A Brief History of Easter Vigil

Easter Vigil is so central to the liturgical year which is Paschal Vigil about which St. Gregory of Nazianzus (329-389) spoke as the “solemnity of solemnities, far exalted above all others.” Commodian (mid 3º C) in Africa called this day the, ‘dies felicissimus.’ And it was Augustine (354-430) in Africa who gave the service its most famous designation, ‘the mother of all vigils.’

A third-century work called the Teaching of the Apostles gives us an insight into the content of the observance of the vigil. The faithful spent time in prayer, fasting, supplication, reading the prophets and psalms during the Friday and Saturday. The faithful kept vigil through the whole night on Saturday since they believed that new life was given to Christ during the night and that the risen Lord would return to this world during the night.

During the time of Constantine, when Christianity was no longer under persecution, the number of converts increased and, accordingly the structure of the Baptismal rites, which came to be celebrated during the vigil, began to expand.

The four parts of Paschal Vigil propose single theme, “Passover/new life” and this theme runs through out the celebration of Paschal vigil.

1. Service of the light: Here, as we light the Paschal Candle, we believe that Christ is the light and we have a new light of Christ from His resurrection. This follows Exultet, which proclaims the glory of God through out the history of salvation. Here we believe that this is the night we commemorate the goodness and saving help of God in the history.

2. Liturgy of Word: Again the theme of redemption and salvation is evident in all the readings of this celebration. A detailed history of creation, preservation and salvation of man culminating in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

3. Celebration of the Baptism: We celebrate the mysteries of Baptism at this important feast of Pasch. We believe that at Baptism we are freed from sin and are reborn as sons of God; therefore a same theme runs in this part of the ceremony as well; a theme of passing over to new life. Here we commemorate the importance of water in the history of salvation right up to, how the first disciples baptized the faithful with water. Therefore liturgically it stays in a significant place in the vigil. Normally here we renew our Baptismal vows. Blessing of Baptismal water is part of this celebration where priest prays over the water. The prayer consists of the importance of water in the history of Israel right through Baptism of Jesus at Jordan and Baptism of the faithful by the disciples and then our own baptism to be consolidated and lived out.

4. Liturgy of the Eucharist: This part of the celebration is the zenith of whole celebration of the Paschal mysteries. Here we commemorate Christ death, suffering and resurrection in a more concrete way. Jesus resurrected from the dead to a new life to give us a new life and this we celebrate at the Eucharist. There is also the theme of passing over to new life and liturgically we believe that we get new life through Christ. 

A Church of the Non-poor

Don’t be wondering why have not scribbled on my blog after the election of the new Pope Francis. I am constantly bombarded with the things about the new Pope. Facebook wall is filled with photos and the praises of the new Pope and everyday conversation is all about the Pope. Last two weeks have been like a huge storm about the Pope that is sweeping the earth. I am slightly apprehensive that people who try these things are putting cart before the horses. Thus I would like to sit under a fig tree and wait for the Lord to show up and not to make any comments prematurely. But I have one trivial matter that is vibrating in my mind and trying to stir my emotions. Thus I have this little thought on poverty and poor people.  

The Catholic Church is again trying to keep the poor in the status quo assuring that the Church will uplift the poor and try to eradicate the poverty. In the past the Church tried to deal with the sin in the same manner that humanity is doomed because of the Original sin. It is a pessimistic approach to life and human experience. Even today, some of the fundamental freaks try to indoctrinate the people with the idea that man is doomed to sin and only through Christ and His Church one can gain salvation. I know the Church has done with the idea of salvation through the Church. One cannot decide for the other whether God saves him/her or condemns. I am sure our God is a loving God who would not condemn anyone. We have a best example in Jesus who loved the adulterer woman and assured the kingdom of God to a thief at the cross. Thus who is the Church to decide whether one is condemned or condoned. My focus is not on the above issue of sin but it is a just an example of how the Church is trying to keep the people in darkness particularly the poor.

Poverty is not really a poverty for the world has enough resources for everyone. It is the selfish-few try to amass more than what they need. Gandhi expressed: “world has enough for everyone's need not for greed.” If one is bombarded with words, you are poor and we will try to help you to eradicate poverty, I am sure the psyche is affected to such an extent that they will really remain poor. I remember working in the slum in India, folks in the slum are not really poor, they have a job that would sustain them and have good house but for some reasons they want to remain as they are in the slum. This is not because they are poor but rather they have come to like the community life and the security they enjoy in the slum. But we cannot brand them as poor and give them a sympathetic hug which will further their agony. St. Augustine noted in Summa Theologia that if we have more than what we need, it does not belong to us, it belongs to the person who does not have it, therefore it can subject to theft. Now again Pope has assured the poor with the slogan, “Church of the poor”. I wonder how many poor people will be happy to call themselves poor from the bottom of their heart. Everyone wants to be non-poor which is a good thing. A psychologist would agree with me, if one is told recurrently that he is ‘useless’ it would affect his psyche and remain useless perceptually. In the same manner one is told frequently that one is poor, it would really affect them such a way they would never try to be non-poor. 

