Easter Vigil Readings Question

[OraLabora]

I have to admit that I was seriously annoyed that the cantor refused to learn the new Exsultet and sang the one from the last edition of the Roman Missal. And I don’t know where they got the Psalm after the Exodus reading but it wasn’t the version in the Canadian Lectionary.

We used to have receptions after the Vigil but in recent years the former Pastor discouraged it, for reasons we’ve never been able to fathom.

The new Pastor was surprised when we told him that we’d once had gatherings after the Vigil but that now we didn’t and that not many people come to the Vigil, fewer still than those who come to the Good Friday Liturgy, which itself was sparsely attended: “You must be joking?! The most important Liturgy of the year? And they don’t come?!” At this point he’s getting used to my friend and I going .

Was the Exsultet chanted or just read? Sometimes the chant score doesn’t keep up with the lectionary or missal. I notice at the abbey that during the readings of the passion or sometimes the other readings of the Mass (in French), there are minor differences between what is chanted and the what’s in my Magnificat. The books used by the abbey are all noted for chant; to replace them all for minor changes would be a formidable task.

However I gather that in English the Missal changes are quite extensive. I only rarely go to an English Mass so wouldn’t be able to tell.

We only hear two from the OT. Our priest is very concerned that the vigil mass will be too long if we hear too many readings. We hear the short version of the exultat too.

I wish we would hear all seven. Maybe someday I’ll attend the vigil Mass at our cathedral.

Someone will correct me if I’m wrong but in my Gregorian Missal it indicates that the long version of the Exsultet is only used if a deacon is proclaiming it.

 

[MissRose73]

I didn’t go to Easter Vigil this year but last year when I went, they did all the readings and shortened the psalm responses between them. Mass lasted about 2 1/2 hours even with several baptisms, confirmations and 1st Communions of the newly initiated included.

 

[Phemie]

Was the Exsultet chanted or just read? Sometimes the chant score doesn’t keep up with the lectionary or missal. I notice at the abbey that during the readings of the passion or sometimes the other readings of the Mass (in French), there are minor differences between what is chanted and the what’s in my Magnificat. The books used by the abbey are all noted for chant; to replace them all for minor changes would be a formidable task.

However I gather that in English the Missal changes are quite extensive. I only rarely go to an English Mass so wouldn’t be able to tell.

It was chanted, otherwise the priest would have done it himself (he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket - even though he gave it his best shot, even “Light of Christ” was beyond his abilities)

There is quite a change to the Exsultet in English. Here’s a link to a side by side comparison in Fr.Z’s blog

wdtprs.com/blog/2012/04/a-side-by-side-look-at-exsultet-texts/

I’ll admit I haven’t looked closely at the new Missal, since I’m no longer in the church every day, but I’d be very surprised if the notation wasn’t in it for such an important piece of the Vigil. But even if it isn’t, she’s had 18 months to find notation for the new version and learn it.

Someone will correct me if I’m wrong but in my Gregorian Missal it indicates that the long version of the Exsultet is only used if a deacon is proclaiming it.

I see nothing in the Missal that says that only a Deacon sings the longer version.

 

[Martin15]

I see nothing in the Missal that says that only a Deacon sings the longer version.

There is a part of the long Exultet that only a deacon (or in his absence, a priest - himself a deacon of course) should sing. It is the part that concludes with the people’s responses (similar sounding to the start of the Preface). If a lay cantor is singing the Exultet that part is missed out. It has no bearing on whether the short or long version is used as I think it is in both (although I stand to be corrected), and either way it should be taken out if a lay person is singing.

All the best

Martin

 

[Martin15]

His thinking is that the people who come to the Mass of the Easter Vigil are either coming into the church or are liturgy geeks. The former don’t ever want the Mass to end and the latter are drinking in every detail.
QUOTE]

I like him

On another note, I’m fairly sure the vigil has to be done between sunset and sunrise. If that’s right then no parish should be beginning while it is still light. Someone may be able to give a reference to a better document, but my missal is very explicit in the introduction to the vigil. Whereabouts are you from Gwen? Maybe there is an exception for certain parts of the world where the night is short?

All the best

Martin

 

[Phemie]

GwenL;10562651:

His thinking is that the people who come to the Mass of the Easter Vigil are either coming into the church or are liturgy geeks. The former don’t ever want the Mass to end and the latter are drinking in every detail.

I like him

On another note, I’m fairly sure the vigil has to be done between sunset and sunrise. If that’s right then no parish should be beginning while it is still light. Someone may be able to give a reference to a better document, but my missal is very explicit in the introduction to the vigil. Whereabouts are you from Gwen? Maybe there is an exception for certain parts of the world where the night is short?

All the best

Martin

As Paschale Solemnitatis says,

1. “The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes place at night. It should not begin before nightfall; it should end before daybreak on Sunday”. (82) This rule is to be taken according to its strictest sense. Reprehensible are those abuses and practices which have crept in in many places in violation of this ruling, whereby the Easter Vigil is celebrated at the time of day that it is customary to celebrate anticipated Sunday Masses. (83)
   Those reasons which have been advanced in some quarters for the anticipation of the Easter Vigil, such as lack of public order, are not put forward in connection with Christmas night, nor other gatherings of various kinds.

