How was Easter (Vigil or Day) Mass?

[Immacolata]

Why sentence after sentence of resentment?

Those twice a year Catholics are the most important people in the pews. it’s our job to pray they come back and resume regular practice.

Why so many complaints? Is the church yours and must everything and everyone there be mindful of your needs and expectations? Feeling “annoyed” is your choice. The priests or parish or other attendees didn’t annoy you. You allowed yourself to become annoyed because your will wasn’t being done. And NEVER resent babies in Church, crying or not! God loves babies and little children in Church. If God didn’t really love babies, he would never have chosen to become one himself.

Forget yourself, love those around you. Jesus is risen! That’s the only thing that matters.

Did I say I felt resentment? No, I did not: I remember thinking (I’m not sure if I said it specifically in the post) I knew I had no just reason for being annoyed, and I felt horrible for feeling so as I did. Even in my post, I said I did not want to talk about any negative feelings I may have had in the first few moments of Mass (having to stand, feeling nauseous, etc.) and focused on the positives, like the beauty of the Mass.

I felt no resentment towards any babies (crying or not). I felt no resentment towards anyone. I felt annoyed. Why? I am not sure. I had an okay time at Mass, it was beautiful, and I felt horrible for feeling annoyed, as I did previously at Christmas. People have faults, and I apologize for letting mine appear.

I also believe my OCD may have contributed a factor into my annoyance. Indeed, I like to have structure and order (as do many other people with OCD) and when that isn’t done, I (or, in the case of others, they) may feel frustrated. I apologize once again if I offended you.

Hopefully my unjust, and resentful, actions towards the twice-a-year Catholics that came to appear in my post do not discourage them from coming back into regular practice.

 

[sojo]

Very simple and still wonderful. Our priest has been allowing the Hispanic community to expand their bilingual Mass outreach. He has added a bilingual Mass to Christmas and Easter. This is amazing because our priest covers several locations - two in winter and three in the summer. He is all alone - no other priests or deacons – not even an altar server. He has no paid staff. And he is older and has suffered from poor health. Taking on this last mission is really above and beyond anyone would expect of him.

Oh - and he speaks no Spanish! Nor does he have any gift for languages.

Despite all this, we had our first bilingual Mass for Easter. The gal who helped to put it all together and heads the “choir” (about 6 singers who all seemed to sing a different melody), scurried around before hand passing out the bilingual missalettes, explaining to non-Hispanic looking parishoners what was what (was so worried! I felt so badly for her), and she did most of the translating. She was like a mother hen!

Father attempted the basic prayers in phonetic Spanish. Members of he choir and congregation had to help out when he got really stumped.

We had two babies crying (we have no cry room), and one Dad who was in the choir had to hold his baby daughter as she would NOT sit with anyone else). The guitar player was new, very young, and did not know the music before he arrived so he sorta ad libbed it. I can read Spanish and sing but without music in front of me, and no discernible melody being sung or played, I just made do.

But it was GLORIOUS! Everyone was so happy to be there. The Hispanic community was so thrilled to sing their own songs, and everyone was pleased that some non-Hispanics came to support them or just because it was a convenient earlier Mass. Everyone knew that Father was single-handedly adding this extra Mass to an already busy schedule. And poor Father had left his homily notes at the last Church so he had to go ad lib. None of it mattered. The tomb was empty, Christ has risen and we were all together to celebrate. Christ was present and it was enough.

No incense. Our metal chairs have no kneelers. We did get sprinkled with holy water.

We plan to try and attend more of the new bilingual Masses now held on Saturdays in place of the regular vigil Mass (we only have 1 – very rural). We really enjoyed the community, the love, the devotion to the Church. I might even volunteer to join the cooking crew for the next Tamale fundraiser coming up in July.

 

[cheezey]

Kneeled is an acceptable usage, although “knelt” is more historical.

ICXC NIKA

Oh, you!!
It was Holy Saturday vigil for me. It was beautiful, and with the Bishop; and in English and Spanish, combining the two so eloquently.

There was a grand total of one confirmation.
That is it, that is all. But I have learned much of this one parish, so I’d be curious how many the next nearest parish had; not that that is an indication of a good parish, but it’s a start. I know I’ll be looking into the other one!!



(And I may write more on this subject later, as I have many questions, comments, and confusions about this Holy week…thanks!!)

