Do you like Easter Vigil Mass or Easter Sunday Mass?

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VIGIL!

I have been on the RCIA Team for six years now and love seeing the people I have been catechizing get received into the Church. I also love all the “Catholic-ness” that only goes on at the Vigil. The chant, the lighting of the new Easter Candle and the spread of the light into the Church, and so on.

We have always only had 3 of the OT readings but THIS year, praises be to God, the Pastor has said we will be reading ALL of them! YAY! The entire “history” of the Church is so much better laid out that way.

And I have occasionally gone to the Easter Sunday Mass as well. Just because I am so happy to be a Catholic. (I crossed the Tiber in 1983.) 👍
 
CatholicZ09 said:
I think I perfer Easter Sunday Mass over the Easter Vigil. I don’t know why, it’s just I think Easter Sunday is just a nice Mass. Easter Vigil is nice too, but I like Easter Sunday better. I usually go to both. Easter Vigil on Saturday, then Easter Sunday at 8 am.

What are your preferences?
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From a non-Catholic who attends weekly mass with his Catholic wife:

Sunday morning. The Easter Vigil is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too long.
 
I am madly in love with Easter Vigil! I was talking to an unchurched co-worker about it yesterday, and I think I have got her hooked on the idea of observing 😃 I love it so much, I try to go to the Spanish and English. I don’t speak Spanish, but I know what’s going on, so good enough!
 
just to tell the non-Filipinos what the Salubong is…

Salubong would roughly translate to “meeting”

in the Philippines, its a pre-dawn mass (4am) where it starts with two processions from the Church. one is a procession with women and the statue of the Virgin Mary wearing a black veil for mourning. the other is a procession of men with the statue of the Risen Christ. they head off in different directions and meet at the Church where there’s usually a stage and someone dressed as an angel on a high position and as soon as the two statues meet, the one dressed as an angel would lift the veil from the Virgin Mary
 
otjm said:
I don’t know but I ahbve a friend who speaks Tagalog; I will ask.
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first time i attended an Easter Vigil Mass is already here in Canada

i’ve been too lazy to get up at 4am when i was in the Philippines. although I was able to complete pre-dawn masses for Advent
 
choy said:
just to tell the non-Filipinos what the Salubong is…

Salubong would roughly translate to “meeting”

in the Philippines, its a pre-dawn mass (4am) where it starts with two processions from the Church. one is a procession with women and the statue of the Virgin Mary wearing a black veil for mourning. the other is a procession of men with the statue of the Risen Christ. they head off in different directions and meet at the Church where there’s usually a stage and someone dressed as an angel on a high position and as soon as the two statues meet, the one dressed as an angel would lift the veil from the Virgin Mary
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totally awesome

the Filipino population of the Valley is growing so I hope soon this tradition makes its appearance at a parish nearby
 
Someone said that their Pastor cut down to 3 OT readings, when we got a new Pastor back in 2007 he cut down the readings to 4. I really liked hearing the 7 readings.

It seems like Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday is like a breath of new life. Also, you can tell at my church that they use extra lights. Haha.
 
Since I am on the faith formation staff at our parish I usually attend the Easter Vigil and then go to an Easter Morning Mass. This year we are going to Fla for Easter and will go to a Sunrise Service/Mass (9AM) on the beach. I cannot wait!
 
Phemie said:
Easter Vigil.

That said, I like a Vigil where we take the time to do all the readings. I’m sad, angry even, that this year the pastor has decided to abbreviate the Vigil by only having 3 of the OT readings. Why the need to rush the most important Liturgy of the year???

It should be pointed out that they had been reinstated in 2002 by the new, 73 year old sickly pastor on his first Triduum with us. Now a 56 year old healthy pastor decides we don’t need to hear our own story. I don’t get it.
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the rule is the readings are to be omitted for grave pastoral reasons.
 
Easter Vigil, no doubt about it. I don’t care how long it is, it is the most solemn celebration of the Church. I can certainly devote a couple of hours of my time in prayer on the night where Christ passes from death to life. He is the Messiah after all.

