Scheduling Reminders
For First Sunday of Advent through Feast of Christ the King November 21, 2010
The following reminders will assist you in planning your
2009 – 2010 liturgical calendar for your parish or institution
HOLY DAYS
Following the 1991 decision of the USCCB and with the 1992 confirmation of the Congregation for Bishops, when the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, or the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Solemnity of All Saints falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.
According to this decision:
- The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Christmas and the Ascension are holy days of obligation and are not affected by the decision of the Bishops
- Furthermore, the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York (Diocese of Buffalo), Newark, Philadelphia and Nebraska have retained the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord on the proper Thursday
- The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, Friday, January 1, 2010 is a holy day of obligation
- The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2010 falls on a Sunday
FUNERAL MASS AND HOLY DAYS
Funeral Masses are NOT permitted on Solemnities, which are the Holy Days of Obligation, on Holy Thursday morning and during the days of the Easter Triduum. On these days, the body of the deceased may be brought to the church and the Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass may be celebrated.
Funeral Masses are permitted on Holy Days only when the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.
· A Funeral Mass is NOT permitted on Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Solemnity of the Ascension, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Solemnity of All Saints since the obligation to attend Mass remains in force
· A Funeral Mass is NOT permitted on the Sundays of Advent, Lent and Easter (New GIRM #380)
· Furthermore, in the Diocese of Buffalo, Funeral Masses are not allowed on any Sunday
ADVENT COMMUNAL PENANCE SERVICES
Every effort should be made to schedule communal celebrations of the sacrament of Penance during the season of Advent. See Rite of Penance n.20 for sample service. No parish may schedule “general absolution”.
CHRISTMAS
In scheduling Masses, care must be taken not to multiply Masses on Christmas Eve to the detriment of Christmas itself. Anticipated Masses of Sundays and holy days (Christmas included are to take place in the evening (see Canon 1248 § 1).
The Diocese does not allow Christmas Eve Masses to be scheduled before 4 pm.
Note: “Christmas pageants” for adults or children within Mass are to be avoided. “The Mass is not an historical reenactment of the events of salvation history and care should be taken not to give the impression that the liturgy of the word is a play. This is not to say that dramatic elements may not be used. However, in some circumstances, the need to encourage active participation over entertainment or a passive audience mode should be seriously considered.
Care should be taken, especially at Christmas, not to stage the various liturgies as plays. The Christmas Mass should not be presented as a birthday party of Jesus, not should secular notions of Santa Claus be introduced into the Christmas liturgy.” (Lectionary for Masses with Children #52) {The Vatican Liturgical preference)
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY
The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph falls on Sunday, December 27, 2009.
JANUARY: Day of Penance
“In all dioceses of the United States of America, January 25, 2010 shall be observed as a particular day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life. The Mass ‘For Peace and Justice’ (no. 21 of the ‘Masses for Various Needs’) should be celebrated with violet vestments as an appropriate liturgical observance for this day.” (General Instruction of the Roman Missal 2002, #373) Consider using one of the Eucharistic prayers for Reconciliation.
LENTEN COMMUNAL RECONCILIATION SERVICES
Every effort should be make to schedule communal celebrations of the sacrament of Reconciliation during the season of Lent. See Rite of Penance for service of the Prodigal Son, n.31 or Beatitudes, n.37. No parish may schedule “general absolution”. Although individual confessions may be scheduled in the parishes according to the pastoral need, Lenten Communal Penance Services should neither be scheduled during the days of the Triduum, nor the Tuesday of Holy Week, April 6, 2010, to allow priests and people to attend the Chrism Mass at St. Joseph Cathedral.
THE PASCHAL TRIDUUM
In planning and scheduling services “care should be taken especially during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum not to stage the various liturgies as “Passion plays” (Lectionary for Masses with Children #52). The Liturgical Assembly is primarily a participatory action, rather than a passive spectator event.
- FUNERALS DURING THE TRIDUUM
Funeral Masses are NOT permitted on Holy Thursday morning or during the days of the Easter Triduum. On these days, the body of the deceased may be brought to the church and the Funeral Liturgy Outside of Mass may be celebrated
According to the Church’s ancient tradition, all Masses without a congregation are prohibited on this day. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated in the evening. No additional Masses are to be scheduled. For serious pastoral need and only with the permission of the local Ordinary, may another Mass be celebrated in the evening or morning. (see Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of Paschal Feasts #47 and Missale Romanum, “Rubrics for the Evening Mass” EM, #3) Bishop’s Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter, March/April 2003)
“The celebration of the Lord’s Passion is to take place in the afternoon, at about three o’clock. For pastoral reasons, an appropriate time will be chosen in order to allow the people to assemble more easily, for example, shortly after midday or in the late evening, however, not later than nine o’clock. (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of Paschal Feasts #78) The same instruction is repeated in the new edition of the Missale Romanum. Holy Communion may only be distributed during the Solemn Celebration of the Passion. No other communal distribution or Holy Communion may take place on Good Friday (for example, during Stations of the Cross or other secondary services. Holy Viaticum may be given at any time).
Wherever appropriate, pastors should raise parishioners’ awareness of the original and most ancient of all Christian preparatory fasts; the paschal fast, encouraging the extension of fasting and/or abstinence through to Easter Communion, the original “break-fast of believers”. In this matter the baptized and the elect may keep a vigil of prayer prior to the Easter Vigil with lightened and uplifted spirits (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, 110b).
