Vigil Mass at Christmas

[oopsorganist]

Just read the planner and see no recommendations for the Vigil Mass on Saturday 24th. In our parish this is always the big Christmas Mass with lots of children and families present. Am I missing something here............

Midnight Mass has poor attendance and Christmas morning is very very thinly attended.

[Merseysider]

Check with your PP which readings he's using. If this is a children's Mass he'll have a bit of flexibility here. Our children's Mass is Christmas morning and we do take a couple of liberties – won't go into detail in case the liturgical police are reading this.

The Gospel reading for the Vigil Mass is the earlier part of the nativity story – Joseph being visited by an angel. I can't think of any songs which relate to that directly but, surely, we can lay aside scruples on this one feast when people come from far and wide.

For once, I would say, give them what they expect. Just sort all your fave carols into groups to see which ones fit best with which Masses.

Some are narrative (ie they tell the story): The first Nowell and While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks. Some are more theological (ie v2 of O Come All Ye Faithful.

Some are celebratory – Ding, dong merrily on high (don't expect them to sing those long Glorias early on Christmas morning) and Hark the Herald.

Then there are the more meditative ones like Silent Night which, surely, can only really be sung at a later Mass.

And don't forget the daft vomit, cheesy ones: Away in A Manger – "No crying he makes" – great, so Christ wasn't human after all then? Isn't this some sort of heresy? (Interesting rewrite in the new edition of Hymns Old & New: "The cattle are lowing, they also adore the little Lord Jesus who lies in the straw". Sounds like the chicken chorus in the Muppet Christmas Movie.

And what do we make of "Once in Royal David's City"? Wordsmith, Cecil Frances Alexander was moved to write the whole CofE Catechism in song for children hence: "Christian children All should be kind, obedient, good as he..." We wish she'd kept her pen to herself – she also came up with: "The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate, God made them high and lowly and ordered their estate". Well, Cafod are wasting their time really then, aren't they!!!!

Sorry – didn't mean to rant!

Seriously, give 'em what they want. We spend so much of the year cajoling and encouraging people to learn new material. Surely this is one time of the year we don't want to alienate our assemblies.

[oopsorganist]

You are absolutely right - what was I thinking of? I should just be glad to hear them sing! Which they will for sure. And I shall wear my Santa hat and try to get the temporary Deacon to play the Midnight Mass so I can watch a service from somewhere posh and medieval with a glass of wine in my hand just for the change!

[Merseysider]

Unless it's like one of last year's "posh and medieval". Halfway through my partner said: "Will you please either switch off or stop ranting".

[Gwyn]

M said:

"Will you please either switch off or stop ranting".

(Fx) Raucous Guffaw.

[docmattc]

Oopsorganist said

In our parish this is always the big Christmas Mass with lots of children and families present. Am I missing something here............
Midnight Mass has poor attendance and Christmas morning is very very thinly attended.

This is the case in our parish too, we have a 5.30pm kids Mass, a 9pm"midnight" and a 10.30am on Christmas day. I don't go to the 5.30 as I'm playing at a 6.30"midnight" Mass in another church but it is apparently packed (as is the 6.30 I do)

While there is a very strong argument for putting on a Mass that people will come to, I'm slightly uncomfortable that this is catering to the 'lets get the religious bit of Christmas out of the way' mentality. Of course this is infinitely preferable to the 'what's religion got to do with Christmas' attitude but still doesn't but Christ at the heart of Christmas. When I was a kid and too young to go to midnight Mass (and its not so long ago in the scheme of things) I was allowed to open one present before going to Mass Christmas morning, the rest I readily accepted had to wait until Jesus had been wished happy birthday.

I wouldn't advocate not having this vigil Mass, but its popularity in preference to other Christmas Masses makes me uneasy.
Have we reached a point where the trappings and expectations of Christmas mean that there is only room for Christ on the previous evening?

[dunstan]

When I was a child, we always went to a staggeringly early morning mass on Christmas day. We'd all have been awake very early anyway, and I remember looking at the missalette and the "Mass during the Day", and wondering what it would be like.

