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?

[Cronos]

I'll be attending midnight mass at my next-door church (it really IS next door -- a 3 minute walk from my apartment door!)

HungarianGypsy -- I think they have a Divine Liturgy. i've never been for one.

[iowamark]

The secretary snapped at me, “The same as every week.” Not very welcoming to the visitor, and no way to bring the wandering sheep back to the fold.

Be understanding of church people answering the phones. I cook at a Salvation Army meal program. Christmas season gets so hectic. Often people call with all sorts of questions when I am trying to serve 75 people supper. I probably sound pretty abrupt to the person on the phone.

[Oratam]

St. Agnes Church, 43rd Street between Third and Lexington Avenues, 11:00 AM Solemn High Mass according to the 1962 missal. The Schola will sing Padilla’s Missa Ego Flos Campi. I encourage anyone in the NYC area to consider attending this mass.

I may swing by P.J. Clarke's afterward for a burger and a beer at the bar, you're welcome to join me there, too, then off to mother's house in NJ.

[ContraryMary]

We've attended Midnight Mass every Christmas since our daughter was born. She is now turning 22 in a couple months and engaged to be married. Now that the kids are pretty much grown -- our son is a high school junior -- we're going to try the Christmas Eve Vigil Mass on Saturday. I want a quieter, somewhat less hectic Christmas.

I have fond memories of those Midnight Masses, though. They reminded me of the Mass when I was little. Also, when the kids were young Santa would come while we were at Mass.

[Tax-chick]

Good luck with the tooth!

We’ll go to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, which gives us the “Mass During the Day” liturgy. My parish is doing our usual Sunday schedule, except for the 5:00 p.m. service. We’d probably have gone to an earlier Sunday Mass, but this was our music assignment from the Authorities.

[Campion]

Singing with the schola for the 5:00 pm vigil Mass at Assumption Parish in downtown Nashville, TN. Incense, Latin, bells, and carols!

[Jeff Chandler]

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.)

I would rather have a tooth extracted than attend a children's mass.

[Salvation]

They get both with me! LOL!

[Romulus]

Three masses on Christmas:

Midnight Mass (Solemn High Mass in Extraordinary form), with orchestra and choir (Mozart’s Sparrow Mass). I’ll be MC.

Ordinary Form Mass with carols in morning (i’ll be acolyte).

Ordinary Form solemn Mass with carols at 11.00. I’ll be MC.

Christmas dinner at home with my wife, MIL, and 3 priests.

[MasonGal]

Most likely, Midnight Mass. My middle son sings in the choir, as does my daughter-in-law (wife of my oldest son), youngest used to be an altar server (well - all 3 of my sons were altar servers for 14 years total), is now a lector, in addition to my husband as usher/lector. At our parish, in downtown Louisville, Kentucky...we have a 4pm, 6pm, Midnight Mass, 7am, 9am, 10:30, and 12 noon. Our parish is run by Dominican Friars. Thanks for your Catholic posts!!! May all of you have a very Blessed Christmas and a Happy and glorious New Year!!!

[Mrs. Don-o]

The 10:00 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day. It'll be the first time in decades we haven't attended the Midnight Mass, but the 10:00 was a better bet to get son Ben to come with his girlfriend. Nice girl, not Catholic, might be her first Mass.

[Salvation]

Prayers for your son’s girlfriend.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you! Christmas blessings all around!