Which Christmas Mass are you attending? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

OSVDailyTake.com ^ | Tuesday, December 6, 2011 | OSV

[Salvation]

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Which Christmas Mass are you attending?

A little more than a year ago, we moved across town and joined a new parish, much larger than our last one. It has been a great community to get plugged into and get to know.

I'm always interested to see how things are done there. One interesting change this year for the parish has been some modifications to the Christmas liturgy schedule.

• The Christmas Vigil Mass is a children's Mass held at 5 p.m. By all accounts, this is by far the best-attended liturgy.
• Midnight Mass has been moved up to 10 p.m. (hoping to draw more families frightened by the late hour)
• Only one Mass on Christmas Day, at 10 a.m. 

From our days in Rome as a young family, we've always attended Midnight Mass. Our four kids (the oldest is now 13) probably couldn't imagine Christmas otherwise -- the anticipation, setting out Christmas clothes before being made to lie down for a few hours of sleep (yeah, right) before getting up in the middle of the night to go to church.

But I want to ask about the Christmas Day experience in your parish. Are you, like us, seeing fewer and fewer Catholics forgo Christmas Day Mass in favor of Christmas Eve?

Interestingly, that seems to be a trend in some Protestant communities, too — even in a year like this in which Christmas falls on a Sunday. The Baptist Press reported a few weeks ago that a full 6 percent of Protestant churches plan to have a Christmas Eve service but NO service on Christmas Day. A few years ago, The New York Times ran a story titled, "When Christmas falls on Sunday, megachurches take the day off," and detailed the controversy over the practice.

What are things like where you live? And what Mass will you be attending?

[Salvation]

I will attend the children's Mass at 4:30 to help and Midnight Mass also. (Providing the healing of my tooth extraction is in full swing.)

[sitetest]

Good question. Probably something on Christmas Eve.

[HungarianGypsy]

I will probably attend the Lutheran service at 4. Not because I am Lutheran, but because it is the closest church that I feel comfortable with that has a Christmas Eve service (do Lutherans say Mass, too?) and I can walk there.

[HungarianGypsy]

Yes. I would rather be going to a Catholic midnight mass. :( Next year, when I have a car.

[tekriter]

We will attend the 6pm vigil.

[jdsteel]

My church has membership of less than 2,000. We have two different places to hold services; the Sanctuary for traditional and a multi-use area for contemporary services. We have one Christmas Eve-Eve on Friday at 7:00, Saturday services at 4:00 (Family/kids) 6:00 (Contemporary) 8:00 (Traditional) 11:00 (Traditional/Candlelight) and our usual Sunday services 8:30 a.m. (Traditional) 10:45 (Contemporary) and 11:00 a.m. (Traditional). Yes, that’s a LOT of services!

[steve86]

Latin Mass about 60 miles away. It’s actually rare that a Tridentine Mass is offered on Christmas Day anywhere near here. Most thankful for this one. Dealing with dental work here too — crowns before and after the holidays. Merry Christmas and thank you for all the wonderful Catholic posts over the year.

[Salvation]

We not only keep CHRIST in Christmas...  

We keep the MASS in Christmas! 

 

[UB355]

Midnight Mass this year, have to travel to daughter in law’s Christmas @ noon

[UB355]

Midnight Mass this year, have to travel to daughter in law’s Christmas @ noon

[Salvation]

Thank you for your post, and I hope we both experience healing!

[pbear8]

TLM on Christmas Day.

[Malacoda]

Midnight Mass. I have to Lector, my husband us ushering, my eldest daughter is in the choir and my son is altar server.

[Betis70]

Midnight Mass. My mom will be singing with her choir again for the first time in a few years.

[sayuncledave]

We’ll be attending the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass near us, which will start with Carols around 5. We usually prefer Midnight Mass, but with three of the Horde at 6 or under, Vigil Mass it is, this year. Hope all goes well with the healing, Salvation.

[COBOL2Java]

Interpreting the 9:00am Christmas Day Mass.

[fatima]

Christmas Day at noon.Our daughter is the Cantor and 3 of our grandchildren are the Altar Servers.:)

[Sir_Humphrey]

I will go to Mass at dawn

[Jvette]

Well, the midnight mass at my parish has been co-opted by the Spanish speaking community so I have been going to a different parish for midnight mass the last couple of years.

This year since Christmas is Sunday and I always serve at the 12pm and 7pm Masses on Sunday, I will attend them as usual.

[Salvation]

Busy family. What a blessing you are to your parish!