CV NEWS FEED // The liturgy for the Sacred Paschal Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, continues through Good Friday, and peaks with the Easter Vigil, which the Roman Missal describes as the “greatest and most noble of all solemnities.”
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) explains that this Vigil marks the turning point of the Triduum, and celebrates that Christ, Who died on the cross on Good Friday, has risen from the dead.
“On this holy night,” the USCCB states, “the Church keeps watch, celebrating the resurrection of Christ in the sacraments and awaiting his return in glory.”
This holy vigil is a joyful celebration in which the Church sings “Alleluia” and “Glory to God in the Highest,” proclaiming in triumph that Jesus Christ has defeated sin and death. This proclamation is made during the Liturgy of the Word, after the solemn start of the vigil, which begins outdoors.
The vigil must begin outside of the church after night has fallen on Holy Saturday, with a bonfire where the faithful gather. According to the USCCB, the fire dispels the darkness of the night and is blessed by the priest, so that the Pascal Candle — which symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world — may be lit by it.
Later, a minister takes burning coals from the fire and places them in a thurible to be used with incense. The deacon takes the Easter candle from the priest and then the congregation, holding unlit candles, follows in procession into the church.
“Just as the children of Israel were guided at night by the pillar of fire, so Christians follow the risen Christ,” the USCCB states.
After entering into the sanctuary, the faithful light their candles, spreading the light of Christ throughout the dimmed church.
The Liturgy of the Word takes place, in which several readings from the Old Testament and the New Testament are proclaimed, recounting key deeds in salvation history. The Gloria is also sung during this part of the Liturgy, and the Alleluia is also sung before the Gospel is proclaimed. The priest then gives the homily.
After this, the catechumens who have been preparing to enter the Church are baptized and receive the sacrament of Confirmation. The candidates, Christians who have received baptism, receive Confirmation.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist follows, in which the faithful receive Our Lord in communion, and the liturgy concludes with the final blessing and dismissal.
“Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia,” the deacon says in the dismissal.
“Thanks be to God,” the faithful reply, “alleluia, alleluia.”
Churches and dioceses around the world have been preparing and walking with the candidates and catechumens for months leading up to the vigil, through the program called Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). Both in the US and abroad, some churches are also reporting high numbers of candidates and catechumens in their OCIA programs.
The Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, has reported a record number of 215 people who will enter the Church this Easter, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore is preparing to welcome 778 new members into the Church. New York’s Diocese of Brooklyn is preparing to welcome 693, and the Archdiocese of San Francisco is preparing to welcome more than 650.
This year in France, 10,384 adult catechumens are going to enter the Church, with 42% of them being between the ages of 18 and 25.
CatholicVote Vice President Joshua Mercer expressed joy in a recent statement about the number of young people finding Jesus, and he encouraged people to give thanks.
“The future of the Church is bright,” he said. “So let’s recommit ourselves to building — with our newest brothers and sisters! — a civilization of love.”
The post From darkness to light: How the Easter Vigil celebrates Christ’s triumph over sin and death appeared first on CatholicVote org.