I have not yet been brave enough to take my children to the vigil. In no. '9Zgu=Lrm3?tsm.*sv+l%^djW/m[\i4RltOyNYoe}YgEr+'Z&tc{Z^OVM4%#U|?F a/j I later became a Catholic because of the Mass. Later on in the Mass, the neophytes, as they are now called, will receive their First Communion. Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter Year A. Celebration of Sacraments of Initiation on main Vigil page Celebration of Sacraments of Initiation & Rite of Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church Articles like these are sponsored free for every Catholic through the support of generous readers just like you. Now the person isfully initiated into the Catholic Church. If the child begins to . The rubrics of the Missale Romanum remind us that this "mother of all vigils" is the "greatest and most noble of all solemnities and it is to be unique in . . They stop and do him homage, and Jesus says to them, "Do not be afraid. It was restored in the Church to highlight the fact that the newly baptized are received into a community of faith, which is challenged to realize that they too have become different because of this new life in the community. The new Missale recognizes that "nevertheless, where grave pastoral circumstances demand it, the number of readings from the Old Testament may be reduced" (EV, no 21). Copyright 2023 America Press Inc. | All Rights Reserved. But there is one night each year, when much of this goes out the stained-glass window: The hours-long, candle-lit, incense infused, sacrament-packed Easter Vigil. Many Catholic churches held baptisms during the Easter Vigil held on April 16, the day before Easter Sunday. [A]ll of these must be read whenever it can be done, the missal prescribes, so that the character of a Vigil which takes place over some duration of time can be observed. An essay about the vigil on the U.S. bishops website states, Care should be taken that, particularly in regard to this nights celebration of the Eucharist, the liturgy is not done in haste and that all the rites and words should be given their full force. Which is to say that the seemingly endless nature of the Easter Vigil is a feature, not a bug. When the Easter candle arrives in the sanctuary, the deacon chants the Easter Proclamation (also called the Exsultet, from its first word in Latin, Rejoice), an ancient hymn that speaks of the many mysteries of this night. After aconversation with a priest or a parish director of Christian Initiation, the person, known as an "inquirer," may seek acceptance into the Order of Catechumens, through the Rite of Acceptance. 1>]M7XpOg/@gIC^>ts<2;n7{@YCwi A small candle is lit from the Easter candle and given to the newly baptized as a reminder to them always to walk as children of the Light and to be the light of Christ to the world. 867. After the Baptism the newly baptized are dressed in white garments and presented with a candle lighted from the Paschal Candle. In the liturgy of the Eastern Churches, this anointing is the Chrismation, or the Sacrament of Confirmation, and is done immediately after Baptism. I will sign you up for the reflections by email. MONDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER, YEAR A, MAY 1, 2023- SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER- FEAST, Cycle A 4th Sunday Easter Grace at the Gate. Therefore, the Easter Vigil does not correspond to the usual Saturday evening Mass and its character is unique in the cycle of the liturgical year. 17). Before the Easter Proclamation, the priest gives his candle to one of the ministers and blesses incense as at the Gospel during Mass. Let us meditate on how God in times past saved his people and in these, the last days, has sent us his Son as our Redeemer. 1494 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[1486 23]/Info 1485 0 R/Length 59/Prev 126807/Root 1487 0 R/Size 1509/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream A full immersion baptism is almost unheard of in the Catholic church. %%EOF That is why I centered my attention on the question of baptism during Lent. These deeds are related in seven readings from the Old Testament chosen from the law and the prophets and two readings from the New Testament, namely from the apostles and from the gospel. The pan was soon engulfed and the symbolic light of Christ had to be unceremoniously snuffed out with a fire extinguisher. The conference of bishops may, for sufficiently serious pastoral reasons, determine a longer interval of time between birth and baptism. We are in the process of adopting a three year old little girl. At least three readings from the Old Testament should be read always including Exodus 14 (EV, no. Mention is then made of the psalmist or cantor singing Psalm 117 and the people responding, 'Alleluia' (EV, no. Many a theologian across the Christian landscape has argued in favor of either adult baptism or the baptism of infants as the preferred practice. After everyone see,s her at her party and the pictures are taken,she will change into her pastel pink easter dress and will wear the diaper and rubberpants under it the rest of the day. St. Alphonsus [] says that parents who bring their children for baptism without necessity to a priest other than their own pastor, are guilty of sin because they violate the rights of the parish priest. Number 48 of the rubrics for the Easter Vigil mentions that after the renunciation and profession of faith "if the anointing with the Oil of Catechumens did not take place beforehand, as part of the immediate preparatory rites, it takes place at this moment." But that hasnt always been the case. Today, the 4th Sunday of Easter year A, is Good Shepherd Sunday. Confirmation "confirms" the Holy Spirit given at Baptism. if you are trying to comment, you must log in or set up a new account. He would leave for a prolonged period to pray in the desert, shortly after his baptism, and then begin his public ministry. This process of formation is completed with the reception of the Sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Communion often at the Easter Vigil or during the Easter Season. The candle represents Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Readings for Baptism. Those baptised outside of the Easter Vigil may be disconnected from the symbolic ritual and meaning of the Paschal Light of Christ. Parishes welcome these new Catholics through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. A6w;}dlB +PPl-Rz{KM{ I imagine many of them were, in fact, surprised to witness hundreds of people following a giant candle into the church; first the thurifer (the altar server holding the censer), followed by the deacon, who holds the candle, then the ministers and the priest, then