As for the cutting of the readings. The Congregation for Divine Worship uses the wording “grave pastoral readings” as the only excuse for cutting the readings down to four not counting the Gospel (three OT and one epistle). Unfortunately, many priests abuse this and still cut short the Liturgy of the Word.
 
My absolutely most favourite moment of Easter is during the Liturgy of the Word when the whole Church is plunged into darkness except for the little reading light at the ambo - that moment right after the Reading from Exodus, when we have just heard how the Egyptians were washed away in the Red Sea, and the Israelites are finally safe, and there is that little moment of profound silence - and then the Cantor sings, without any preamble or instruments or choir of any kind- just this pure, clear voice calling out into the darkness - “Let us sing to the Lord; He has covered himself in glory!!”

And with one voice together, the whole congregation thunders it back to him, “LET US SING TO THE LORD; HE HAS COVERED HIMSELF IN GLORY!!”

Awesome!!
 
SMHW said:
I think I prefer the Easter Vigil.

But that might just be because I’m usually pretty emotionally tired by the time Easter Sunday morning comes around. All the extra rehearsals and the 4 Triduum liturgies (we have two Good Friday services) are wonderful. But I definitely feel like I need a rest when it’s all over. My voice certainly does.
It sometimes seems like I’m just going through the motions on Easter Sunday morning. But I do love to see the church overflowing with people (and knowing I’m guaranteed to have a seat.)
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Easter week is my favorite time as a cantor and choir member. I think it’s because I remember all the excitment around Easter when I was a kid, and we sing some Latin during this time, and it’s just “fancier” for lack of a better term. I could live without the incense (gag!) but all the extra ritual is beautiful. At the same time, I’m a whole lot older and it does wear me out a bit. I take vacation days from Thursday through the Monday after Easter. There’s a lot of standing during those days, and by Easter afternoon, I’m pretty much worn out.

As for the two services, I couldn’t say I like one better than the other because they’re so different to me. One is solemn in the quiet waiting time between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, and the other other joyous and triumphant. I wouldn’t be able to compare them.
 
daeve said:
As for the two services, I couldn’t say I like one better than the other because they’re so different to me. One is solemn in the quiet waiting time between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, and the other other joyous and triumphant. I wouldn’t be able to compare them.
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I second this! 👍

If I had to pick just one, I’d pick Easter Vigil, because the liturgy is the culmination of the center of the entire liturgical year, Triduum being in fact the one great liturgy on which the entire year hinges. It is odd not to finish in the Easter Vigil liturgy what was started with Holy Thursday and Good Friday. I’ve had to miss the Easter Vigil, having been to Holy Thursday and Good Friday. It is like walking out on the third movement of a three-movement symphony.

Having said that, though, there is such a difference between a celebration of the Resurrection that starts in silent darkness and one that begins, proceeds, and ends in joyous, exultant Alleluias that the two can’t be compared. They were never meant to be compared. Celebrating Mass on Easter Sunday itself pre-supposes the completion of the observance of great liturgy of the Triduum. It puts the exclamation mark on the Triduum. It is almost like waking up in the morning and shouting, “It was not a dream! He is risen! He is risen!” It is so obvious why the Triduum goes all the way through Vespers on Sunday.

I have had to miss Mass on Easter Sunday morning, too, and I’ve never liked missing it, either. Count me in as wanting to be there for both. (And Vespers, too, when I can!)
 
I like the vigil for a few reasons and that is because I get to see people enter into full communion with the church. That’s very moving. I also like it, as some members mentioned, when the church is in complete darkness until the Gloria, and then, in full blown-out light when the Alleluia is sung. It always hurts your eyes, but it adds great effect.

That’s true about silence at the Easter Vigil and then great triumph on Easter Sunday. They are different in those ways. I guess they’re both unique.
 
**I haven’t been to either but since I’m being confirmed at the Easter Vigil, I’ll find out real soon. I’m anxious and excited at the same time. I feel I have found my spiritual home. It’s a wonderful feeling.

stormy**
 
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