The Paschal Vigil is not an anticipated Mass, but a true vigil and, therefore, it may not begin until nightfall. This means that the Easter Vigil should be scheduled 30 to 45 minutes after sunset to assure darkness. “The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes place at night. It should not begin before nightfall. This rule is to be taken according to its strictest sense.” (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of Paschal Feasts #78) This same instruction is repeated in the new edition of the Missale Romanum.
Sunset will take place at about 7:45 pm on Saturday, April 3, 2010.
This means that the Easter Vigil is not to begin before 8:15 pm.
“. . . it is never permitted to celebrate the entire Easter Vigil more than once in a given church or to anticipate the Mass of Easter before the vigil . . .” (Sacramentary, Easter Vigil #3) “The celebration of the Easter Vigil for special groups is not to be encouraged, since above all in this vigil the faithful should come together as one and should experience a sense of ecclesial community.” (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of Paschal Feasts #94)
“The rubrics of the new Missale Romanum reminds us that this ‘mother of all vigils’ is the ‘greatest and most noble of all solemnities’ and it is to be unique in every single Church. (Missale Romanum, “Rubrics for the Easter Vigil” [EV], #2) . . . Therefore, the Easter Vigil does not correspond to the usual Saturday evening Mass and its character is unique in the cycle of the liturgical year.” (Bishops Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter, January 2003)
It should be noted that the new edition of the Missale Romanum now requires that at least three Old Testament readings, always including Exodus 14, must be read at the Easter Vigil. Previously, in extreme necessity two Old Testament reading might have been used. Of course, all nine readings must be read whenever it can be done, so that the character of a Vigil which takes place over some duration of time can be observed. ( EV, #20, Bishops Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter, January 2003)
FIRST COMMUNION
“It is also appropriate that children receive their First Communion on one or other of the Sundays of Easter.” (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of Paschal Feasts #103) “Apart from exceptional cases, it is not particularly appropriate for First Communion to be administered on Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper. Another day should be chosen instead, such as a Sunday between the Second and Sixth Sunday of Easter, or the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, or the Sundays of Ordinary Time, since Sunday is rightly regarded as the day of the Eucharist.” (Redemptionis Sacramentem #87) This guideline presupposes that weekdays, such as Saturday morning or early afternoon, are not appropriate times to celebrate First Eucharist. Above all, First Holy Communion should reunite families, the parish, and all communicants more closely to the Lord’s Supper on the Lord’s Day—Sunday.
CONFIRMATION
The ritual Mass for Confirmation may not be used on holy days of obligation, the Sundays of Advent, Lent and the Easter Season, on days in the Octave of Easter, on all solemnities, on All Soul’s Day, on Ash Wednesday and during Holy Week. If Confirmation is to be celebrated on one of the above-mentioned days, the Mass of the day is to be used. (General Instruction of the Roman Missal 2002, #372)
When the ritual Mass is not celebrated, one of the readings may be chosen from those provided in the Lectionary for the ritual Mass for Confirmation, However, on all holy days of obligation, Easter Sunday, Christmas, Epiphany, Pentecost and Corpus Christi only the readings of the day are permitted. The final blessing proper to the ritual Mass may always be used.
WEDDINGS
Note: The ritual Mass for Marriage is not permitted on Holy Days on which the precept to attend Mass is abrogated, since these days still rank as solemnities.
Note: On days when the ritual Mass for Marriage is prohibited, the Rite of Marriage Outside of Mass is permitted.
SOLEMN EXPOSITION
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament usually begins at the concluding rite of the last Mass of the day and continues through the day with appropriate prayer services. Exposition concludes most often with a Word Service or devotion culminating with Benediction. Please note that the, Order for Exposition of the Holy Eucharist, 1992 should be used.
RITES OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA)
The RITE OF ELECTION will take place for the Diocese of Buffalo on Sunday, February 21, 2010, 3:00 pm at St. Amelia Church, Tonawanda.
SCRUTINIES - The Scrutinies should seek to remove all obstacles to holistic conversion of the elect (unbaptized) and deepen their resolve to bind themselves to Christ and to carry out their mission to love God above all else.
They take place within Mass on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent. Year A readings with appropriate chants are used. The Sacramentary contains special orations and prefaces for the Masses at which the Scrutinies are to be used at these celebrations. See “Ritual Masses, Christian Initiation”, 2.
RITE OF DISMISSAL for the Elect and Candidates to be fully initiated at the Easter Vigil will be celebrated by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec during the Chrism Mass (Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 7 pm at St. Joseph Cathedral, Buffalo)
EASTER VIGIL - The elect (unbaptized) receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. Candidates (baptized) celebrate the Rite of Reception, the Full Communion into the Catholic Church.
MYSTAGOGY - Recent papal teaching in addition to cutting edge US parishes, encourage Mystagogical preaching as a Catholic homiletic style going beyond the 50 days of Easter. Integrating life experience (individual and societal) with the Word of God and the sacramental Rites (symbolic action) strengthens faith and motivates all believers to take on Jesus’ mission in daily situations (FDLC Detroit, 2009).