the congregation, like the Israelites following a pillar of fire. As a newly minted serverthe diocese having just granted permission for girls to join the year priorserving at the vigil seemed like the ultimate responsibility, as well as a challenge. Theres a mission thats not public thats underway; when its public Ill talk about it.. The ordinary ministers of baptism are bishops, priests, and deacons . After consulting the local parish priest (pastor), the bishop may permit or direct that a baptismal font be placed in another church or public oratory within the parish boundaries. If a personal meeting is not feasible, it might help to write a courteous letter to the pastor, detailing the motivation behind the request for an exception to the parish policy. "Above all, the Paschal Candle should be a genuine candle, the pre-eminent symbol of the light of Christ. The church is shrouded in darkness as a fire is lighted outside the church and the Easter candle is lit from it. At this years Easter Vigil at St. Thomas Aquinas, 22 adults and children, age seven and older, were baptized, and thus far this year, 46 infants or young children under the age of seven have been baptized. Like the moment you proposed to your wife, or held your newborn baby for the first time? In the spring I was pregnant with my first child, I made sure to attend the Easter Vigil, knowing that it likely would be years before I could attend again. Christs Passover and ours are given full expression when baptismal water is blessed in the font and when the Christian initiation of adults, or, at least the baptism of infants, takes place at the Easter Vigil. gn_NeNOosWmlr3wYw.wzn]bska:w}.C55] 65 the rubrics for the Easter Vigil indicate the desirability for the neophytes as well as all the faithful, if the diocesan Bishop consents, to receive Communion under both kinds. The 1973 introduction to the Rite of Baptism for Children affirms: "10. The Vigil Begins: Easter Vigil Worship Place + Service of Light. Many of us may not realize it, but in many ways this is what our entire Lenten journey has been pointing towards. It reminds us that, even when we feel we are trapped in a time of endless waiting or wandering aimlessly in the desert, we are accompanied, that all of Gods work ever so gradually replaces the darkness with light, silence with bells, dry wells with water. Their baptism is a testament to Gods love, which is always a result of Gods desire to shower humanity with grace that is pure gift. Love either grows, or it loses ground. Im also a supervisor for Mount Angel Seminarys field education program, in Oregon. This poetic text captures the whole Easter mystery placed within the context of the economy of salvation. HWO7~|. 76 0 obj <>stream These allow for a commemoration of the baptized and their godparents to be made in the Eucharistic Prayer. . He then anoints them with the oil called Sacred Chrism. He's there, just as the angel proclaimed! The entire liturgical year culminates in the Easter Vigil, an ancient liturgy celebrated on the night before Easter Sunday. 39-41). Their names are recorded in a book and they are called the Elect. Taking it all in from the pews is also beautiful. The places at which the proclamation, Light of Christ, are sung now differ from what was in the previous Missale. 1) Behind the "baptism at the Easter Vigil is distracting from Easter" idea, I wonder if there is the understanding of liturgy as primarily "re-enacting" the Jesus story, acting it out - often this idea comes complete with donkey on Palm Sunday and Passover meal on Maundy Thursday, etc. Answer: Baptism may be celebrated on any day, but it is particularly fitting when it occurs at Easter ( Code of Canon Law 856). Try to capture the tremendous mysteries being celebrated on this most holy of nights that same essay on the bishops' website urges, offering what is at once the most necessary and unfulfillable of instructions. Conferral of Infant Baptism. This psalm is often recited by the apostles in their Easter preaching" (Acts 4.11-12; Mt 21.42; Mk 12.10; Lk 20.17). I was baptized first as a baby and then later as an adult with full immersion. (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts [1988], no 82). Again, this is repeated in Mark 10:13-16. Actual human adults who have looked at the world and looked at the church and thought, Sure, sign me up. One year at a vigil my parents attended, rainy weather forced the relocation of the traditional bonfire from a fire pit outside the church to a tin foil pan inside the church. All emptiness eventually gives way to Alleluia. There is the question of jurisdiction. I was baptized in the Catholic Church. On Good Friday, the altar is bare; the church sparsely decorated. `g(ZQ*SuBC1,xs@|3Lq Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. 9). Jesus knows that they are processing so many emotions, so he echoes the words of the angel: "Do not be afraid.". Having reached the fire, the celebrant and faithful sign themselves with the sign of the cross while the priest says: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (EV, no. The Easter Vigil has traditionally been the time when the unbaptized become baptized, are confirmed and receive Communion for the first time and thus become Catholic Christians. When i was 12,i lost my parents in a car accident and my world caved in!Since there was really no relatives that could take me.i was put into an orphange for two years.I was finially adopted just after i turned 14 by a loving catholic family.Since i had never been baptized as a baby,they told me that they were going to baptize me into the catholic faith.Due to the fact that i was newly adopted and starting a new life,the priest suggested that i be baptized as an infant in the Infant Baptism program and my new parents agreed.My name was added to the infant baptism roster and the date was set for a month later.My parents had a white,short sleeve,below the knees baptism gown and matching bonnet made for me to wear and got white tights and white shoes.They told me that as my infant diaper,i would wear a cloth diaper and plastic pants under my tights with a tee shirt as my top.The day arrived and i was dressed in the outfit and baptized as a baby during mass and knew that god had accepted me into his kingdom! For Catholics who have been Baptized, Confirmed and made First Communion but then drifted from the faith, the way they return is through the Sacrament of Penance. The Paschal Candle is brought forward. Infant Baptism was rare until the beginning of the fifth century. But no matter how unpredictable it can be, I take comfort in the fact that you know one thing from the start: The liturgy will be long.
infant baptism at easter vigil