(The word nuptial is derived from the Latin language, which means wedding or mar…

(The word nuptial is derived from the Latin language, which means wedding or marriage in the general sense and taken from the literal sense: “to cover, to veil.”)

The last three types of Masses that will be explained are the Vigil Mass, Pontifical Mass and concelebrated Mass.

The first one is designated by the time of day that it is celebrated, the latter two by who offers or celebrates the Mass

𝙑𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙨

— a Mass that is offered during the evening or the night before the Sabbath or a major holy day.

In the Holy Bible the Jews reckoned that each new day begins at sundown, so that the observance of the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week, begins at sundown on Friday.

For the Christian the Sabbath is Sunday, the first day of the week when Christ resurrected. Therefore, the Christian Sabbath begins on Saturday evening. Today evening is commonly reckoned to begin either at sunset or at the time the evening meal is usually served.

At this parish a Vigil Mass is scheduled at 5 p.m. or later. The Vigil Mass may be a Low, High or Solemn Mass.

𝙋𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙨

— a Mass that is celebrated by a bishop. (The word pontiff is derived from the Latin language and is commonly defined as bishop, which is a word derived from the Greek word episkopos; therefore, pontifical and episcopal both mean “of or relating to a bishop.”)

The bishop, then, celebrates a Pontifical Low Mass, a Pontifical High Mass or a Pontifical Solemn Mass.

𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙨

— On special occasions the Holy Mass may be celebrated by more than one bishop, by more than one priest, or by bishops and priests together. The Mass is then said to be concelebrated.

The concelebrants speak aloud and together the words of consecration over the bread and wine.

Although a Mass may be concelebrated, there is still one who presides by saying or singing most parts of the Mass. The one who presides is usually the highest ranking bishop or priest present at the Mass.