Easter Vigil Narrative

My class met about 45 minutes before the service started. After getting Lee and Nan situated in the sanctuary, I thought it would feel like forever till we started, but it didn't. It blinked by. Then we went outside to light the Easter fire. Father Weiss and Deacon Gorman prayed over the fire, then lit the Paschal candle. We each had a little candle which was lit off the Paschal candle and off each other's candles. Then we processed in.



The beginning of the service is very dark. While we held our little candles, Fr. Weiss sang The Exsultet. This is very beautiful tradition hymn that is used to start the Easter services. The words are stirring. For example: "What good would life have been to us, had Christ not come as our Redeemer?"



Then we extinguished our candles and had the Liturgy of the Word. The liturgy of the word is when the scripture readings are read. I love the readings at the Easter Vigil because they are intended to draw us through salvation history, starting with Adam and Eve, and going on up to the Resurrection. It is so awesome. After the Old Testament readings and the New Testament readings, interspersed with the singing of the psalms, finally comes the gospel readings. The gospel is especially honored, with incense and with a chorus of alleluias. We all stand during the reading of the gospel. The Deacon read the gospel - he is the one that reminds me of Poppa.



Then Fr. Weis gave his homily. He talked about how there are things in life that make us leap for joy, and the resurrection should be one of those things - we should be leaping for joy, at least metaphorically. Our joy should be such that people want to know where it comes from. It was very good!



After the homily came the blessing of the holy water for the year. Lee was very surprised to be hit in the face by water :) The blessing of the congregation with Holy Water is done once a month at our church, so I am used to it and I love it - Elijah loves it too! I forgot to warn Lee, though...

After that, we were confirmed. We had to stand in front of the congregation. Fr. Weiss laid his hands on us and prayed for the Holy Spirit to come upon us in a deeper way. Then we were marked with the sign of the cross with anointing oil and our confirmation names were announced. My patron saint is Saint Ann, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus. I ask her to pray for me when I need help with something in my vocation of wife and motherhood. This doesn't replace praying to God - it's not the same thing -I am asking her to pray with me, in the same way that I ask my mom or Michelle or Vicky at work to pray for me - because they are all also moms and wives and I feel like they can come beside me and pray with me. We are all praying to God together.

I could smell the oil on my head for the rest of the evening and it is a really good smell :)

After we were confirmed, it was time for the liturgy of the Eucharist. A regular Mass only has the Liturgy of the Word (the scripture readings, though not usually quite as long as the ones at the vigil) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. So once we started this, I felt *almost* relaxed. I have been to Mass enough times that I know what is going to happen now. The difference is, this time I would be able to go up and receive the Lord. I have been waiting a long time for that. That's enough to say about that for now. This is where the whole thing is like a marriage. Now I have access to the sacramental presence of the Lord for the rest of my life, wherever there is a Mass, I can go in and receive Him. Awesome.

Afterwards we processed out. All my teachers hugged me, Michelle hugged me, and then a barrage of total strangers were hugging me and saying congratulations - a welcome to the family. Deacon Gorman and Fr. Weiss hugged me. I was very tired and a little overwhelmed, but very happy. I was worried that my family was cranky, but I was worrying in vain. Everybody was fine, even cranky Lee who said that I "so totally owe him". (I told him we'd renegotiate who owes who what after I gave birth to his third child.) I also thought everyone would want to run home, but instead we were almost the last ones to leave. Everyone was milling and chatting. Even Lee. I got hugs from my parents and Nan. Michelle and Nan took pictures for each other.

Then it was over. We went back to Nan's to pick the kids up. Again I thought we would rush home, but Lee plopped on the couch to finish a basketball game and I had time to go slowly through my amazing presents (I don't want to sound selfish by talking about presents too much but let's just say I was very very blessed!!)

Then we went home and put together the kids Easter baskets and went to bed. I slept like a rock