27. Masses for Particular Groups
In order to emphasize the value of the unity of the parish community in the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, Masses for particular groups, such as associations and societies, should be held on weekdays if possible. If it is not possible to transfer them to a weekday, one should try to preserve the unity of the parish community by incorporating these particular groups into the parish celebrations on Sundays and feast days.
28. Anticipating the Sunday and Feast Day Masses on the Previous Evening
Where permission has been granted by the Apostolic See to fulfill the Sunday obligation on the preceding Saturday evening, pastors should explain the meaning of this permission carefully to the faithful and should ensure that the significance of Sunday is not thereby obscured. The purpose of this concession is in fact to enable the Christians of today to celebrate more easily the day of the resurrection of the Lord.
All concessions and contrary customs notwithstanding, when celebrated on Saturday this Mass may be celebrated only in the evening, at times determined by the local Ordinary.
In these cases the Mass celebrated is that assigned in the calendar to Sunday, the homily and the prayer of the faithful are not to be omitted.
What has been said above is equally valid for the Mass on holy days of obligation which for the same reason has been transferred to the preceding evening.
The Mass celebrated on the evening before Pentecost Sunday is the present Mass of the Vigil, with the Creed. Likewise, the Mass celebrated on the evening of Christmas Eve is the Mass of the Vigil but with white vestments, the Alleluia and the Preface of the Nativity, as on the feast. Nevertheless it is not permitted to celebrate the Vigil Mass of Easter Sunday before dusk on Holy Saturday, certainly not before sunset. This Mass is always that of the Easter Vigil, which, by reason of its special significance in the liturgical year and in the whole Christian life, must be celebrated with the liturgical rites laid down for the Vigil on this holy night.
The faithful who begin to celebrate the Sunday or holy day of obligation on the preceding evening may go to Communion at that Mass even if they have already received Communion in the morning. Those who "have received Communion during the Mass of the Easter Vigil, or during the Mass of the Lord's Nativity, may receive Communion again at the second Easter Mass and at one of the Masses on Christmas Day."80 Likewise "the faithful who go to Communion at the Mass of Chrism on Holy Thursday may again receive Communion at the evening Mass of the same day," in accordance with the Instruction <Tres abhinc annos> of May 4, 1967, no. 14.
29. Masses Celebrated on Weekdays
The faithful should be invited to go to Mass frequently on weekdays, in fact to go to Mass even daily.
This is particularly recommended on those weekdays which should be celebrated with special care, above all in Lent and Advent, and also on some minor feasts of the Lord and certain feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary or of saints who are particularly venerated in the universal or local Church.
30. Mass at Meetings and Gatherings of a Religious Character
It is very fitting that meetings or congresses which seek to develop the Christian life or apostolate or which seek to promote religious studies, as well as spiritual exercises and retreats of every kind, should be so arranged as to have their climax in the celebration of the Eucharist.
In order to emphasize the value of the unity of the parish community in the celebration of the Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, Masses for particular groups, such as associations and societies, should be held on weekdays if possible. If it is not possible to transfer them to a weekday, one should try to preserve the unity of the parish community by incorporating these particular groups into the parish celebrations on Sundays and feast days.
Where permission has been granted by the Apostolic See to fulfill the Sunday obligation on the preceding Saturday evening, pastors should explain the meaning of this permission carefully to the faithful and should ensure that the significance of Sunday is not thereby obscured. The purpose of this concession is in fact to enable the Christians of today to celebrate more easily the day of the resurrection of the Lord.
All concessions and contrary customs notwithstanding, when celebrated on Saturday this Mass may be celebrated only in the evening, at times determined by the local Ordinary.
In these cases the Mass celebrated is that assigned in the calendar to Sunday, the homily and the prayer of the faithful are not to be omitted.
What has been said above is equally valid for the Mass on holy days of obligation which for the same reason has been transferred to the preceding evening.
The Mass celebrated on the evening before Pentecost Sunday is the present Mass of the Vigil, with the Creed. Likewise, the Mass celebrated on the evening of Christmas Eve is the Mass of the Vigil but with white vestments, the Alleluia and the Preface of the Nativity, as on the feast. Nevertheless it is not permitted to celebrate the Vigil Mass of Easter Sunday before dusk on Holy Saturday, certainly not before sunset. This Mass is always that of the Easter Vigil, which, by reason of its special significance in the liturgical year and in the whole Christian life, must be celebrated with the liturgical rites laid down for the Vigil on this holy night.
The faithful who begin to celebrate the Sunday or holy day of obligation on the preceding evening may go to Communion at that Mass even if they have already received Communion in the morning. Those who "have received Communion during the Mass of the Easter Vigil, or during the Mass of the Lord's Nativity, may receive Communion again at the second Easter Mass and at one of the Masses on Christmas Day."80 Likewise "the faithful who go to Communion at the Mass of Chrism on Holy Thursday may again receive Communion at the evening Mass of the same day," in accordance with the Instruction <Tres abhinc annos> of May 4, 1967, no. 14.
29. Masses Celebrated on Weekdays
The faithful should be invited to go to Mass frequently on weekdays, in fact to go to Mass even daily.
This is particularly recommended on those weekdays which should be celebrated with special care, above all in Lent and Advent, and also on some minor feasts of the Lord and certain feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary or of saints who are particularly venerated in the universal or local Church.
30. Mass at Meetings and Gatherings of a Religious Character
It is very fitting that meetings or congresses which seek to develop the Christian life or apostolate or which seek to promote religious studies, as well as spiritual exercises and retreats of every kind, should be so arranged as to have their climax in the celebration of the Eucharist.
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