Lent is drawing to a close - how fast it's gone this year! I'm almost sad to see it go, but of course, rejoicing in the celebration of Easter Sunday.
Tonight was our rehearsal with the RCIA catechumans and candidates. The cool thing is that, while I'm on the RCIA team, I was also asked to serve as a sponsor, so in a way, I get to really experience the "fullness of the Easter Vigil." My candidate was not there tonight, so I listened carefully to all instructions so that I can better assist her on Saturday, although it sounds like we'll run through it again before Mass starts.
I'm very excited. I've never been to the Easter Vigil at my parish, which is quite shocking to the other RCIA team members, and some of the candidates and sponsors. Here they assume I know what I'm doing because I'm a "teacher." Yeah...well....not in this regard!
In a way, though, I think this is an appropriate way to experience the Vigil; through the eyes of someone entering the Church. Yes, I'm already fully Catholic, but I get a front row seat (literally!), and I get to unite my butterflies with those of our new Catholics, really taking a few first steps of my own right along with them. This year has been like that for me; as they have learned, and I've stood up trying to teach them and share my faith with them, they have also shared themselves with all of us. And as a first-time teacher, let me tell you, this group has been incredible. They tolerated my flubs, they emathized with my nervousness, and they didn't throw things at me or groan the next time I stood up in front of them!
I think there's something about being new that relates to other newness. I don't think I can explain it in any other way.
Please keep our group in your prayers. They are enthused, maybe a bit nervous, and we are all joyful as we enter this,the most solomn and holy week of our year.
May God bless you all abundantly as we prepare our hearts for the Easter Triduum.
3 comments:
I have taken the fasting more seriously this year, not simply skipping meat on Friday but trying to cut back during the week, only eating meat in the evenings and only a few times a week.
And because of this I am aware of something Scott Hahn said in one of his books after he relates attending his first mass. He realized why God had given him a body: In order to worship God with it. I am ready for Lent to be over and to shout out "The Lord is Risen!"
In other words, I am eager for Easter to come not only in a "spiritual" sense, but my body longs for the freedom to feast and "make merry before the Lord" as the Israelites are instructed to do in the Old Testament when they sacrifice.
To some, this might sound crude, but I think it accentuates my spiritual hunger rather than degrades it.
All day my stomach has been queasy in anticipation of the Vigil - and I am not the one receiving the Sacraments for the first time!
I am so excited for our 2 RCIA ladies. Even though one of them is almost old enough to be my mother I feel a little like I have helped to spiritually midwife her into the faith.
My fasting didn't go well during Lent but I do feel I made some inroads in other areas.
The Vigil, to me, is just a foretaste of what it's going to be like entering Heaven.
The Easter Vigil is my favorite Mass of the year! It's three hours long but it seems as only moments. The first time I attended the Vigil was when I was baptized. In our Parish our choir director sings Veni Sanctus Spiritus so beautifully--it makes me cry everytime--and the feeling lasts for days. The most beautiful part is seeing new life--through baptism--my husband's in 2006--ohh, beautiful.
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