| Easter Vigil
The
Easter Vigil is the most important Mass of the year.
In the complete ranking of all Catholic Church celebrations, the
Triduum occupies the top spot. The
Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursdays Mass of the Lord’s Supper,
concludes on Easter, reaching its climax with the Easter Vigil.
If there is one mass that Catholics should make an effort to
participate in each year, it is the Easter Vigil
Mass.
The
Easter Vigil celebrates the resurrection of Christ and the commitment of
believers. It has four
parts. It begins with a
service of lights. The
community gathers in darkness to hear that Christ is our light,
shattering the darkness of sin. The
next part is the Liturgy of the Word.
We hear up to nine Scripture passages that tell the story of
salvation, ending with the Gospel of the resurrection.
The
third part is the liturgy of baptism.
Those catechumens listed among the elect come forward to be
plunged into the waters of new birth.
Anointed with chrism they also celebrate confirmation, receiving
the strength of God’s Spirit. Then
the entire community renews its baptismal promises.
Together we pledge our faith and promise to follow Christ more
closely.
The
Vigil culminates in the fourth part, the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The length of the celebration has sharpened our hunger for
communion. Now the newly
baptized will join us in the Eucharist for the very first time.
At the Easter Vigil, we recommit ourselves to our faith and
rejoice with the newly baptized. |
