The Easter Vigil Mass

1008 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of holy week

The Easter Vigil Mass

The Easter Vigil is celebrated on the eve of the resurrection of our savior, Jesus

Christ. Easter is the holiest and most important event in the Christian religion. The Easter Vigil Mass is celebrated in a deep, spiritual, solemn way. Although different Churches and Christian orders may have minute differences in some of the rituals during the mass, but the overall feeling in the Easter Vigil liturgy is of solemnity and holiness. The ceremony begins in almost complete darkness and is slowly lighted by the flames of the congregation's candles paralleling Jesus symbolically lighting the world we live in. Also all Easter Vigil liturgies include four parts, the Service of Lights, the Liturgy of the Word, Celebration of the Rites of Initiation, and Liturgy of the Eucharist.

The Service of Light is composed of three parts. The Service of Light opens the

Mass. The first part of this ceremony is the lighting of the Paschal Candle. The minister

sprinkles the candle with holy water and blesses the fire. The minister carves the letter for the Greek word "Alpha" on the top of the cross, and the Greek letter for the word

"Omega" below the cross. These letters symbolize the beginning and the end of the life of

Christ. The Paschal Candle is then lit and brought to the front of the Church as the

Catholics cry out in harmony, "The Light of Christ!" The harmony of the Christian

community's hymns and songs illustrate the events we are celebrating...

Show More
Related

  • Campaign Strategy: Barack Obama vs Mitt Romney

    2114 Words  | 5 Pages

    Rick Santorum’s departure heralded the beginning of the general election. Mitt Romney, with the backing of the Republican establishment, and the growing support of the base, can now devote his resources for a one on one showdown against President Barack Obama. Recent polls indicate that he is behind by only a few points in a head to head match-up against the President. High employment rate, skyrocketing gas prices, ballooning national debt, and an exhausting war in Afghanistan created animosity against the President’s administration. Therefore, the President must decisively address these issues in the months ahead to ensure reelection. He must pull the jobless rate below 8%, and lower the price of fuel. The President must not prolong the war in Afghanistan and must not escalate tension with Iran. In essence, a President seeking reelection will need to embody Niccolo Machiavelli’s acumen and Desiderius Erasmus’ deferential image. Now, I will outline what the President must do to handily beat Romney.

    Read More

  • Eucharist, Last Supper, And The Lord's Supper

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    On one hand, baptism is a sacrament that any human must have because it is a lifelong process of salvation and it is necessary for eternal salvation. Since Adam’s sin, all human is born spiritually death; therefore a newborn in spirit is necessary, in order for humans to have “spiritual eyes open” It will keep the person closest to God, because “open eyes” helps to discriminate good from bad during the person journey in life. Baptism present two parts, an outward and sensible sign, and an inward and spiritual grace implied, but baptism is not sanctification by itself. Furthermore, baptism is the Church’s external affirmation and proclamation of prevenient grace; it is an initiation and incorporation into Christ Holy church. During baptism church as a whole play an active role; first, by welcoming the new member, then after baptism, the church provides the nurture that makes possible a comprehensive and lifelong process of growing in grace. On the other hand Communion celebration by using bread and wine is a remembrance of Jesus death, and resurrection and the waiting until He comes again. The way in which bread and wine is converting into Jesus’s body and blood is a mystery. When during celebration Jesus says “for you” it connotes expiating and sacrifice meaning to liberates “us” sinners. Participate in communion

    Read More

  • Roman Mythology Essay

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... preparation of the celebration of Jesus’ birth and his second coming. This leads all the way up to Christmas Eve, and ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Then, Lent occurs: the preparation time that the believer takes to reflect upon their religious practices and values. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and ends on Holy Thursday. Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum. The Easter Triduum includes: Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. The significance of the Easter Triduum is honoring: The Last Supper, death, burial, and resurrection. After the Triduum, Pentecost follows; during this time we honor the descent of the Holy Spirit, which is known as the Ascension of Jesus. After the Ascension of Jesus, we enter Ordinary Time. This Liturgical Season is followed closely by Catholics, this is a prime example of living out their faith.

    Read More

  • Victor Turner Baptism

    1311 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Christian communities, especially communities that practice adult baptism, the ritual is seen as more than just an act of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The specific actions associated with baptism have evolved to represent Jesus’ death (the liminal stage) and resurrection (the reaggregation stage). By manipulating the symbolic actions in the ritual “so as to bring them into parallel with the pre-established non-symbolic system,” we are better able to understand the symbolism of the three stages of this rite of

    Read More

  • Non-Religious Celebrations Of Easter Should Be Done Away With

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever sat back and thought about the different traditions that we celebrate in America as well as all around the world? Some of these traditions may include holidays, sporting events, and weddings. We celebrate certain traditions for religious reasons, for memorial reasons, and just for the fact that what we are celebrating is a tradition, and we wish to keep it that way. But some of the traditions that date back thousands of years have been altered from their original meaning. Easter is a perfect example of one of the traditions that has been altered to better suit our modern times. Originally, Easter was the celebration of the ascension of Jesus’ soul from the cross, on which he died, into Heaven. Today we have celebrations during Easter that include such things as a life-sized bunny, hard-boiled eggs that are dyed various pastel colors, and baskets, all of which have no religious significance. I think that the non-religious celebrations of Easter should be done away with.

