How many readings are required before the Gloria at Easter Vigil Mass?

[jas84173]

We had seven readings (one proclaimed in Spanish) at our packed-church, nearly four hour long Vigil. The music included chant, traditional, contemporary, and Spanish selections by various groups. It was glorious!

Interesting. My Church sometimes does a reading in Italian or Polish as a lot of people from my town are from that ancestry.

 

[twf]

Unfortunately a lot of people know it is a long Mass and know the Sunday morning Masses are shorter so they skip. It’s unfortunate people think this way. I think the Easter Vigil Mass is the most beautiful and heart touching Mass of the year.

A lot of people also have children who wouldn’t be able to handle the Vigil.

It is a glorious liturgy. I went by myself at our cathedral downtown. The archbishop celebrated with several priests and a deacon. It was 90% chanted, some Latin, full church.

 

[Phemie]

A lot of people also have children who wouldn’t be able to handle the Vigil.

It is a glorious liturgy. I went by myself at our cathedral downtown. The archbishop celebrated with several priests and a deacon. It was 90% chanted, some Latin, full church.

There were a few young children in our congregation last night. I think the youngest was 4. They sleep if it gets too much for them. That 4 year old’s snoring at a regular Sunday Mass has kept some of us awake during the homily.

 

[twf]

There were a few young children in our congregation last night. I think the youngest was 4. They sleep if it gets too much for them. That 4 year old’s snoring at a regular Sunday Mass has kept some of us awake during the homily.

Haha my 18 month old would just lose patience and cause a ruckus. We’re going as a family to the afternoon Mass today.

 

[marlap2]

We had three as well.

From what I understand the reading from Genesis (short or long form) is mandatory, as well as Exodus. Then you must have one more reading from the OT before the Epistle. We had the Fourth reading.

We used to have all seven (with another pastor) and all seven readings were read and represented by a different cultural community (First Nations, filipino, italian, german, italian, english, laotian, or Middle eastern arabic, polish, frenchm, or youth) The reading was in English. The responsorial psalm was in the language of the culture.

It was very culturally inspiring, but to be honest, I can’t say it was spiritually inspiring, because we were focusing more on the cultural aspect (as nice as it was at times)

 

[Magdalen2013]

The length of our service depends on how many RCIA candidates we have. They only did three when I was received because we had twelve people in RCIA that year.

We have a new music director who seems locked onto the 1970s and 1980s folk music. Our former director was more traditionally inclined and I miss him.

 

[pnewton]

Unfortunately a lot of people know it is a long Mass and know the Sunday morning Masses are shorter so they skip. It’s unfortunate people think this way. I think the Easter Vigil Mass is the most beautiful and heart touching Mass of the year.

It is not only the length, but the lateness of the hour that prevents some from being able to attend, especially the very young and the very old, the sick, those with special needs. It is a beautiful liturgy, but it is not something all can easily endure.

One the other hand, I find it one of the easier Triduum for me, as my knees are not in the best of shape and there is very little kneeling for me. Thursday and Friday, I bring my own thick pad!

I always like this night as it is my one chance a year to read, usually taking the long form of Genesis and the accompanying Psalm. That is how we handle it. One reader reads the passage then leads the Psalm. It takes about thirty minutes to do all four readings and Psalms, with the lights coming on for the Gloria about one hour into the Mass.

 

[CB_Catholic]

We had all 7 readings and Psalms sung after the 3rd, 5th, and 7th readings plus the regular Psalm and readings for the Vigil, 5 baptisms, 9 more received into the Church, we sung the Litany of the Saints, nothing was rushed, and the whole thing took a little more than 2 hours.

Our Vigil started at 7pm and there was a full house–I’d say at least 500 or more people. We have started early since I joined this parish, over 20 years ago, I don’t know why, but I suspect it’s because a lot of the elderly don’t like being out too late. In any case it is a beautiful liturgy all the way through, and very well attended. The music is outstanding with a choir, a handbell choir, a small orchestra, piano and organ. I’d like that every Sunday, but alas, that is not going to happen.

 

[phil19034]

That’s amazing but I’m assuming you go to a Cathedral that is the heart of your diocese or archdiocese. The heart church or cathedral of the diocese is normally much more formal in Mass. Smaller churches tend to not do the entire thing like that. I only know this because I talked to a priest about how sometimes it seems like the Mass at a Parish is not as formal as the seat of the diocese. Is this right? Maybe not. But let’s face it, a lot of lay Catholics probably think threw readings is a lot. Seven and some people would probably be walking out. That’s the unfortunate reality priests have to take into effect nowadays. I personally wish all seven were read. I went home and read the readings which were omitted and they are beautiful. But if the priest has a choice to only do so many of the readings he probably will do that for the sake of time. A heart of the diocese church or cathedral tends to bring in more devote faithful thus it’s more by the books in a way.

The Cathedral this year, yes. Last year, with 50+ people entering the Church was just a typical parish.

 

[phil19034]

If the rubrics were followed they wouldn’t have to use their phones to follow the readings. The lights are supposed to come on after the third “The Light of Christ! Thank be to God.” Sure keeping them off until the Gloria is dramatic but it makes no liturgical sense to proclaim Light! and then sit in the dark for 40 minutes to an hour.

There is a good middle…

What they did at the Cathedral is turn on SOME lights after the third Light of Christ. Enough so people could read their missals.

But then remaining lights came on during the Gloria … it was still very dramatic.

God Bless

 

[corsair]

Our Vigil was a Solemn High Mass. All the readings chanted in Latin. The church wasn’t packed but it was attended by the majority. Dozens of little children “zonked out” on the floors. When the priest intoned the Gloria and then the organ “boomed” it out followed by the choir; WOW. It was beautiful!!!

The Vigil lasted just short of three hours. I’m exhausted but completely happy.

 

[MissRose73]

I’ve been to a few past Easter Vigils, and one of them did all of the readings but the parish was large, and each reading was done by a different person with the choir doing the psalms between. A few other times/places they just chose the creation account from Genesis, the parting of the Red Sea reading from Exodus, and a reading from one of the prophets then the Epistle.