I spent many, many years in France and while there I read some older liturgical books that explained what the Golden Mass of Our Lady was. These all explained that the Mass in question was in reality the Mass of the **Expectation of Our Lady** (December 18). This was especially true in past centuries in Belgium. While trying to do some research on this connect to the Feast of the Expectation of Our Lady as being the Golden Mass of Our lady, I find out that it seems to be related to the Ember Wednesday of Advent. The Golden Mass of Ember Wednesday The Blessed Virgin Mary and Annunciation of the Lord Although these two liturgical days of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (EF) do share the same Gospel of the Annunciation: Luke 1, 26-38 and occasionally the same day; these two liturgical celebrations have very different spiritual moods. Dom Gueranger does not speak of an Ember Wednesday of Advent connection. The Ember Days were days of fasting and not feast days. Please do not get me wrong, I am not saying that the Ember Wednesday of Advent connection the **Missa Aurea** is not correct. My question is as follows: Can anyone locate a pre-twenty-century liturgical source indicating a link between the **Feast of the Expectation of Our Lady** and the **Golden Mass**?

This year Christmas is on a Monday. My wife read in a neighboring parish's bulletin that we had to go to Mass on the Fourth Sunday of Advent (i.e. sometime Saturday night or Sunday Morning) and this greatly distressed my daughter who unfortunately wants maximum presents and minimum Mass for Christmas. Catholicism.chat told me that: > Paragraph 2180 of the Catechism states that the precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass celebrated on the evening of the preceding day. Therefore, if you attend Mass on Christmas Eve, you fulfill your obligation for both the fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas. --- So, if a person were to attend a vigil Mass on Saturday, I can see that not satisfying the obligation to go to Mass on Christmas. But, if a person went to Mass at 4:00 PM or later on Sunday, would that satisfy the obligation for both Christmas and the Fourth Sunday in Advent?

Prior to a change instituted by President Roosevelt I understand United States Thanksgiving was the last Thursday in November. This is invariably the last Thursday before Advent Sunday (Nov 27 - Dec 3). My question is whether this was deliberately intended to be the last Thursday before Advent, or if not was there some other reason.