Basilisa Marie Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 (edited) Well, for a lot of Protestants and Non-denoms, church is really just a big social gathering where people talk about Jesus. So if that's all it is, it makes sense to cut some services in favor of "family time." My parish just adds midnight mass to the mix, but that's because we've got enough people that want to go to the usual mass times to keep them, plus sometimes a priest from the University of Portland (there's a bunch of retired priests that act as local subs) will come and do one of them. I'm sure we'd cut one of the Christmas day masses if not enough people were going. But we have a LOT of Christmas Day twice-a-years, for some reason. Edited December 20, 2011 by Basilisa Marie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clare~Therese Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 My parish has Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses. My family and I usually go with my grandparents and other relatives to their parish. It's a family tradition kind of thing for us to go on Christmas Eve all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MithLuin Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 A usual weekend schedule of masses at a Catholic parish will have most of the masses offered on Sunday morning, and others smattered on Sat. evening or Sun. evening, even. When Christmas falls on a Sunday, the emphasis flip-flops - most of the masses will be Christmas eve, with a smattering of Christmas day and Midnight mass, even. So, yes, some of the 'normal' Sunday morning masses will likely be cancelled....but the same number (or more) masses will be offered throughout the weekend. I have no complaints about that, and feel that all parishes are allowed to have a special schedule for Christmas. If *no* mass were offered on Christmas day, that would be wrong, of course, but that's not what anyone is saying is happening. For the Catholic churches, I hasten to clarify. For many Protestant denominations, attending services is optional, so missing a week here or there is no big deal. So, yes, they can cancel Christmas Sunday to let the pastor have a day off and spend time with his or her family. I don't get it, but then...there are a lot of assumptions about liturgy that will likely differ with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I think we have a discussion about this every Christmas because there are Protestant churches that do this every year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 [quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1324444997' post='2354865'] I think we have a discussion about this every Christmas because there are Protestant churches that do this every year. [/quote] I must have missed them. I've been in convents the past few Christmases! AndI guess since Protestants don't have Mass, it isn't the same for them. I still don't get it - one of the most important days on the Christian calendar and they don't have a service on that day. Nevermind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Flower Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I think my parish has more Mass times, but a couple are different. The sat 5pm mass will instead be a 4pm and a midnight mass, and there wont be a 7:30 am mass sun morning () but there will be ones at like 9 and 1 and 4 or something like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 [quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1324446221' post='2354909'] I must have missed them. I've been in convents the past few Christmases! AndI guess since Protestants don't have Mass, it isn't the same for them. I still don't get it - one of the most important days on the Christian calendar and they don't have a service on that day. Nevermind. [/quote] I think we should discuss it every year just to remind ourselves that it isn't normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixpence Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 (edited) i am because i have never been to a real midnight mass... my parish never had them... just later-than-usual masses... like around 7:30 edit: they have them here in NJ ... but of course I will be back home for christmas! Edited December 21, 2011 by sixpence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IgnatiusofLoyola Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 (edited) Just to put in my usual word that not all non-Catholics are the same. When I was growing up as an Episcopalian, we ALWAYS went to church on Christmas morning, no matter what day of the week it was. In fact, at least at our church, Christmas Day services were more popular than Christmas Eve. (But, if I remember correctly--and I may not--the church's Christmas Eve service was at midnight (or a little before) with the choir singing before the actual service started.) We spent Christmas Eve with my (Catholic) aunt and her family, but the party would break up in time for anyone who wanted to go to Midnight Mass. (I'm pretty sure that at my aunt's house, the family all went to Mass together on Christmas Day, but as the kids got older, some of them wanted to go to Midnight Mass. I'm also pretty sure that at my aunt's house, the family went to Mass together Christmas Day, whether or not some of them had also gone to Midnight Mass). Right now, my health prevents me from going to any service--Catholic or Anglican. Personally, I like the true midnight Mass best, but I can no longer stay up that late. When I was younger, there was an Anglo-Catholic Midnight Mass that was amesome, with incense, full professional choir--the works. <sigh> Unfortunately, that congregation is no longer Anglo-Catholic, and there is no Ango-Catholic church with "the works" within 10 miles (the "best" is 15 miles away). Not that I could stay up until midnight, but I can dream. To those of you who don't listen when someone says how important your health is--listen! This Christmas, when you're giving thanks for God's gift of the birth of Jesus, try to remember to add a thanks for your health--even if lots of other things in your live smell of elderberries. I'm shameless about asking for prayers for my health. So, if you have a spare moment for people like me who are spending the evening alone with God (it's okay--He's good company) I'd appreciate it, and others like me would, too. If you want to pray for my conversion, too, that's fine with me. I don't talk about it as much as I used to, because thinking about it a lot confused and upset me, but I've honestly said to God that when (if?) he tells me it's time, I will convert. It's not time yet, and although I realize that this goes against Catholic belief, there IS a chance that God wants me to remain Anglican, at least for right now. The Anglican church desperately needs devout people, and I happen to believe (along with most Anglo-Catholics), that there is nothing un-Anglican about wearing a Miraculous Medal (which I do), and saying the Rosary (which I don't do often enough, but at least I say a LOT of "Hail Marys" over the course of the day). I've wandered off-topic as usual, but that's part of my charm. Edited December 21, 2011 by IgnatiusofLoyola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Iggy - I think it's more of an evangelical thing, to be honest with you. The churches around here that cancel are usually evangelical/foursquare churches - not usually the mainline Protestant churches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJon16 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 We are having a "Children's" Mass at 4 on Christmas Eve. Then, our new Pastor is bringing back Midnight Mass, that is actually at Midnight. For years it had been at 10. Christmas day were having one Mass, as opposed to two on an average Sunday. Pretty much, this Christmas spells out A LOT of overtime for me and the other sacristan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I'm pleasantly surprised to fine my old Baptist congregation is having a Christmas service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah147 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 [quote name='Papist' timestamp='1324397324' post='2354416'] I believe most parishes have on average 4 Christmas Eve masses. And my experience is that most people attend on Christmas Eve, especially A&Eers. I think b/c of what is stated in the article, that people don't want the hassle of having their Christmas Day morning interrupted with going to mass. I stopped going to mass on Christmas Eve along time ago b/c it is insanely crowded due to all the A&Eers. On Christmas Day it is much less busy/crowded/hectic/etc, room in the pews are abundant, noise is at a minimum, etc. It is over all just better to be able to enter into the mass. [/quote] A&Eers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Red Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 maybe meant C&E's? (Christmas & Easter) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papist Posted December 22, 2011 Share Posted December 22, 2011 [quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1324508328' post='2355457'] A&Eers? [/quote] [quote name='Lil Red' timestamp='1324509841' post='2355474'] maybe meant C&E's? (Christmas & Easter) [/quote] Yes. C&Eers. People who only attend mass on Christmas and Easter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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