I used to call the weather office to get the official time of sunset for Holy Saturday and we’d schedule the Vigil for an hour later when full dark is assured. In recent years the diocese has issued a ‘Vigil is not to start before’ notice. However, the diocesan office is in another time zone from where we are and they are 30 minutes ahead of us. Based on sunset we could have started at 8:30 but the diocese said not before 9:00 so that’s what we did.

 

[Martin15]

Thanks Phemie

 

[Phemie]

Did your parish or the parish you went to do the traditional seven Old Testament readings? Our parish only did four OT readings and then the Epistle and Gospel. I like reading all seven of them since they are a fundamental part of the Easter Vigil, but I am happy we got at least four. The Vigil was a beautiful Mass.

Our new Pastor, 40+ years ordained, said that we were the first parish he’s been in that did all 7 OT readings. I thought it was really sad that a) his former parishes didn’t want to do it and b) that as Pastor he’d never exercised his liturgical authority to insist on it.

 

[GwenL]

GwenL;10562651:

His thinking is that the people who come to the Mass of the Easter Vigil are either coming into the church or are liturgy geeks. The former don’t ever want the Mass to end and the latter are drinking in every detail.
QUOTE]

I like him

On another note, I’m fairly sure the vigil has to be done between sunset and sunrise. If that’s right then no parish should be beginning while it is still light. Someone may be able to give a reference to a better document, but my missal is very explicit in the introduction to the vigil. Whereabouts are you from Gwen? Maybe there is an exception for certain parts of the world where the night is short?

All the best

Martin

We like him too!

We started after dark–I’m not sure that I understand your question? The paschal candle was lit right after 8:00 p.m.; local sunset was 7:24. We have rather large mountains (5000 feet above our elevation) to our west, and the sun goes behind the mountains about 30 minutes prior to “official sunset.” But we started in the dark.

At the local parish in which I was baptized, the Easter Vigil started about 90 minutes before official sunset. It was over before sunset. I made the mistake of asking the pastor about this, and why didn’t we start after dark. His reply: “what is the bishop going to do, send his liturgical police here?” I pray for him often.

 

[OraLabora]

As Paschale Solemnitatis says,I used to call the weather office to get the official time of sunset for Holy Saturday and we’d schedule the Vigil for an hour later when full dark is assured. In recent years the diocese has issued a ‘Vigil is not to start before’ notice. However, the diocesan office is in another time zone from where we are and they are 30 minutes ahead of us. Based on sunset we could have started at 8:30 but the diocese said not before 9:00 so that’s what we did.

Ours started at 9 pm. It used to start at 11; but the increasing age of the monks eventually moved it back 2 hours earlier.

 

[Sarabande]

Question: Are we not permitted to substitute the psalms with other music? I thought it was not allowed, but at one of the Vigils I did, they substituted two of the responsorial psalms with two sacred choral motets. It made me uneasy, especially since I was cantoring and didn’t want people to associate that decision with me since in my experience, people tend to assume the cantor chooses everything since he/she is the musician the congregation sees. (I’ve never chosen any of the music in all my time as a cantor.) The music was absolutely beautiful, but I thought was inappropriate to where the music director placed them. I didn’t make sense, liturgically-speaking.

Over-all, though, the Vigil was prayerful and beautiful. Just those two things did not jive well with me. We did three readings and the epistle. It lasted about 2 hour 45 minutes.

 

[Martin15]

Martin15;10564307:

We like him too!

We started after dark–I’m not sure that I understand your question? The paschal candle was lit right after 8:00 p.m.; local sunset was 7:24. We have rather large mountains (5000 feet above our elevation) to our west, and the sun goes behind the mountains about 30 minutes prior to “official sunset.” But we started in the dark.

At the local parish in which I was baptized, the Easter Vigil started about 90 minutes before official sunset. It was over before sunset. I made the mistake of asking the pastor about this, and why didn’t we start after dark. His reply: “what is the bishop going to do, send his liturgical police here?” I pray for him often.

Your sunset seems very reasonable Gwen; you mentioned some parishes in your diocese at which the vigil does start before sunset, I was wondering if the cathedral had to wait until very late to be ‘after sunset’ - some places in the world still have short nights at this time of year, I wondered what might happen there. That doesn’t seem to be the case for you - you answered my question inadvertantly

All the best

Martin

 

[GwenL]

I see.

The difference is really simple. Our rector understands that the liturgical rubrics are given for a reason, and are given from Holy Mother Church, so he humbly obeys them. The rubrics say that the Easter Vigil should not begin before sunset, so that’s what we do.

He’s teaching a liturgy class right now, called “Celebrating the Sacred Mysteries.” We have 50-60 parishioners each week. We were talking about postures. GIRM 43 says that in Dioceses of the USA, the faithful kneel after the Sanctus until the great Amen. We kneel. Someone asked him about other local parishes who don’t kneel, and why are we different. He said, “I read the book. It’s very clear.”

Interesting philosophy, eh? Humility doesn’t mean only simplicity, it also means obedience.

 

[airforcemom]

I don’t attend the Vigil but I know we only had the 4 readings - our Pastor has 2 parishes and he was at the larger one - we have the retired priest who is ,81 so he opts for the 4 readings now. Our attendance for the Vigil was 33 - Easter Sunday we had 164 and we can only seat 150. For Holy Thursday we had 25 and Good Friday we had 26. It is such a shame that more do not show up for these important services. Our Pastor is Vietnamese and he said their churches are packed and he can’t understand why we have so few attend - our normal Sunday averages 75-80.