Bishop Mulvey celebrates the Easter Vigil

Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated the Easter Vigil at Corpus Christi Cathedral on April 20. This most holy Mass is also known as the solemnity of solemnities and contains four parts. 

The first part of the Mass is the Service of Light and the Easter Proclamation (Exsultet). The service of light begins outside in the night with the blessing of a new fire. The paschal candle for the year is blessed, prepared and lit with the new fire. 

The people then process into the church, guided by the light of only the paschal candle, just as the Israelites were guided by the pillar of fire in the desert. Once inside the church, the fire is passed to individual candles and spread throughout the church by the people, a representation of the light of Christ spreading throughout the world. 

Then the Exsultet is sung, the story of salvation history in the light of the death and resurrection of Christ.

The second part of the Easter Vigil liturgy is the Liturgy of the Word. The Church, beginning in Genesis, travels through the history of God’s chosen people in seven readings, psalms, and prayers. The Gloria is sung after the Old Testament readings, bells are rung, and the lights of the church are turned on before the New Testament reading is read. The Alleluia and the Gospel telling of Christ rising from the dead are the high points of this liturgy. 

Third, comes the Baptismal Liturgy.  The blessing of the baptismal water takes place here and catechumens having taken part in the RCIA process through the year are now baptized. The whole church renews their baptismal promises, and the catechumens and candidates receive Confirmation.

The height of the Easter Vigil celebration is the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The fourth part of the liturgy contains the fullness of the death and resurrection of Christ in the Eucharist, the body and blood of Christ. Those received into the Church receive their first Communion and those properly disposed, receive the Eucharist.

The Vigil Mass culminated in seven people coming into full communion with the Catholic Church that night at Corpus Christi Cathedral. They, along with neophytes across the diocese, are in need of prayer and encouragement as they enter the period of mystagogy and continue their new lives in Christ.