we had that many at every Mass.

 

[Ki_Ki]

I went to the 6:00 PM Mass and it was packed. I got there 30 minutes early and there were very few seats left.This was my first Christmas as a Catholic and at this parish so I don’t know what the other ones are like. The 4:00 PM was too early for me and midnight is too late and I didn’t want to get up early to go to 8:00 AM Mass on Christmas day.

It was so BEAUTIFUL. The lights, decorations and the singing all of it was wonderful. I love going to Mass anyway but this one was so special.