C
Cat
Guest
Perhaps this is a separate thread/topic.
One of the things that occurred to me this morning is that Catholics really should advertise the Easter Vigil Mass.
Easter Vigil Mass is the kind of huge Easter celebration that I, as a Protestant, dreamed of, and attempted to make happen in my evangelical Protestant churches.
Yes, every year I would be on the “committee,” and would suggest all kinds of wonderful things we could do on Easter Sunday. And pretty much every year, I was shot down. “Too long,” the committee would say.
But my goodness me, the Easter Vigil Mass has it all! We could pack the house with curious evangelical Protestants searching for the ultimate Easter Celebration Experience.
It all starts in complete darkness, followed by pyros!
And then there’s a processional, with everyone in costume, and enthusiastic congregational singing!
Chants and more chants, featuring the beautiful Exultet! Prayers and praises!
A complete retelling, straight from the Bible, of the history of the Christian faith! (That alone should attract evangelical Protestants! It’s a rarity in an evangelical Protestant church to ever get a history lesson, or even an Old Testament reading!)
Baptisms and welcoming new Christians into the Church, including good-smelling oil anointing. (Protestants anoint with oil, BTW.)
And Holy Communion! (That’s not a Batman and Robin expression, it’s the name of the Main Event at the Easter Vigil Mass.) Jesus Himself is among us!
And throughout the Vigil, the bestest, most joyous, most well-rehearsed music that you will hear all year long in the Catholic Church!
I’m serious here, folks! All those years I was Protestant and searching for a hullabaloo of an Easter party, I had no idea that the Catholics were whooping it up on Easter Saturday and making our wimpy little Protestant “cantatas” look like dullsville!
We really should advertise this and invite the public, rather than just keeping the “secret” amongst ourselves.
Now then, those of you who are thrilled to see evangelical Protestant converts in the Catholic Church–what do you think of them apples?! Is this the kind of enthusiastic idea that you’re looking for? Or are you appalled by the worldliness of such a thought?
I’m really serious. I think that Easter Vigil Mass should be advertised, Protestant-style. I think it is an event that would appeal to non-Catholic Christians and help them to get started looking into Catholic Christianity. If Catholics think my idea is worldly, well, I would suggest that they think harder and think outside their traditional box. What’s wrong with advertising?
One of the things that occurred to me this morning is that Catholics really should advertise the Easter Vigil Mass.
Easter Vigil Mass is the kind of huge Easter celebration that I, as a Protestant, dreamed of, and attempted to make happen in my evangelical Protestant churches.
Yes, every year I would be on the “committee,” and would suggest all kinds of wonderful things we could do on Easter Sunday. And pretty much every year, I was shot down. “Too long,” the committee would say.
But my goodness me, the Easter Vigil Mass has it all! We could pack the house with curious evangelical Protestants searching for the ultimate Easter Celebration Experience.
It all starts in complete darkness, followed by pyros!
And then there’s a processional, with everyone in costume, and enthusiastic congregational singing!
Chants and more chants, featuring the beautiful Exultet! Prayers and praises!
A complete retelling, straight from the Bible, of the history of the Christian faith! (That alone should attract evangelical Protestants! It’s a rarity in an evangelical Protestant church to ever get a history lesson, or even an Old Testament reading!)
Baptisms and welcoming new Christians into the Church, including good-smelling oil anointing. (Protestants anoint with oil, BTW.)
And Holy Communion! (That’s not a Batman and Robin expression, it’s the name of the Main Event at the Easter Vigil Mass.) Jesus Himself is among us!
And throughout the Vigil, the bestest, most joyous, most well-rehearsed music that you will hear all year long in the Catholic Church!
I’m serious here, folks! All those years I was Protestant and searching for a hullabaloo of an Easter party, I had no idea that the Catholics were whooping it up on Easter Saturday and making our wimpy little Protestant “cantatas” look like dullsville!
We really should advertise this and invite the public, rather than just keeping the “secret” amongst ourselves.
Now then, those of you who are thrilled to see evangelical Protestant converts in the Catholic Church–what do you think of them apples?! Is this the kind of enthusiastic idea that you’re looking for? Or are you appalled by the worldliness of such a thought?
I’m really serious. I think that Easter Vigil Mass should be advertised, Protestant-style. I think it is an event that would appeal to non-Catholic Christians and help them to get started looking into Catholic Christianity. If Catholics think my idea is worldly, well, I would suggest that they think harder and think outside their traditional box. What’s wrong with advertising?