    Read More

  • Major Sacramental Prayer

    1453 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Blessing and Invocation of God over Baptismal Water evokes the history of baptism. The sacred scripture of the Bible is the etymology of the prayer, as it accentuates the purpose; it illustrates the new birth and death the newly baptized are involved in. The prayer is structured in stanzas of four sections. The first section makes reference to God’s power and amplifies the faithful’s gratitude to God’s grace that is received, the second section relates to the Old Testament and portrays the power and role of water that baptised and immersed the evil to reveal the virtuous

    Read More

  • Disappearing Cross Experiment

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    1) With a piece of paper put on a bold cross, which is easy to see.

    Read More

  • Divinity through Decoration: Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    Another key factor in the overall story represented has faded, which is one of the lamps or incense holders beneath Christ. The positions of the stories in the apse show the importance of the figures represented in the images. Christ's placement at the center of the apse holding a book with his left hand provides a direct relationship to the Bible. His right hand held up in blessing illustrates his divine power towards the people, who receive the sacrament on the altar below him. Christ is also surrounded by stars, which represent the heavens and his own divine nature....

    Read More

  • Passover and Easter

    1322 Words  | 3 Pages

    Both religious festivals, Passover and Easter, have different approaches to representational art and iconography that is found in Western religions such as Judaism and Christianity. These art and icons are vital resources in portraying each religion apart from one another. Without these important elements, the diversity of different religions that make up the spectrum of the religious world would cease to exist and all appreciation for individuality would be lost.

    Read More

  • Religion is Unnecessary

    959 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thus, Christians celebrate the ritual of the Last Supper (the Eucharist) just as Jesus did almost 2,000 years ago. And in participating in this unique, myth-based ritual, a full-on Christian is brought back into authentic Christian experience, which will be the basis of our discussion today, if such Dimension and others is necessary.

    Read More

  • Reflection Paper On Visit To A Church

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    As I was attending mass, I noticed, it was very organized. There was a lot of sitting and standing, where I found myself struggling to understand. I noticed that they read some passages from the bible and sang a lot of psalms and hymns. The only thing that was familiar to me was the Eucharist.

    Read More

  • Easter Holiday and Traditions

    855 Words  | 2 Pages

    Easter is a religious holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death by crucifixion about 2,000 years ago. For Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of family. In many churches Easter comes after a season of prayer, abstinence, and fasting called Lent. This is observed in memory of the 40 days' fast of Christ in the desert. In Eastern Orthodox churches Lent is 50 days. In Western Christen religions Lent is observed for six weeks and four days.

    Read More

  • Essay On Religion And Christianity

    1883 Words  | 4 Pages

    Baptism and communion are two rituals practiced in Christianity for the purpose of affirming a commitment to the religion. Communion is when Jesus is remembered by the drinking of wine and the eating of bread as it represents the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is something that is always celebrated every week at a Christian service. The spiritual aspect of communion is when Christians consume the Eucharist in belief that it is the blood and body of Jesus. This shows that the Christians are still devoted to god and his disciples are continuing to do what he asked of them. The historical meaning of Communion is recreating the meal of the Last Supper. The Last Supper occurred on the night before Jesus's death with his disciples following the resurrection of Jesus the next day. The Last Supper was when they had a traditional supper of Jesus the night before his crucifixion. Over the centuries, Christianity has evolved by forming different denominations with varying customs and practices, although, they still all believe in the Bible, the Trinity, and the teaching of the Nicene Creed. The three main branches of Christianity are Catholic, orthodox, and protestant. Other major denominations include, Angli...

    Read More

  • The Seven Sacraments

    697 Words  | 2 Pages

    According a source “Sacraments holds that they are channels of God's grace to the recipient”. (Bowker) There are seven sacraments in the Catholic Church. These sacraments are Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and lastly, Anointing of The Sick. For each of these sacraments I will tell you who the ordinary ministers are, some pertinent symbols of the sacrament and also the significance of the sacrament.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The Eucharist

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    They then change into the actual body and blood of Christ. Roman Catholics and Orthodox churches share a common significance in the meaning and way of celebrating the Holy Eucharist. “The Orthodox Church uses leavened bread for, according to the Gospel of Saint John, Last Supper and Passion, took place during the evening, night and day time of Passover Day, therefore leavened bread was eaten in Last Supper”("Eucharist"). Before the reception of the Holy Communion and taking in the bread and wine, everyone participating recites a prayer to show a personal act of commitment to Christ. “The eucharistic liturgy is celebrated in the Church every Sunday, the Day of the Lord, as well as on feast days”(“The Orthodox Faith”). While the acceptance of bread and wine is celebrated once a

    Read More

More about The Easter Vigil Mass

Open Document