Anyone going to the Easter Vigil or being accepted into the Church tonight?

Yup I am going. Beautiful Catholic services while reciting all the names of the saints on the mass...

My wife was accepted 35 years ago at the Vigil. Then we had a period of about 10 years where we and another couple went to Easter Vigils all over the western US.
The other woman, my wife’s best friend, was on the Diocesan Liturgy Committee, so it was interesting to see how other churches did Easter Vigil and get her comments.
We ushered in the Easter season in some ways that were really interesting.
But this year, we’re just going Easter Sunday. Nothing exciting. Well, except for the fact that He is risen. That’s pretty exciting.

The nice thing about Easter Vigil is that you usually have plenty of space. Easter Mass on Sunday is what's the most crowded. But Easter Vigil has way fewer people. That's handy for people like me who don't like huge crowds.

Also, it's easiest to play Pin The Tail On The Protestant at Easter Vigil. While I'm sure Protestant visit at other times, they're easiest to spot at Easter Vigil since they start eyeballing the exits near the end of the first hour. Hehehe, they have no idea how long this thing will last.

thecolorsblend said:

The nice thing about Easter Vigil is that you usually have plenty of space. Easter Mass on Sunday is what's the most crowded. But Easter Vigil has way fewer people. That's handy for people like me who don't like huge crowds.

Also, it's easiest to play Pin The Tail On The Protestant at Easter Vigil. While I'm sure Protestant visit at other times, they're easiest to spot at Easter Vigil since they start eyeballing the exits near the end of the first hour. Hehehe, they have no idea how long this thing will last.

Click to expand...

I've been to several SRO Easter Vigils. So we get there VERY early to actually get a seat.

I had a Protestant neighbor whose church did NOTHING for Easter. It was just another day for them. But for him, he showed up at the Catholic Church. Every year. And Christmas too. I guess I 'could' have called him a 'Christmas and Easter Catholic'. Hehehe.

Our Easter Vigil and all the out of state Vigils we attended were all SRO.

My entry into the Catholic Church was on April 10th, 1993.

AvilaSurfer said:

Then we had a period of about 10 years where we and another couple went to Easter Vigils all over the western US.

Click to expand...

That's interesting, did any of them stand out in particular?

Maybe next year! God bless you guys! With God's help, I will not give up! Happy Easter, friends!

Fenwick said:

That's interesting, did any of them stand out in particular?

Click to expand...

Honestly most of the services run together. I do remember the new Catholics processing up in what looked like gym clothes in Jackson Hole, and thinking how inappropriate that was, only to find out the were baptized by total immersion.
Then there was the time we got there a little late in Missoula, and had to sit in the choir loft. Then two guys stood up right next to us and did the Exultat. By heart. No notes.
Other little things, but just seeing how Catholics in different dioceses did things was very cool.

I went to Easter Vigil. It was a beautiful service. When the priest gave first communion to the candidates, a golden glow surrounded them. It was so blessed. I was reminded of the apostles taking bread for the first time with Jesus (as His Body). The whole Mass was a moving experience.

thecolorsblend said:

The nice thing about Easter Vigil is that you usually have plenty of space. Easter Mass on Sunday is what's the most crowded. But Easter Vigil has way fewer people. That's handy for people like me who don't like huge crowds.

Also, it's easiest to play Pin The Tail On The Protestant at Easter Vigil. While I'm sure Protestant visit at other times, they're easiest to spot at Easter Vigil since they start eyeballing the exits near the end of the first hour. Hehehe, they have no idea how long this thing will last.

Click to expand...

In the end, I decided the heck with it, I'll just go to Easter Vigil. The way I figured it, like I said above, it's bound to be less crowded.

At Easter Vigil, I looked around and saw nary an empty spot in any of the pews. "Oh yeah, Easter Vigil is nowhere near as crowded as Easter Sunday. Good job, smart guy!"

But whatever. Nothing beats Easter Vigil. This, I do affirm. The way I look at it, I'm better off going to Easter Vigil (big crowds or not) anyway because I cherish the solemnity, the incense and listening to the readings.

Yes, Easter Vigil is longer than a conventional Mass, there's no denying that. But the length of Easter Vigil isn't a bug; it's a feature. At least for me. For the rest of you, ymmv.

Let me just say that my Christmas devotion runs far deeper than my Easter devotion ever has. Or maybe ever will. I simply take greater spiritual comfort in the Incarnation than I do the crucifixion. I'm not minimizing the one to overplay the other. I'm just saying that the Virgin Birth is an act of pure, undiluted mercy and my soul rejoices at that. I need the mercy.

So hopefully it's worth something coming from me when I say that Easter Vigil is totally awesome.

Sadly, I am not being accepted into the Church this Easter Vigil, but I'm doing my best to join at the next Easter Vigil. I'm excited for when that day comes, but until then, I'm praying for all the catechumens who are entering the Church this Easter. May the Lord bless them all!

Is the Vigil really that long? I mean do you guys consider 2 hours to be a very long mass?

AvilaSurfer said:

I do remember the new Catholics processing up in what looked like gym clothes in Jackson Hole, and thinking how inappropriate that was, only to find out the were baptized by total immersion.

Click to expand...

Ha that's kind of a funny picture, I wonder why that parish/diocese chose to do baptism that way. Interesting.

AvilaSurfer said:

Then there was the time we got there a little late in Missoula, and had to sit in the choir loft. Then two guys stood up right next to us and did the Exultat. By heart. No notes.

Click to expand...

Now that's cool.

~Matteus~ said:

Is the Vigil really that long? I mean do you guys consider 2 hours to be a very long mass?

Click to expand...

Ours is 3+ hours. It starts at 8:15pm and goes at least until 11. I haven't been since my Confirmation in 2017, mainly because it's so packed but it's also pretty long and for a long time I was working nights anyway (including weekends). I just go to my usual Mass time at 8am on Sunday.

~Matteus~ said:

Is the Vigil really that long? I mean do you guys consider 2 hours to be a very long mass?

Click to expand...

I was welcomed into the Church by an FSSP priest. My memory of it is the Mass was about three hours long. Something like that anyway.

At a Novus Ordo parish I used to attend, I'd estimate their EV was about three or three and a half hours. For better or for worse, these EV's have become normative for me. This is the standard by which I judge other EV's as far as duration is concerned. And yes, this felt like a really long time to me.

The one I went to last night was a smidge over two hours and it felt closer to an hour and 20 or 30. So I'd say the time passed rather quickly. I emphasize, however, that a big part of that is probably due to how much I enjoy the Liturgy of the Word, which is noticeably longer in the EV.