As a parent, my children are now old enough to want to come to Midnight Mass (at 8pm) and (as I have to play at both masses, and my wife is non-Catholic) I go on my own on Christmas morning.

Returning to the question of the vigil mass, is the congregation drawn by the fact that it is a vigil mass, or is the liturgy particularly family friendly? Might there be some future in making the vigil mass a meditative low mass, and making the day mass family centric (procession to the manger, chocolate bars, Away in a Manger etc). Or is the risk of just losing the congregation to non-attendance too great?

[docmattc]

Returning to the question of the vigil mass, is the congregation drawn by the fact that it is a vigil mass, or is the liturgy particularly family friendly? Might there be some future in making the vigil mass a meditative low mass, and making the day mass family centric (procession to the manger, chocolate bars, Away in a Manger etc). Or is the risk of just losing the congregation to non-attendance too great?

Very good questions Dunstan, and I suspect very complex answers.
As a relative newcomer to the parish (ie not born in it) I wouldn't want to start asking these questions at the moment. Several established and influential parishioners already resent me coming into their church with my new fangled ideas (ie anything different). I'm already in hot water for not starting the 9pm Mass with "come, come come to the manger"!

The vigil Mass is very family friendly which is a draw, but its convenience is undoubtedly also a big factor. I suspect that moving the 'family Mass' (for want of a better phrase) to Christmas morning would result in a significant loss of the 'occasional attenders' who make up a significant chunk of the congregation wouldn't come with their children to an equivalent Mass on Christmas morning.

[VML]

This thread states the quandary we are in very well. It is the convenience Mass, but how do you drop it?
We will have children's readings, and I will do all I can to get them singing and we have some good readers lined up.
But do we have to admit a defeat in failing to emphasise the importance of the Mass on the day, or be thankful that although some people's level of religious observance (dreadful phrase, but you know what I mean) is set at one Mass a year, that at least is better than losing them completely?

[presbyter]

Now come on folks - if you are celebrating the Vigil Mass - who's daring to read the long Gospel?

[presbyter]

is the liturgy particularly family friendly?

Depends on how you view researching one's family tree I suppose - all those lots of 14 generations

[oopsorganist]

Greetings of a Christmas Kind

Well, in spite of a funeral suddenly blocking the final practice our service went like a bomb. The church was full though not as many as last year I think. We began singing carols from the back of the church. Coerced my own daughters into doing this with their friends - all at Anglican High School afraid to say - but 10 of us made quite a noise and people were encouraged to join in. Well, I just waved the Service sheet at them and pointed at the words occasionally. Twice we stopped and sang the Kyrie and the Gloria refrain. So by the start of Mass people were resigned to having to sing. There were lots of tots and a Baptism too. We did some Carols on guitar/recorder and some on organ/trumpet and sang the Kyrie, Gloria and Gospel Alleluia unaccompanied which meant all the musicians could sing too and it went well and felt very warm. After the final hymn a great noise went up as people greeted and excited children all got going. It was a party atmosphere very unlike what happened last year. All the ex choir were there too which was a surprise as they are supposed to be going to other parishes.

There were about 250 at the Vigil and maybe 50 at Midnight and surprisingly there were 100 at the Mass this morning. Father did not want to sing the Gloria although I had chased back home for the music but he's the boss. We just did 4 carols and the American Eucharist Mass. But nobody sang this morning, not even the American Mass which I should think everyone would know. I could hear some of the little altar servers singing but not the congregation so that has kind of spoilt it really. It is hard to predict what will happen which makes planning hard. There is nothing quite so embarrassing or sad as playing the organ for a church full of people who do not want to sing.

Jolly Holly to one and all.

