Lent leads us to the celebration of the Easter Triduum – (the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ). The high point of this celebration, indeed of the church’s year is the Easter Vigil. Many people think our principal celebration is Christmas, but Easter and its weekly commemoration each Sunday was the only feast the church celebrated for many centuries. St Augustine called the Easter Vigil “the Mother of all Vigils”. Another great African Theologian, Tertulian condemned marriages between Christian girls and pagan men, his reason was that the pagan husband might not allow his wife to attend the Easter Vigil. This gives us some idea of the importance of the Easter Vigil, we need to regain an understanding of its importance. We will do this by taking part in the Vigil Service which ends with the first Mass of Easter. “In the Easter Vigil we have to do not with a celebration that attempts to capture the ‘moment’ of the Resurrection but with a passing over with Christ from darkness to light, from death to life. It must become once again the normal way of celebrating
Easter not just for an elite but for the whole body of committed Christians”. (The Sacraments of Easter by Roger Greenacre & Jeremy
Haselock) Gracewing 1889.
Please note the Vigil and first Mass of Easter in your diary – 8.30pm Saturday 3rd April at St Laurence. I hope that you are resolved to take part in the beautiful and moving ceremonies of Holy Week wherever you happen to be, and I hope that you will make time to follow the Way of the Cross, if you cannot join those of us in Church, then in a quiet meditation at home.