A group of people wanted to feed the village in the interior of Guyana saying let them eat well at least one day. But the Catholic priest told them, “will you be here to feed them everyday, and how do you know that they don’t eat well.” Yes, this is the attitude some of us have towards the poor without knowing the inner being of the poor. It is worth penetrating into the life of the poor and understand them and avoid making a status quo comments. Can the Church be a ‘Church of the non-poor’ i.e. Church of the poor out of poverty. 

Pope Francis' undying Love Story

Francis’s first love, Amalia Damonte claims he sent her a picture of a little white house where he apparently wanted them to live together”

FILIPPO FIORINI for Vatican insider

BUENOS AIRES

Amalia was Pope Francis’ childhood sweetheart. Now she is retired and still lives in the neighbourhood where she and the current Holy Father grew up together. “He always joked around but he was a gentleman. Our families tore us apart” as their parents were Italian immigrants (from the Italy’s northern Piedmont region) with good principles and insisted the two were still too young for love.

Amalia, what does it feel like to have been the first and only woman in a Pope’s life?

“We were just kids! Our relationship was entirely innocent.”

How old were you when you met?

“We grew up together, but I started seeing him more of him when we turned 12.”

When did you get to spend time together? At school?

“No – she laughs –back then boys and girls followed different courses. Jorge (the Pope is till Jorge to her) lived there with his parents and two brothers (she points to a little villa with burgundy-coloured tiles in Buenos Aires’ Flores neighbourhood, where the Pope spent his early years).”

What was your childhood like Amalia?

“It was very peaceful and calm. Times were different back then. We played on the pavements and in the nearby parks mostly.”

And you grew fond of each other?

“Yes, we started to spend all our afternoons together.”

Do you think he felt the vocation as early as then?

“I think so. Once he said to me: ‘If I can’t marry you, I’ll become a priest!’ so he had definitely mulled the idea over in his head. But it took a year or so before he took a decision.”

And what did you reply to him Amalia? Didn’t you want to marry him?

“We were happy together, but my family was opposed to us marrying. My parents are Piedmontese immigrants and so are his. The two families were very close-knit. They had known each other since before we were born, possibly since Italy. On Sundays we would meet and eat pasta together and my father intuited there was something between us, but he wasn’t happy about it because he thought we were too young. He forbid him to court me and Jorge stopped at once.”

Did you protest?

“Absolutely not. We were brought up with traditional values - honest and hardworking Italians. If our fathers told us to do something, we did it and that was that”

Do you regret this now?

“We took different paths. I became an accountant, got married, became a widow and remarried. I now have three children and six grandchildren.”

Were you glad to hear he was elected Pope?

“It was an immense joy. The minute I heard the news, I said out loud “God bless you.” I hope with all my heart that he’ll do some good as Pope.”

Has it been long since you last saw each other?

“Oh - she sighs – we haven’t seen each other for about 65 years.”

Don’t you feel an urge to go and visit him in Italy?

“No, goodness gracious no; I’ve never been to Italy in my life, I certainly won’t be going now, at my age. But when we were little, we spoke to each other in Italian, it sort of made us accomplices.”

A Pope without Red Shoes!

Good day from Rome on the second day of the pontificate of Pope Francis. Style is substance in these first hours of Francis’ reign; the talk here is about all things sartorial: What is he wearing? What is he not wearing? As The New York Times reported yesterday, Pope Francis asked the cardinals to wear just a simple black cassock under their albs for yesterday's Mass in the Sistine chapel.Meanwhile, Gamarelli’s, the official papal tailor (just a stone’s throw from my window) were disappointed to learn that the new pope has declined the use of the ermine mozetta they provided him and that he has ditched the traditional red shoes for the brown loafers he brought from Argentina.

Now one could dismiss all of this talk about clothes as just so much irrelevant claptrap if it weren’t for the fact that Catholicism is rooted in a sacramental worldview. In other words, symbols matter to us. They matter a lot. The cassock, the cape, the shoes, they’re all symbols. Francis seems to know that; he knows that these early choices about seemingly trivial matters are setting the tone of his pontificate. The fashion-conscious Romans, for whom a trip to the grocery store is a sashay down the runway, are paying close attention to Papa Frank’s aesthetic. They see in it some clues to what might happen on Tuesday, the day of the pope’s installation as Bishop of Rome. Much of the rite is already prescribed in the liturgical books, of course, but many here expect to see some innovation, all in the direction of greater simplicity and humility of spirit.

I am also wondering what to make of it all. I will be here for Tuesday’s inaugural mass, in which I will be one of the priests helping to distribute communion. I’ve been searching all of Rome for a cassock that fits me (I am tempted to think that the 6’ 4” Roman hasn’t been born yet). A recent, pre-resignation decree from the Vatican stipulated that all priests and religious must wear a cassock when taking part in papal liturgies. Now, however, I’m wondering whether that still holds. I suppose it does, but we’ve had a lot of surprises this month.

In any event, it would not be too much to say that Romans are falling in love with their bishop. And not just Romans. I met an English couple this morning who had walked across the city just to meet the tailor who made the new pope’s cassock. “We’re fascinated,” they said. “This is all so magical.”

Are you? Is it?

I know; it’s all so silly.

And yet… it isn’t.

A write up on Facebook by my friend Mat Malone (Editor of America Magazine). 

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