A question for Catholics (or anyone who knows): what is Saturday Vigil?

[thirtythree]

 

[thirtythree]

Hmm .. no one knows?

 

[NogginBoink]

To the best of my knowledge, it's just the Saturday evening mass that "counts" for going to church on Sunday.

 

[Sophia]

Catholics are bound to attend mass each Sunday (and a few other "Holy Days of Obligation"). According to Jewish tradition, however, a day begins at sundown the day before. At some point an "anticipatory" mass was added on Saturday evening, attendance at which fulfills one's "Sunday obligation" to attend mass, even though it's on Saturday.

 

[thirtythree]

How is Sunday Mass different from the Daily Mass?

 

[Sophia]

Ceremonially, daily masses are shorter than Sunday masses. For example, Sunday masses have three readings (Old Testament, Epistle, Gospel) where the daily mases have two (Old Testament, Gospel).

Theologically, Catholics believe attendance at Sunday mass is required by the Third Commandment ("Remember to keep holy the Sabbath"), so it is a sin for a Catholic to intentionally miss Sunday mass (or a Saturday vigil) without a grave reason. Daily mass attendance is encouraged, but not required.

 

[AmerDoux]

vigil[vj´l] [Lat.,=watch], in Christian calendars, eve of a feast, a day of penitential preparation. In ancient times worshipers gathered for vespers before a great feast and then waited outside the church until dawn for the liturgy (Mass). Traces of this practice survive in the East, but the Western Church abolished it early because of disorders in the night watch. The Roman liturgy assigns a proper Mass for the vigil of each important older feast; two of them, Holy Saturday (Easter Eve) and the vigil of Pentecost, have special ceremonies.

... that's out of a Google Search: "Catholic Vigil"

Currently in the US, a vigil is a special mass, to honor/pray for a specified thing. It may be a holy day, or some other event.

 

[imported_Papi]

Originally posted by: Deslocke
How is Sunday Mass different from the Daily Mass?

Sunday is the day of Sabbath or something. It's a day of rest. It's also like the day Jesus died or some crap.. however I'm probably all wrong.

 

[thirtythree]

Okay .. it says they have daily masses at 8 AM and 5:15 PM and Saturday Vigil at 6 PM. Do you suppose they have 5:15 mass on Saturday too?

 

[Sophia]

While mass schedules vary by parish, I'd say no. I'd expect the 5:15 mass M-F only, with the 6:00 mass instead on Saturdays.