December 18th, 2021

Dear Friends,

Christmas is right around the corner! We have actually had a long Advent, as there is almost a full week between the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve. (There are some years when the Fourth Sunday of Advent actually is Christmas Eve!) Information about our Christmas Mass schedule for both of our churches is in this week’s bulletin and on the web site. This schedule is the same as last year’s, with the exception of adding a nighttime Mass at Nativity.

I understand that there has not been a Midnight Mass at Nativity of our Lord for some years. I guess attendance was low, along with the unfortunate occurrence of some worshippers arriving having been “overserved” at their holiday party earlier in the evening (this was not unique to Nativity- is has been problematic everywhere). I think that the origins of scheduling the Mass at midnight had to do with the former requirement to fast from midnight on, on a day that you wished to receive communion. Prior to the mid-1960s there was never afternoon or evening Mass, as anyone wishing to receive communion would have had to abstain from all food from the previous midnight- pretty unrealistic. So, Masses were always in the morning. By starting Mass at Midnight on Christmas people could enjoy their Christmas Eve meal and eat right up until 11:59pm- and then head to Mass and go to communion. When the fasting requirement was reduced to one hour before receiving communion, that opened up the possibility for Mass any time of the day. In the Missal, it is officially called “Mass at Night” (not “Midnight Mass”).

I guess that is a long introduction to the idea of our trying our “You’ll-Be-At-Home-In-Time-To-Be-In-Bed-By-Midnight Mass” at 10pm. Since Christmas is the Feast Day for Nativity of Our Lord church, it only seems fitting that we should pull out all the stops here. I have found at other parishes that 10pm is a much more desirable time for people than waiting until midnight to start. From my perspective, I have no preference as to which Mass people attend, as long as they attend. 😊 But it seems that a church called “Nativity of the Lord” should have an especially festive celebration of Christmas!

At most parishes, the afternoon Masses are the most crowded. Normally the earliest we are allowed to begin is 4pm, but we received special permission to have our first Mass at 3pm so that we could have an afternoon Mass at both of our churches.
For those who will be traveling during the holidays, know of my prayers for a safe trip and a healthy return, and remember that our churches will remain festively decorated through the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and our celebration of the Incarnation of Christ will continue till January 9th.


May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!