Since when did the Catholic Church have mass or vigil on Easter Saturday that you can attend, and it counts for mass on Easter Sunday? I was arguing with my neighbor and she showed me her bulletin and it's true. When did this start?
2007-04-06 11:40:47 · 19 answers · asked by ????? 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It's been around for several years.
Normally this vigil is pretty long - and it is the time when those from RCIA are confirmed/baptised into the Catholic church and recieve their first communion.
Depending on how many people are joining the church this mass can be anywhere from 1-4 hours long.
It is actually really beautiful though - they have a candle light vigil, where all the members stand in the darkened church and light candles.
The Vatican okayed Easter Saturday mass many years ago. Maybe your church in the area just didn't offer one until now.
2007-04-06 11:51:24 · answer #1 · answered by noncrazed 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Any Sunday's obligation to attend Mass can be fulfilled by the vigil Mass on Saturday night. Easter vigil is only a longer version of the same. Its a long Mass because it is used to celebrate the entrance of new members into the church - - the early Christians had a tradition of using Easter and Pentecost for new members to enter the Church.
At the time of Jesus (and today's Jews and Muslims) it was considered that the sunset marked the beginning of the day. The early church used to meet on Saturday evening and called it Sunday.
This tradition was reintroduced during Vatican II and has remained with us since.
2007-04-07 16:45:31 · answer #2 · answered by Dr. D 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
According to the tradition of ancient Judaism, a day began at sunset and ended the following sunset.
This practice comes from first account of creation in the first chapter of Genesis.
When Moses gave the Israelites the Law and proscribed the days of worship, those days began at sunset. As shown in Leviticus 23:5:
The Passover of the LORD falls on the fourteenth day of the first month, at the evening twilight.
Because most of the early Christians were Jews, the early Christian communities celebrated the mysteries of the Faith within this ancient practice.
The Easter Vigil Mass, which is celebrated on the Saturday evening immediately preceding Easter Sunday, has long been a tradition in the Church.
With love in Christ.
2007-04-06 16:45:19 · answer #3 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As far as I know, it's always been that way. It's a tradition tha tstems from the Church's Jewish roots. For the Jews, the Sabbath began at sundown. They observed their Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown on Saturday.
While we count our days as changing at midnight, the Church calendar still reflects the traditional evening to evening Sabbath. This is why Catholics can go to Vigil Services on Saturday evenings and not have to go Sunday.
2007-04-07 04:54:47 · answer #4 · answered by Daver 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since when is it Easter Saturday?
As far as attending Mass goes. As I recall attending Mass during Easter Season Counts as meeting "Easter Duties" this may be what your neighbor is referring to. Forgive me if I am wrong on this as I am reaching way back in my memory to when I attended the Catholic Church.
The Mass is celebrated every day in many Catholic Churches in fact it is quite true that the sun never sets on the Catholic Mass Celebration.
2007-04-06 11:49:51 · answer #5 · answered by Chaplain John 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
As noted above, "a long time ago." That's true of every weekend and holiday. However, there's a time limit: I think the 4 p.m. Mass (and anything later) will count for the next day, but any Saturday morning Masses (or weddings, I think) don't count.
2007-04-06 11:47:27 · answer #6 · answered by katbyrd41 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The start of the day and end are considered by the diocese to begin at the end of the work day and end at the begionning of the next which is 6 pm to 6 am usually. so if it is saturday at 6 pm and you attend Mass technically you are attend ing on Sunday or so you get credit for Sunday.
2007-04-06 11:47:49 · answer #7 · answered by dez79837 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
as far back as I can remember, and I have been a Catholic all of my life.
The vigil mass has always satisfied the obligation of going to mass on Sunday. In fact, the Easter Vigil Mass is the principal mass of Easter, when converts in the Rite of Christian Initiation receive the Sacraments for the first time.
2007-04-06 11:47:01 · answer #8 · answered by Jack Chedeville 6 · 3⤊ 4⤋
If I remember correctly it was a post Vatican II thing because people were complaining that they had to work and couldn't meet their Sunday obligation, so the church came up with it.
I defer to Father K and others on this one though.
_()_
2007-04-06 11:47:53 · answer #9 · answered by vinslave 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That has been going on longer than most of today's church buildings have been standing.
It's true for the Episcopal church as well.
2007-04-06 11:47:23 · answer #10 · answered by thezaylady 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