Easter Vigil vs. Easter Sunday

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To anyone I may have offended by not making my question clear enough or by leaving out options, I’m very sorry! This is my first poll ever, and I thought it might be interesting too see which Mass some fellow CAFers go to. As many of you pointed out, I don’t believe either Mass has more intrinsic value than the other. Thank you all for taking time to reply to this thread! God bless you, and Happy Palm Sunday!
 
christus_vincit said:
I love the Easter Vigil - the Exsultet, the Gloria, the journey through Salvation History in the readings, the Litany of the Saints. Its just beautiful.
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That’s me, totally, too. I love the Easter Vigil for the same reasons. And seeing all those who are now joining the Church, just as I did in '98.
 
I do love both. My siblings are serving Easter Vigil this year, so that’s when our family will be going. But it’s also very special on Easter morning when the church is lit with the morning light and you can smell the lilies… Easter’s just a favorite time of mine in general. Makes me happy no matter what time I go to Mass!
 
I love both because they are both very different. The Easter Vigil is a very historical liturgy in the Catholic Church, and I love the “feel” of it.

I love Easter Sunday because all the statues are uncovered; sunlight is beaming (hopefully); there are lilies, and the whole church just seems “happy.” I also love singing all the Easter hymns on Easter Sunday.
 
SnowAngels said:
Hi everyone!

I was just curious on what you prefer, and why!

I have always gone to Easter Sunday Mass, but this year my little brothers are serving at the Easter Vigil so we are going to that Mass. I am actually really looking forward to it! I know it is going to be absolutely beautiful! 😃

Have a great day!
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You should have an option for both. The two masses are not subsitute for each other. Easter Vigil does not make sense without the Easter Day mass. Both are part of the celebrations of the Triduum, the period of three days from Thursday evening till Sunday evening: so the celebrations would include Easter Day mass.

Also, ending your Easter celebrations with the story of the empty tomb at the Vigil mass somehow leaves it a little incomplete and begging for the coda of the story of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus at the Easter Day mass.

I know that USCCB allows one to fulfill the Easter obligations by either mass and I understand the pastoral considerations but it is a little disappointing (but I don’t have a better solution). It is a common provision all over the world but many bishops conference choose not to make a definitive statement on that. Disappointly, the USCCB webpage for Easter Triduum did not include the Easter Day mass.

There was a period of time in my parish where the priests compounded the problem by having the same homily for both masses. Now, they make sure that the homilies on Saturday night and on Sunday morning are different. Our previous parish priest went further in having all four masses (two on Saturday night and two on Sunday morning) being different: evening mass, vigil mass, dawn mass and day mass, each with its own separate readings and prayers in the missal. An interesting experiment but I find it highly confusing. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don’t think anyone else noticed - I think it is a little sad.

This year, there will be only one Easter vigil mass, which is essentially more correct liturgically, I guess but it leaves a lot of practical and logistical problems - I hope we can sort it out otherwise we will have to revert to splitting the community into two again for the Holiest of Nights.
 
jimkhong said:
I know that USCCB allows one to fulfill the Easter obligations by either mass and I understand the pastoral considerations but it is a little disappointing (but I don’t have a better solution). It is a common provision all over the world but many bishops conference choose not to make a definitive statement on that. Disappointly, the USCCB webpage for Easter Triduum did not include the Easter Day mass.
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It’s not the USCCB that allows it, it’s Canon Law. Canon Law is clear that attending Mass, any Mass, on the evening before a Holy Day of Obligation (which all Sundays are) satisfies the obligation. Bishops can’t change that.
 
Disappointly, the USCCB webpage for Easter Triduum did not include the Easter Day mass.
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That is because Easter Sunday is not in the Triduum (if I remember correctly).

ICXC NIKA
 
GEddie said:
That is because Easter Sunday is not in the Triduum (if I remember correctly).

ICXC NIKA
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Yes, it is. The Triduum is from the Mass of the Lord’s Supper to Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday, 3 full days.
 
