This night was my first celebration of the great Easter Vigil liturgy at Most Holy Trinity Parish. As I have often been told, no two parishes celebrate this liturgy exactly the same and I now know this to be true. A nice sized congregation was present on this night and we all gatheres outside on a very warm and breezy April evening to light and bless the new fire. For me, my new parish would be the 1st opportunity for me as a Deacon to process with the Easter candle and proclaim three times: Christ our Light! The Church was dark and the Easter Candle the only light but soon all the lighted candles begin to bathe the Church in light from back to front as the Easter Candle and I made our way to the front.
Now, I may have been able to do the Christ our Light but not so much for the Exultet, whic instead was proclaimed beautifully by our cantor. Neither myself or our senior Deacon were blessed with a great singing voice.
Next came one of the differences that I have never experienced before. As a church family, we read every possible reading; all 7 of them from the Old Testament. That's 7 readings, 7 responsorial psalms and 7 prayers. Who continues to say Catholics shy away from Scripture? At the Gloria all the lights came on in the Church and the Easter flowers and lillies were placed around the sanctuary. After the Epistle and Gospel and a bried homily, we moved to the rites for our new Catholic.
We sang the litany of the saints, a version of which I have never heard before. Quite beautiful! The water was blessed, our candidate professed her faith and was confirmed and Mass continued. All in all, a beautiful liturgy that took about 2 and a half hours.
This is my 3rd Easter as a Deacon. I've participated in theVigil liturgy many times, several as a lector, 2 as an acolyte and now these 3. I must say they never fail to inspire and help me in appreciation of the story of our salvation history and to grasp the awesomeness of Jesus' act of unselfish love.
Now, when I should be asleep before I start all over again with our sunrise liturgy at 7 a.m. I find myself watching the liturgy live from the Vatican and reflecting on my Vigil experience.
The Lord is Risen, He is truly Risen! Alleluia!!
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