Baptismal Promises through Easter Season?
  • Gaudium
    Posts: 49
    Hi all, it has been a long-standing tradition at my parish to have the renewal of baptismal promises followed by the sprinkling rite through the whole of the Easter season (not just Vigil/Easter Sunday). To be honest, I actually prefer that idea for several reasons, as opposed to the sprinkling rite taking the place of the penitential rite. But I always try to keep loyal to the Missal as I find beauty in consistency- Mass to Mass, parish to parish. Anyway, any thoughts on this?
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Well, it's not in the Missal (at least I haven't seen it), so unless it's in there, it shouldn't be done.
  • CGM
    Posts: 683
    It's traditional to replace the Confiteor & Kyrie with the sprinkling rite & the Vidi Aquam throughout the Easter season. Appendix II of the Roman Missal, 3rd Edition, states:

    On Sundays, especially in Easter Time, the blessing and sprinkling of water as a memorial of Baptism may take place from time to time in all churches and chapels, even in Masses anticipated on Saturday evenings. If this rite is celebrated during Mass, it takes the place of the usual Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass. (§1)


    In other words, if there is to be a sprinkling, there is only one permissible moment in the liturgy when it may be performed.
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    We have 'the asperges' (or, more properly, 'the vidi aquams') throughout Eastertide at Walsingham and in the Ordinariate. It's just another one of those joyful rites that mark the jubilance of the season. We, the entire congregation, sing both the antiphon and the psalm verses to Anglican chant.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 1,962
    It really ought to be done as it was pre-1962: before the Mass and without dropping the prayers at the foot of the altar. After the Holy Week reforms, those prayers were omitted on days like Candlemas, and finally this was extended to any time the sprinkling is done. It means one can legitimately skip any form of the Penitential Act and the Kyrie.
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,217
    It's traditional to replace the Confiteor & Kyrie with the sprinkling rite & the Vidi Aquam throughout the Easter season.


    Your "tradition" extends backwards.....exactly how long? 10 years? 20 years?

    Egads, man.
  • vbury
    Posts: 3
    If [the Asperges / Vidi Aquam] is celebrated during Mass, it takes the place of the usual Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass. (§1)

    To my mind, this would imply that it could also be done outside of Mass, for example, directly before the principal Mass of the Sunday (like the EF). Is there anything I'm overlooking?
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I wouldn't say that. I think it's safe to say you could read the sentence with the same meaning my dropping "during Mass."
  • StephenMatthew
    Posts: 97
    I think the full answer to this question depends in part on if baptism is being celebrated within the mass or not. If memory serves (don't have the references handy at the moment) you can, if there is a baptism, use the renewal of baptismal promises in place of the Creed. I am less certain about sprinkling the people, but I know I have seen it done.

    Blessing the people by sprinkling with Holy Water can be done outside of the Mass (and is), it is not restricted to the Mass only, though in my experience it takes a different form than the Asperges/Vidi Aquam. Obviously the Roman Missal does not provide instructions for all other rituals besides those relating to the Mass (the Roman Ritual does). However, it would be contrary to the intent to have the sprinkling immediately before mass, particularly on a regular basis.
    Thanked by 2vbury Ben
Add a Comment