[organist]

My Christmas was very different this year. I always did my best to avoid the Vigil Mass as in my previous parish Midnight was the one that everyone was encouraged to come to and the Music group covered Christmas Day main Mass and I played the last Mass of the morning.
This year I played 2 crib services (100 kids at first one) at the C of E, went to a 9pm "midnight" which was not my scene with a music director compering the whole thing and lots of his own compositions, got parked in in the car park so just got back in time to conduct and play for midnight at C of E with choir which was lovely. Christmas Day played Family Eucharist at C of E (choir of 3) and served at second Vespers at Westminster Cathedral. The boys sang "Hodie Christus natus est" before the Magnificat. It's the chant Britten uses in Ceremony of Carols. It was like being in heaven. Warlock's Bethlehem Down, wonderful organ improvisations and Messian at the end. Went home very happy to evening meal and family gathering. The boss had served at First vespers, 6pm and midnight masses and 10.30am Mass at the cathedral so she got the full works! Mind you, youngest son complained at us always being in church and getting presents at 9p.m. When I was a kid, we always had presents when we got home from Midnight Mass - completely crazy as Dad had to play the organ on Christmas Day. Our children always got a stocking on their beds and presents early Christmas Day. Happy days!

[FrGareth]

.. four years later I find myself in the same position as Oops! I've just started the planning cycle for Christmas with parishioners. We know from experience that Christmas morning will attract about 120 people, Midnight (at 12 midnight!) about 160 and the 6.30 Vigil will bring in about 350.

Wanting to keep the Vigil as the Missal intends, I reach for my trusty copy of "Preparing the Liturgy". There are ideas for the Day Mass, the Dawn Mass (hmm, might I use those readings at 10 a.m. this year?), Midnight... and surely I can rely on SSG to give me a nice comprehensive list of carols which hold their breath anticipating the arrival of the Christ child...

But what woe is this? "4th Sunday of Advent" faces "Midnight Mass". No liturgy planner for the Christmas Vigil? O waly waly!

Nothing for it but to plough through a few hymnals and see which carols seem to lend themselves to this "he's going to be born any minute now" kind of liturgy.

Angels we have heard in heaven (L130)
Angels we have heard on high (CFE48)
Arise to greet the Lord of Light
Come thou long-expected Jesus (L100)
Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth (NEH19)
Come, Come, Come to the Manger (CFE124)
Ding Dong Merrily on High
For unto us a child is born (CFE180)
From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
Hail to the Lord's Anointed (CFE241)
Hark! A herald voice is calling (L92)
He Became Poor (CFE245)
How Dark Was the Stable (CFE267)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Joy to the World
Joyful News (a Gloria adpated to "Angels we have heard": L120)
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
Long Ago, Prophets Knew (L116)
Midnight (K251)
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come, Divine Messiah (L117)
O Holy Dwelling Place - O Holy Mary (CFE533)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Of the Father’s heart begotten (NEH33)
On Christmas Night All Christians Sing (Sussex: L134)
Once in Royal Davids City
The Angel Gabriel (L113)
The Holly and the Ivy
The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns (L106)
The Maker of the Sun and Moon (NEH38)
Where is this stupendous stranger? (NEH41)
While Shepherds Watched

The other liturgical twist... I bless the empty crib scene at Vigil Mass and bless the Christ figure in it at midnight. Seems to make sense!

Any other ideas for suitable music for the Christmas Vigil Mass and a 25-minute singing session preceding - especially child-friendly music?

FrGareth

[keitha]

And I thought it was all so simple! We have Midnight Mass at midnight, preceded by the Office of Readings/Vigil (using some poetry and some of Fr Gareth's 'anticipatory' carols) as well as the set readings. People start to arrive around 11pm and by midnight we usually have around 500 (sometimes more). A growing trend has been the arrival of lots of late teens/early twenties at midnight having been out for the evening (but not inebriated - in fact, we never have trouble of that kind, whereas I do recall problems with the odd drunk in my youth). The Vigil Mass is given no prominence at all if we have it (and we generally don't). Sometimes we read (and have been known to chant) the genealogy at the Office of Readings.

Christmas Morning we have a 'low' dawn mass at 7.30am, followed by 9am mass, which focuses on young children (trip to crib etc) and usually has a similar attendance to Midnight Mass. Final mass is at 11.00 which usually has an attendance of just over 200. We have music at 9am and 11am. Most people seem to sing most items with gusto (when he's there! ).