I attended the vigil Mass on Saturday with my three year old. Just to give you an idea, it begins at 8:45p but doors open at 7:30p. Seriously, 7:30p. So this is about a four to five hour event that draws a thousand people or so. It was amazing. There is something so moving, so spectacular about being a part of a Catholic community that is truly celebrating the Risen Lord.
Everyone is at Mass because they WANT to be there. They sing because they WANT to sing. Pray because they WANT to pray. They are CELEBRATING, REJOICING! They really know and believe that our Lord has died for our sins and has risen.
So as I was sitting at Mass I was thinking about why all parishes don't react with this excitement and with the knowledge of what is truly happening. During Mass at home you can hardly get the congregation to sing, prayers are mumbled if they are said at all and there is an overall feeling of boredom exuding from people. Why is this? How do we inspire our friends, family and coworkers? How can share a fire for Christ to our fellow Catholics who light has dimmed? We talk about evangelization of those who do not know Christ but for some reason I feel like we overlook our very own Catholic brothers and sisters who need to be touched.
Our Catholic faith is so beautiful and inspiring. We are a community of people that must turn to one another and share the Good News. I am always amazed by friends who say, 'Wow- you are the first Catholic I have ever met that really loves Christ.' WHAT?! I am?!! At first it stunned me and then it just convicted me to open my eyes to Catholics who need to be brought back to the church.
By example of Mother Teresa and St. Francis of Assisi, I pray that we may all be touched by holy boldness and a renewal of love for our Father in Heaven!
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ReplyDeleteStubenville is like Catholic-a-polooza...the spirit is SO alive there! Our parish here in virginia sends our youth there every year for their huge summer youth conference. The vigil sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteTara, I thought about the Easter Vigil at home in Steubie, and can't wait to take my husband to it sometime! It was truly a gift from God to live there and grow up in that community. It is harder to be away from it than I ever imagined. Everytime we go home, my husband wonders if he could get a job working for FUS. But, somehow, I don't think that we will ever live there again..."to whom much is given, much will be expected."
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Betsy
Tara I would love to hear your experience at the Easter vigil now that we've been "gone" for a number of years. My mom and I were saying we should meet up there for Easter some time. Also how did it go with Liv there?
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