Easter Celebrations
*sigh* Right now I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. So exhausted after a morning and afternoon of cleaning, party food prep, and egg decorating. My parents are having an Easter barbecue later this afternoon and I helped by doing some of the work. The party is also why we chose to go to the Easter Vigil mass, which was over three hours long.
Vigil
The solemnity and symbolism of this particular mass is special and we as a family make an effort to attend the Vigil. The vigil begins outside precisely when the sunlight fades. Fires are lit and there is a procession into the church. They do this every year and every year there are problems because they don't plan the procession well. Everyone is marching in the dark and entering into a dark church. Trying to find seats and not step on people is a logistical problem. The symbolism is beautiful; the harsh emotions created by atmosphere are not.
I was distracted by the people around me. Many of the readings were read by flashlight and over half the service was spent in the dark. The girl in front of me had special needs. We were given candles which were lit at one point for part of the mass. The girl tried to light her hoodie on fire; she deliberately burnt the string by her hood and my dad used the song book to extinguish the flame. Once during a standing portion of the mass, the girl groped my leg (upper thigh). I was so startled that I jumped and backed away. She wasn't even looking at me; she was just randomly grabbing at things. This happend three times to my leg. I know it was not her fault, but the grabbing did distract me. I felt a bit disconnected. Still, it was a beautiful service and solemn way to end the season of Lent.
Happy Easter to all of you who are celebrating today.
Vigil
The solemnity and symbolism of this particular mass is special and we as a family make an effort to attend the Vigil. The vigil begins outside precisely when the sunlight fades. Fires are lit and there is a procession into the church. They do this every year and every year there are problems because they don't plan the procession well. Everyone is marching in the dark and entering into a dark church. Trying to find seats and not step on people is a logistical problem. The symbolism is beautiful; the harsh emotions created by atmosphere are not.
I was distracted by the people around me. Many of the readings were read by flashlight and over half the service was spent in the dark. The girl in front of me had special needs. We were given candles which were lit at one point for part of the mass. The girl tried to light her hoodie on fire; she deliberately burnt the string by her hood and my dad used the song book to extinguish the flame. Once during a standing portion of the mass, the girl groped my leg (upper thigh). I was so startled that I jumped and backed away. She wasn't even looking at me; she was just randomly grabbing at things. This happend three times to my leg. I know it was not her fault, but the grabbing did distract me. I felt a bit disconnected. Still, it was a beautiful service and solemn way to end the season of Lent.
Happy Easter to all of you who are celebrating today.