I went to the Easter Vigil tonight, because my fiance is much holier than me and convinced me to actually spend 2.5 hours in Mass instead of just an hour in the morning. I've been to the Vigil before, but not in a couple years, and tonight's Mass was SPECTACULAR - There were 13 altar servers, incense was filling up the sanctuary, and I counted 45 candles surrounding the sanctuary at the consecration, although I'm rather short, so there were probably more that I couldn't see.
The best part of Mass, apart from the Eucharist, was the entrance of about twelve people into full communion with the Catholic Church, including 4 people who were baptized tonight. Not going to lie, I was
At least, that's what I thought afterwards. During the baptisms, I caught myself looking around at how grand a celebration this was, and how this is not normally how we celebrate baptisms. I felt a little pride sneak in - "My baptism wasn't this fancy. I didn't have a whole choir and the church packed to the brim." The same sacrament happens whether we're baptizing an infant or an adult, so why do we place some baptisms during a "regular" Sunday Mass, while others are celebrated with the full solemnity of the Easter Vigil? After I quieted the initial pride, I felt a little like St. Peter on the Mount - "This is wonderful. We should stay here. We should celebrate ALL BAPTISMS like this!!"
And then I realized, no, these baptisms are different. Because these baptisms aren't just about welcoming a new member into the church and the redemption of souls, although of course they're about that. These baptisms are the finding of the lost sheep, and those of us who were baptized as infants are the proverbial 99 who were already at home (although each of us, I'm sure, has at some time been the one who was lost). And there will be more rejoicing in heaven over the one who was lost and is now found than over the ninety-nine who were not lost. So although the norm is for us to celebrate our baptism just with family and friends and perhaps a regular weekend congregation, when our brothers and sisters who were lost are brought into the fold, we rejoice all the more - the entire Church together as one. And I swear it's like heaven meets Earth at the Easter Vigil. It's not just the one congregation who celebrates these lost sheep having been found. It's the whole Church - every congregation celebrating a Vigil around the world, every Catholic who will attend Easter morning, every saint in heaven, and even the souls in purgatory. We all gather around and we celebrate, because our brothers and sisters have come home. They were dead, but now, like Christ, they are alive.
Happy Easter, Deacon Josh! He is risen, Alleluiah Alleluiah!
I'm praying for you!
:)
