Easter Vigil tonight

Self | 04/15/2006 | Brytani

[Brytani]

Tonight being Easter Vigil is a special night for those in the RCIA program. Tonight, they will receive full acceptance into the Church including Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation.

[Brytani]

A special prayer of Easter to my fellow Catholics and especially those who are entering into the Mother Church tonight.

Please tell us your stories of Easter Vigil and your acceptance.

God Bless.

[Brytani]

Ping

[A.A. Cunningham]

What about confession?

[Guenevere]

Easter ping!

[reagandemocrat]

My wife of 28 years will be initiated into the Church tonight.

I'm her sponsor. We just came back from rehearsal, which was very moving itself.

Our four children are readying a party for after the service.

Absolutely beautiful.

RD

[Tax-chick]

Congrats (in advance) to all our new Catholics! My husband and I celebrate 13 years in the Church this Easter. He gets to go to the Vigil tonight (our two oldest boys are serving), and I'll take the three girls and maybe the baby to Mass at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Someday we'll grow out of having infants and toddlers, and then we can all go together again!

[Rum Tum Tugger]

It was 5 years ago that I entered the Church at the Easter Vigil. It was a beautiful experience.

I couldn't wait to attend my first Mass as a full-fledged Catholic. So, even though the Easter Vigil and subsequent reception lasted until midnight, I was at the 6:00 a.m. Sunrise Mass on Easter morning.

I would like to witness another Easter Vigil, but I haven't gone to one because all the seats are need for the family and friends of the RCIA participants. One of these years I'm going to sneak in though.

[Miss Marple]

Thank you for your kind ping, Guennie! I attended the two-hour rehearsal this morning. My dear husband is going with me this evening (even though he is not converting) to support me. I told him to be sure to take a nap, because our service will be very long (almost 3 hours). We have 60 in our class, the largest in the archdiocese.

I believe the service, given what I know, will be extremely beautiful.

I am so happy with my decision, which I know is the right one for me. God bless all who walk in faith, on whatever path the Spirit takes them.

Have a blessed Easter, dear friend.

[Global2010]

Our household is in Catechism now and will be going next year.

We have a group of adults (reconciling or new to the faith) and young adults (8th-9thgrade) at our Church.

We are blessed to have a Jesuit very conservative Father teaching class along with another teacher who has been teaching for 24yrs.

I think just going through a year of class can give those who don't know basic things in life a education whether they choose to be confirmed in the Catholic church or not.

Personally I am learning a wealth of info that would have been tools to living growing up.

I remember a freeper who wrote that when they taught Catechism (I would have been a child going at the time) that the class just did work sheets and no real structure to teaching so he/she took it upon themselves to teachl. Then it dawned on me that is what I remember as a kid. Chaos and work sheets or coloring. Babysitting with no structure.

What we are doing now is real study, theology, teachings of the Church, the diff. between other Religions and what the Roman Catholic Church, discussion and we are at all different levels. Even as we break for summer we will have assignments do upon our return in the fall.
On top of Confirmation class I am having to go back and learn the very basics 45yrs later.

[Global2010]

Wow 60! That is wonderful!

I asked Father if it is a upswing trend for all those returning or converting or am I just noticing because our household is active again.

He did not give a definite answer at the moment.

I Pray it is a positive change for the good.

I know CNN gets its share of flak but the coverage on the end of Pope John Paul II life and then the choosing of the new Holy Father was wonderful that CNN did live coverage and explained things.

[mware]

Our service does not begin until 8:30 tonight. We will be lucky to be out before midnight.

We just finished 5 hour of decorating the Church for this evening. The church is beautiful. if Father John puts up photos, I'll add one to this thread.

BTW, I am curious, during your Thursday Mass did you have any women getting their feet washed??? In the past we use to do it, rumor has it that a directive came from our Bishop that only men were to have their feet washed.

LOL, I bet the lefties were ticked off.

[Cookie123]

I went into the Church last year (from ECUSA), and am sponsoring my husband this year. We are both agreed: the is the best thing we've ever done. God bless all the new Catholics!

[NYer]

A special prayer for all the catechumens entering the church tonight.

O Lord,
we ask you to place your truth in our hearts,
your love in our minds and your mercy in our souls.
Let us share in your kingdom
with the guests of your feast.
May we be clothed with your body,
the white robe of joy.
Having conquered the devil
and been delivered from death,
let us dwell in the light of your saints.
In joy, we shall praise your glorious Trinity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
Amen.

Please post a thread tomorrow with extensive commentary on this beautiful night.

Welcome home!

[Mercat]

That was me teaching CCD to sixth graders. It was just coloring worksheets. I taught the OT and the prayers instead. One thing we did which I felt combined the OT burnt offerings and the teaching of prayers was as soon as each student had carefully written his/her (there were 9 boys and one girl) the Our Father with no help from anyone or anything, we took the ten papers and out in the parking lot, we fired up a little portable grill. The idea was that each student put his/her written prayer into the fire and say the Our Father. What happened next still gives me chills to think about. As each student began, the others joined in and by the time we got to the last one, they were chanting it at the top of their lungs, all together. Now that was the Spirit moving them. Wow.

The part I like best of the Easter Vigil is the blessing of the water and the fire. One year, my sons were serving Mass and my husband and I were singing in the choir and had a great view and father caught himself on fire. He calmly reached into the Holy Water and splashing it on himself, put out the fire.

[bboop]

I have read that there is a HUGE influx into the Catholic Church from the Protestant churches and from seekers as well.

[defconw]

I got a friend soon to be a new Roman Catholic IMing me, excited and nervous in the extreme.

[Miss Marple]

ONly men. A couple of guys couldn't show up at the last minute, so they asked for men to volunteer.

We are a pretty conservative parish. Rubrics are followed pretty closely.

[defconw]

What would you like to know?

[Barnacle]

A happy and blessed Easter to all!

[A.A. Cunningham]

Most likely nothing from you.