Meaning of Christmas Mass

Deciding what Christmas Mass to attend can be one of the more difficult decisions facing families during the holiday season.

Should sleepy-eyed youngsters be loaded into the car to Midnight Mass, recognizing the possibility of them dozing off in the middle of the homily?

Dawn Mass presents its own unique challenges, even to the parents who might have spent Christmas Eve night trying to put together toys and, as we all know, dealing with the inevitable that important pieces will be missing.

Or should the zaniness of Christmas morning take a pause while attending the daytime Mass?

Perhaps it depends on one’s perspective, since each Christmas Mass has a special meaning. 

Midnight Mass is known as the Angels’ Mass. Tradition says Jesus was born at midnight in a manger in Bethlehem, so the late night Mass is celebrated by the church to honor the hour Jesus was born. 

The darkness of the hour is also reflective of the spiritual darkness of the time, as the birth of the promised Messiah was anticipated. That spiritual darkness carries over even today, as during Advent we await the radiance of the baby Jesus. 

According to tradition, celebrating Midnight Mass began in the East. By the year 430 celebrating the midnight vigil had reached the West, with Pope Sixtus III celebrating Mass in the Basilica of St. Mary Major. 

Mass at dawn, known as the Shepherd’s Mass, greets Christmas Day with the brilliance of the rising sun, the light of Jesus coming into the world, dispelling the darkness of sin. Our own darkness is lifted as we arise on Christmas morning to the risen Christ. 

The daytime Mass, also known as the King’s Mass, is celebrated in the full brightness of daylight. Jesus, the son of God, has been fully revealed, and for that we all give thanks.