I love the Easter Vigil because of all the actions, readings, and symbols of the night.
And, when the parish sees again each year, the great emotion and love that the new members of the church have for the Lord…it reminds us all of the great gift that we have been given.
Sometimes as church, we all become a tad complacent, a little too comfortable in our place. We realize the great gifts that God has given. But on the night of the Easter Vigil…our minds recall the completion of Jesus sacrifice. It’s a very moving and humbling Mass. Because of the many elements, I think it moves us in a unique way.
I love it. The music is great, the environment is awesome, the people are in their finery, and the clergy are on fire. (No pun intended, LOL).
It’s raining here, so our bonfire will be considerably smaller, but our hearts will not be.
We’ll be waiting with the same anticipation for that new light!
Happy Easter to everyone, no matter how you choose to pray this Eastertide!
Clare
 
SnowAngels said:
To anyone I may have offended by not making my question clear enough or by leaving out options, I’m very sorry! This is my first poll ever, and I thought it might be interesting too see which Mass some fellow CAFers go to. As many of you pointed out, I don’t believe either Mass has more intrinsic value than the other. Thank you all for taking time to reply to this thread! God bless you, and Happy Palm Sunday!
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thank you for this response.

I know this discussion has caused some disagreements, but I do believe the Church holds the Vigil mass in the highest regard, because it is the highest liturgy of the year. (there is more to it but I don’t want to miss lead) I think some of the posters in here were thinking that we were saying we are limiting people to one or the other. No not at all. What I’m saying is that Catholics can go to either mass they choose, but in the Churches eye the highest solemnity and the highest Mass of the year is the Easter Vigil. No other mass all year has as much going on in it than the Vigil.

God Bless 🙂
 
jimkhong said:
You should have an option for both. The two masses are not subsitute for each other. Easter Vigil does not make sense without the Easter Day mass. Both are part of the celebrations of the Triduum, the period of three days from Thursday evening till Sunday evening: so the celebrations would include Easter Day mass.

Also, ending your Easter celebrations with the story of the empty tomb at the Vigil mass somehow leaves it a little incomplete and begging for the coda of the story of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Jesus at the Easter Day mass.

I know that USCCB allows one to fulfill the Easter obligations by either mass and I understand the pastoral considerations but it is a little disappointing (but I don’t have a better solution). It is a common provision all over the world but many bishops conference choose not to make a definitive statement on that. Disappointly, the USCCB webpage for Easter Triduum did not include the Easter Day mass.

There was a period of time in my parish where the priests compounded the problem by having the same homily for both masses. Now, they make sure that the homilies on Saturday night and on Sunday morning are different. Our previous parish priest went further in having all four masses (two on Saturday night and two on Sunday morning) being different: evening mass, vigil mass, dawn mass and day mass, each with its own separate readings and prayers in the missal. An interesting experiment but I find it highly confusing. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don’t think anyone else noticed - I think it is a little sad.

This year, there will be only one Easter vigil mass, which is essentially more correct liturgically, I guess but it leaves a lot of practical and logistical problems - I hope we can sort it out otherwise we will have to revert to splitting the community into two again for the Holiest of Nights.
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You are incorrect the Easter Vigil is not about the empty tomb, it is about the resurrection of Christ. Matthew 28:1-10 is the reading for the vigil.

Also from the missal
Of this night’s Vigil, which is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities, there is to be only one celebration in each church.
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catholictiger said:
You are incorrect the Easter Vigil is not about the empty tomb, it is about the resurrection of Christ. Matthew 28:1-10 is the reading for the vigil.

Also from the missal
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Yes, but before the Saturday vespere was included to fulfill the Lord’s Day requirement, circa 1970, the Easter Vigil (not a Mass) was about the empty tomb, among other things. Now, as you say, the resurrection of Christ is observed from 4pm Saturday on.
 
