Since there is so much in the celebrations of Easter, the high point of the Church Year, I shall begin by giving an overview of the mother of all vigils: the Easter Vigil, and then focus on the making and renewing of the Baptismal Vows in both the Vigil and Sunday Masses.
The Roman Missal explains that during the Easter Vigil “The Church keeping watch, awaits the Resurrection of Christ and celebrates it in the Sacraments.” The Vigil begins in a darkened Church. The large decorated paschal candle, representing the risen Christ, is lit and is carried into the church while the words “Light of Christ” are proclaimed. Usually, small candles, held by the congregation, are lit from the pascal candle and the light is passed from one worshiper to the next until the whole church is filled with light from the candles. I see this as symbolic of the fact that we are to carry the light of Christ into a dark world.
Several readings from the Hebrew Scriptures summarize the story of salvation beginning with the story of creation, the choosing of the Hebrews to be God’s people, and their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Then the readings speak to God’s constant care until Christ comes. Prayers and canticles follow each reading.
After the readings, the altar candles are lit from the paschal candle, and the church is filled with light and triumphant music. The “Alleluias” are heard in the Church again and the first Easter Eucharist begins. Our risen Lord has come into the darkness to light up the world.
Following the Gospel, the Saints are invoked to pray for those to be baptized and/or receive other Sacraments. Then the baptisms and confirmations take place. Those who were baptized in Christian denominations whose baptisms are accepted as valid by the Catholic Church make a profession of faith in the Catholic Church.
The people in the congregation are sprinkled with holy water as a reminder of their own baptisms. They renew their vows to renounce Satan and promise to serve God in the holy Catholic Church. For those who were baptized as infants or young children, it is an opportunity to consciously verbalize their commitment to Christ.
Since none of us is perfect, it is a way for all of us to start anew to live and love as Jesus has taught us. The Liturgy of the Eucharist follows and the newly baptized will join the rest of the people receiving Holy Communion.
Easter Sunday
The Easter Sunday Masses are like the ordinary Sunday Masses except for the addition of a sequence, the renewal of Baptismal Vows, and several choices for the Gospel readings.
Sequence
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer your thankful Praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems;
Christ, who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous
The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring
What you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living,
The glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
Bright angels attesting,
The shroud and napkin resting,
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen;
To Galilee He goes before you.”
Christ indeed from death is risen, our new life obtaining.
Have mercy, victor King, ever reigning!
Amen. Alleluia
Although there are several choices for the Gospel on Easter Sunday, I shall focus on John 20:1-9. Many believe that aware of how deeply His mother Mary was suffering, Jesus would have appeared to her first. That may well be true. In fact, John concludes his Gospel with the following words: “Now there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all written down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written.” (John 21:25).
John, the evangelist, has personally witnessed Mary of Magdala grief-stricken running to tell Peter and himself that the stone had been rolled back from the entrance of the tomb. She fears that His body has been stolen.
In response, Peter and John hasten to the tomb. John, being younger, arrives first but does not enter. When Peter arrives, he goes inside and sees the burial cloths and the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head, not with the burial cloths, but rolled up in a separate place. Then John goes in, sees and believes. According to John: until that moment, “they had failed to understand the teachings of scripture that he must rise from the dead.” (Jn 20:9).
During the Easter Season, we shall be reflecting on the many ways the risen Savior makes himself known to the people. What great joy they must have felt after witnessing the cruel Passion of Jesus to know that He was victorious and that they would someday share in His victory over death.
Reflection Question: How can I consciously bring the Light of Christ into our world?
Last week I attended a workshop which was held in a library located in a section of the city with which I was unfamiliar. I chose to travel by bus, rather than drive, as I did not know what the parking situation might be. Since I never traveled this bus route before, I asked the driver if the bus would drop me off near the library. He responded that he was unaware that there was a library in that area. I decided to ride it out and enjoy the adventure. A young woman who had boarded the bus ahead of me overheard the conversion. She ‘googled’ the library and found that the bus would indeed drop me off within walking distance of the library. As she related this information to me she pulled up, on her phone, a picture of the building in which the library was housed so I would know what to look for when I exited the bus. I was so touched by her act of kindness that my words of thanks were inadequate to express the depth of my gratitude. She acted like it was no big deal and got off the bus a few stops later. The remarkable thing here is that this young woman was a drug addict, struggling to keep herself balanced. Her arm shook terribly when she showed me the picture on her phone. She displayed multiple signs of drug abuse – glazed eyes, dilated pupils, runny nose, poor physical coordination, to name a few. Yet, her caring act stayed with me all day. It wasn’t until I read your reflection question later that evening that I recognized I had been a witness to her Light shining through her. It was a powerful experience for me –a Holy Moment for sure – an awareness that nothing can suppress or diminish Christ’s Light within us. There is no addiction, handicap, age, gender, race, creed or any other outward distinction that can extinguish our Light. The Light of Christ is the truth of who we are.
ReplyDeleteOur encounter was the connecting of two non-judgmental souls. The young woman could easily have rolled her eyes at my questioning the bus driver, thinking that senior citizens without direction or clue ought not ride the bus. I could have dismissed her as a “druggie.” Either of these limiting thoughts would have prevented the mutual exchange of grace that blessed us both.
Can bringing the Light of Christ into the world be as easy as simply not judging? Of accepting others as they are? What would our world be like if we would consciously strive to look for the Light first, then notice who is bearing it? We would all need to wear sunglasses – it would be so bright!
I could fittingly title this blog comment, “Unexpected Grace Revealed on a Philadelphia Septa Bus.”
Has Christ’s Light warmed you this past week? How did it make you feel to receive it? Perhaps you were the bearer of Christ’s Light that touched someone’s soul this week? What would your caption read?
“Sometimes when you are in a dark place, you think you have been buried; but you have actually been planted. Bloom!” (author unknown) Have a Blessed week everyone.