The Elements of Easter Vigil

During this week Catholics participate in the 3 most Holy days of the Church year. One of those days is Holy Saturday, and the Easter Vigil. It is solemn, but also joyful, and my favorite Mass of the year. There are four elements of it; light, water, word, and Eucharist.

First, light. Easter Vigil is always at night because it is dark. It begins with a dark church, and with no holy water. The first part is outside with a new fire. From that new fire, the new Easter Candle is lit, and the focus on light happens. The prayers outside focus on light and we sing about Christ being our light. At my church, each person has their own individual candle. It is beautiful, and truly a sight to enter a dark church and see it being lit with each individual flame. Upon entering Church, we listen to the Exultet; an old prayer that talks about sin, and love

Second, word. A normal Mass has 3 readings, but there are far more at the Easter Vigil. We hear about important moments in our History such as Adam and Eve, Moses and the Red Sea, and the Prophets. One high point in the Easter Vigil is after the readings. We sing the Gloria giving praise to God, and we sing "Alleluia" for the first time in 6 weeks. At my church, the lights come on and a cloth is removed from the statue of the Risen Christ. That to me says, "Christ is Risen".

Third, water. Every year at the Easter Vigil, there are many people who have been preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation. The new baptismal water is blessed and people are baptized with this new water. We who have been baptized also renew our own baptismal promises and are sprinkled with this new water. There are also people who receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Last is Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Eucharist takes place and the newly baptized receive the Body and Blood of our Lord for the first time. We are all nourished and strengthened.

The Easter Vigil ends with lots of "Alleluias" and happiness because our Lord truly is risen.

If you haven't been to the Easter Vigil, I highly recommend it. It is rich in history, joyful, and very good for the soul.