ProVobis said:
Yes, but before the Saturday vespere was included to fulfill the Lord’s Day requirement, circa 1970, the Easter Vigil (not a Mass) was about the empty tomb, among other things. Now, as you say, the resurrection of Christ is observed from 4pm Saturday on.
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well the Church requires that the Easter vigil be celebrated after sunset, yes Easter starts at 4pm but for the service of light it must start after sunset.

I’m just saying what is the standard practice in the Church. It makes sense why there would be such a push back on comments of the Vigil being the highest solemnity or the holiest mass of the year. Both the Vigil and the Day mass are very high solemnities but when you compare both the Easter Vigil is a higher Solemnity than the Easter Mass during the day. According to the church since Vatican II.
 
catholictiger said:
well the Church requires that the Easter vigil be celebrated after sunset, yes Easter starts at 4pm but for the service of light it must start after sunset.
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Okay, after sunset unless you live in Alaska, but what I’m saying basically the definition of Vigil (or vigil, we have to be careful with capitalization here) has changed, at least in the English. Easter Vigil prior to 1970 (and prior to midnight) was not a Mass and did not fulfill one’s obligation. I believe the extension of one’s fulfillment of the obligation was a separate issue from what Vatican II decreed.
 
ProVobis said:
Okay, after sunset unless you live in Alaska, but what I’m saying basically the definition of Vigil (or vigil, we have to be careful with capitalization here) has changed, at least in the English. Easter Vigil prior to 1970 (and prior to midnight) was not a Mass and did not fulfill one’s obligation. I believe the extension of one’s fulfillment of the obligation was a separate issue from what Vatican II decreed.
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I don’t have the time to try and go find sources for all of this but these things I know for sure.

1.) The Latin Rite of the Catholic Church currently celebrates the Easter Vigil as a Mass and not just some prayer service. the only non-mass of the year is Good friday, yes in extraordinary circumstances other days of the year would be a non-mass but Good Friday is the only celebration in the Church that doesn’t include a Mass, rather just a communion service.
2) I know Pope Pius (edit it was XII) changed holy week before Vatican II, moving the Vigil to the evening and not the morning, among other things
3.) no matter when it changed the fact remains that the Easter Vigil is a Mass and no just a celebration, the Church allows this because it is in it’s missal. Again when it changed I don’t know but what matters for this discussion is what is allowed now. What we know is that the Church holds the Easter vigil in highest regard and it is a Mass.

Note: if you know the Church document that changed the Vigil from a celebration of the empty tomb to what it is today I would love to know.
 
FWIW, this is from a 62 handmissal. Sorry for any typos and any other error on my part.
Holy Saturday is liturgically a day of deepest mourning, a day which the Church spends at our Lord’s sepulcher, meditating on His sacred passion and death. There is no Mass; the sacred altar is bare.
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The Solemn Easter Vigil service, for which Pope Pius XII gave permission in 1951 and made obligatory in 1956, is intended to show liturgically how life and grace flow to us from the death of our Lord: the Light of the World is exhibited under the symbol of the Paschal Candle, dispelling the night of sin by the light of grace; the Exultet - the Easter Proclamation - is the song that heralds Easter, singing of the brightness of the holy night of God’s wonderful dealings with His people under the Old Covenant, faint types of the glorious happenings that were to come to pass under the New; the waters for Baptism are blessed- those waters in which those who have been buried along with Christ died to sin and with Him rise to walk in newness of life; this grace He has won for us, and in Baptism bestowed on us: by renewal of our baptismal promises we publicly announce our purpose to show forth this newness in our daily lives - and finally the Church Triumphant is called on to intercede for us, and the Mass of the Resurrection begins.
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The hour for beginning this solemn service should be selected so that the Mass of the Resurrection may begin about midnight; but the Bishop of the Diocese may judge it better for special reasons to begin earlier; nevertheless, this earlier start should preferably be later than twilight, and on no account before sunset.
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