 

[PerlaDelRosario]

I attended the Easter Vigil Mass for the first time ever and it was beautiful. I lost count of how many people were baptized but it must have been about 25 people . Also, about 15 people were confirmed. It was a great day for celebrating baptisms, confirmations, and the resurrection of Christ (of course) :extrahappy:.

 

[Immacolata]

I attended the Easter Vigil Mass for the first time ever and it was beautiful. I lost count of how many people were baptized but it must have been about 25 people . Also, about 15 people were confirmed. It was a great day for celebrating baptisms, confirmations, and the resurrection of Christ (of course) :extrahappy:.

So many are speaking of the many that were welcomed into the Church and I feel like I was left out! I believe my priest said that most of those who were welcomed into the Church did so last night, and that only a few were doing so today.

It must be beautiful to witness such a thing; I remember loving to see the baptism of a baby and, a few weeks later, the confirmation of a teenager (I still remember her confirmation name: she took Anne after Our Lady’s mother).

 

[cheezey]

So many are speaking of the many that were welcomed into the Church and I feel like I was left out! I believe my priest said that most of those who were welcomed into the Church did so last night, and **that only a few were doing so today.
**
It must be beautiful to witness such a thing; I remember loving to see the baptism of a baby and, a few weeks later, the confirmation of a teenager (I still remember her confirmation name: she took Anne after Our Lady’s mother).

well, that may answer one question…
I asked my brother, who is a member, if there would be more baptisms/confirmations on Easter Sunday. He looked at me funny and asked, “why would there be?” My response was, “Because I don’t know how this works yet, what with only two classes in five weeks under my belt.” *** “Of course not,” he said. “It only happens on Saturday.”
Yes?? No??
Believe me, many more questions to come…

*** at this rate, I may be a member by 2099…

 

[Mariem2]

This made me smile and brought to mind my long deceased aunt. I was raised in a tiny village with a small parish church where everyone had their favourite seat. Eventually the area was developed and we had a huge influx of new parishioners who were regarded as interlopers by the locals. The Church was bursting at the seams every Sunday. One Sunday, my aunt went to sit in her favourite spot which was vacant but the person at the end of the pew said she was holding the seat for someone else. This was the last straw for my poor aunt. She motioned the woman to move along the pew, announcing to anyone within earshot that these newcomers didn’t know the difference between a church and a cinema. I’ll bet that was the last time the woman ever hogged an extra seat at Mass.

I went to last Mass today because I have a cold and didn’t want to pass on my germs in a crowded Church. It was very quiet with no fuss…exactly how I like it.

 

[Kathrin]

I want to say something about full churches
This was my first Easter in a small town by the sea in Croatia.
The church here is very small but so many people came… I was standing up on the balcony where the choir is for the Vigil mass as well as for the Easter morning mass. The church was packed, especially for the Vigil. The aisle in the middle was packed even. During the Vigil mass once I looked out through the little window where I could see outside the church… at that time it had started to rain and I could just see a sea of umbrellas down there… so many people were standing even OUTSIDE the church. There is a loudspeaker so mass can be heard outside too. I must add that It wasn’t a very long Easter Vigil mass as two masses were offered that night.
I think it is wonder wonder wonderful that so many people came to mass. And when I went to confession on Good Friday afternoon… I think there was a line all afternoon while it was offered, people just coming and going. GREAT to witness so much faith in this small community.

 

[Catholic_Wife]

We went to our normal Mass time - first Mass on Sunday - as my husband and I both worked last night. Normally, we have a pew to ourselves. Not only was “our” pew full this morning, but we had a difficult time finding a place to sit - and we got there more than 1/2 an hour before Mass (as usual). There were lots of folks standing in the back, even before Mass started. Our pastor took the opportunity to remind us that, yes, some of the folks there today may only come twice a year (Welcome! We’d love to see you here next week!), but that there were many present who were visiting friends and family (Welcome visitors!), AND that many of the “interlopers” were actually fellow parishioners from other Mass times who were there because they didn’t want to go to the Easter Vigil or they wanted to avoid their normal Mass times (the nave as well as the chapel were packed during the second and third Masses of the day). Just a little “attitude adjustment” for us curmudgeonly early morning folks.

Other than that…
~ I almost dreaded going to Mass this morning because I was so tired after work, which increases my anxiety - especially in large crowds,
~ I savored the lingering aroma of the incense left from the Easter Vigil while I knelt to pray before Mass,
~ singing Jesus Christ is Risen Today as the opening hymn put a smile on my face that lasted all during Mass (our organist pulled out all the stops so the building almost shook),
~ I became misty-eyed during the Gloria,
~ I got palpitations during the Gospel reading,
~ our priest - the impish little brother I never had but always wanted - took the opportunity to make sure I was so well-sprinkled that I was wetter today than I was at my own baptism (that’ll teach me to sit on the end of the pew near the center aisle),
~ there was more than one thing that made me almost laugh out loud while I helped distribute the Precious Blood, like the little boy who signaled to his dad that he couldn’t receive the cup yet because the Body of Christ was still stuck to the roof of his mouth …

 

[HoosMommie]

I want to say something about full churches
This was my first Easter in a small town by the sea in Croatia.
The church here is very small but so many people came… I was standing up on the balcony where the choir is for the Vigil mass as well as for the Easter morning mass. The church was packed, especially for the Vigil. The aisle in the middle was packed even. During the Vigil mass once I looked out through the little window where I could see outside the church… at that time it had started to rain and I could just see a sea of umbrellas down there… so many people were standing even OUTSIDE the church. There is a loudspeaker so mass can be heard outside too. I must add that It wasn’t a very long Easter Vigil mass as two masses were offered that night.
I think it is wonder wonder wonderful that so many people came to mass. And when I went to confession on Good Friday afternoon… I think there was a line all afternoon while it was offered, people just coming and going. GREAT to witness so much faith in this small community.

Oh, that every parish were like that!

 

[andyklein]

Incredible and deeply moving.

I don’t know how it was for everyone else, but it was definitely something I will always remember since I was baptized and confirmed.

 

[sojo]

Congratulations Andy and welcome to the family! I well remember my entry into the Church. It was hot and noisy and long, and I was exhausted from all the week’s activities and having to still commute and work and the emotion of it all. And we had a modern parish that had this video playing on a big screen of waterfalls and rivers and stuff like that along with a sound track of someone’s fish tank bubbling that never got turned off. So I had to pee through the whole Mass.

But it was still the best Mass EVER for me - a truly life-changing event. 20 years later I’m more in love with our Church than ever before.

For adult converts, there will never be a Mass as meaningful as their first as a new Catholic, I think.

 

[CatholicZ09]

The Easter Vigil was good. We did four OT readings, the epistle, and then the Gospel. Only two people were received into the Church - no baptisms.

Easter Sunday Mass was beautiful. Our organist pulled out all the stops on every hymn, and I just love singing and hearing all those ancient hymns.

I also love all the people that filled the pews. It’s so nice seeing the Church packed on Easter.

 

[CradleJourney]

Our Easter Vigil mass was wonderful. The church was about 60% full. We added 15 new members, including 6 baptisms. Only did 4 OT readings, but they were well done and the music/psalms between were also quite moving. The candlelight reminds me not only of the spread of Christ’s love from ourselves out to others but also carries me back in time, allowing me a brief glimpse of what a service setting might have been like for the early Christians.

And although I know it shouldn’t matter, I was thrilled that they chose to use my favorite version of the Litany of the Saints. For me that is the best part of all the Easter traditions

A true alleluia moment then occurred when I managed to get myself back awake and dressed in time to make the 7am service with hubby and kidlings. There was about 75% attendance there. I am afraid that it did seem rather plain after the “bells and whistles” of the Vigil mass but still was a lovely service.

 

[TigerKitty]

Our Easter Morning Mass was OK. If we only had “traditional” music, it would have been perfect. Will now focus on the wonderful good things which happened…The church was packed, but not overly so. Everyone could find a seat, but it was packed. I wish that everyone would come every weekend, as it was very energetic. Our assistant pastor presided - he is on the younger side, full of energy and enthusiasm. I really do enjoy his sermons. He has a good way with the people, and always has a unique way of tying together all of the readings for the day.

All the comments on sprinkling rite - have to add one funny one from a few years back. An older priest came up to the choir loft during the sprinkling rite. He was using a “fan” of palm to dispense holy water on the people, and he was making it rain on the congregation below. He was smiling like a little kid. I’ll never forget it - how much fun he was having.

 

[felsguy]

well, that may answer one question…
I asked my brother, who is a member, if there would be more baptisms/confirmations on Easter Sunday. He looked at me funny and asked, “why would there be?” My response was, “Because I don’t know how this works yet, what with only two classes in five weeks under my belt.” *** “Of course not,” he said. “It only happens on Saturday.”
Yes?? No??
Believe me, many more questions to come…

*** at this rate, I may be a member by 2099…

Adults coming into the Church through the RCIA are baptized (and confirmed) at the Vigil (Holy Saturday) Mass. Infants are usually baptized during or after a Saturday (but not Holy Saturday) evening or Sunday Mass. It’s possible then that there could be baptisms on Easter Sunday.

Baptized Christians also are often received into the Church and confirmed at the Vigil (Holy Saturday) Mass although it is preferable that this be done at a Sunday Mass. Others may correct me here but I think it would be rare that this would ever occur on Easter Sunday.

Also I’ve noticed that many folks will speak of their “confirmation,” whether at the Vigil or at a Sunday Mass, when they are actually referring to their “reception into full communion into the Church” which is the technical term.

But continue to ask away. After five weeks, five years, or even five decades, we still never know it all. Hopefully you’ll be just fine by Easter of 2014!

.

 

[chevalier]

Lost count of the Old Testament readings.

 

[Kathrin]

We went to our normal Mass time - first Mass on Sunday - as my husband and I both worked last night. Normally, we have a pew to ourselves. Not only was “our” pew full this morning, but we had a difficult time finding a place to sit - and we got there more than 1/2 an hour before Mass (as usual). There were lots of folks standing in the back, even before Mass started. Our pastor took the opportunity to remind us that, yes, some of the folks there today may only come twice a year (Welcome! We’d love to see you here next week!), but that there were many present who were visiting friends and family (Welcome visitors!), AND that many of the “interlopers” were actually fellow parishioners from other Mass times who were there because they didn’t want to go to the Easter Vigil or they wanted to avoid their normal Mass times (the nave as well as the chapel were packed during the second and third Masses of the day). Just a little “attitude adjustment” for us curmudgeonly early morning folks.

Other than that…
~ I almost dreaded going to Mass this morning because I was so tired after work, which increases my anxiety - especially in large crowds,
~ I savored the lingering aroma of the incense left from the Easter Vigil while I knelt to pray before Mass,
~ singing Jesus Christ is Risen Today as the opening hymn put a smile on my face that lasted all during Mass (our organist pulled out all the stops so the building almost shook),
~ I became misty-eyed during the Gloria,
~ I got palpitations during the Gospel reading,
~ our priest - the impish little brother I never had but always wanted - took the opportunity to make sure I was so well-sprinkled that I was wetter today than I was at my own baptism (that’ll teach me to sit on the end of the pew near the center aisle),
~ there was more than one thing that made me almost laugh out loud while I helped distribute the Precious Blood, like the little boy who signaled to his dad that he couldn’t receive the cup yet because the Body of Christ was still stuck to the roof of his mouth …

I so enjoyed reading this

 

[Kathrin]

Lost count of the Old Testament readings.

But isn’t it beautiful? All those old old stories… like the most important points in God’s history of the world before He was born among us?

I wonder how often ALL of them are read?

 

[cheezey]

my first Easter Vigil…

First, I didn’t want it to end. There’s not enough adoration for the Man that died for us and I felt it ended into the secular world too abruptly.
Even the CCC states to keep Holy days fully to the worship owed to God. This, to me excludes grabbing coats as the choir is still singing…

I was a bit dismayed that before the last song to be sung was even started, people started for the door. Such a Holy day and that’s how it ends? People clamoring 30 wide to get through a door only 10 wide?

I was a bit dismayed that people left “loudly,” even on cell phones, despite that we were asked to leave silently. Sheesh! Same thing on Good Friday. One deacon was shushing from one side of the great hall leading from the chapel and I was shushing from the other side…The deacon looked dismayed, too.

Okay, negativity aside…

This is the first time I’ve heard of the Easter Fire. I so wish I had been given an overview of what to expect by the deacon, who is my teacher. But I don’t have a sponsor yet, either.
I liked that it was specific to the community; the readings were alternately read in Spanish and English, opposite to the written program. So while Spanish was spoken, others could read it in English.
No babies cried, though it’s okay if they do, because it’s what babies do.
I always enjoy the Bishop’s homilies, not so much the Monsignor’s, and that is the general feeling, anyway.

Question: Little Maribel was baptised and confirmed.
How different would it have been for an adult and can an adult be received at a time earlier than Easter?

When I have more questions…
Volunteers?!