Lights at the Easter vigil
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    After having done the liturgy of the word by candlelight the past two years, I was very suprised when five minutes before the beginning of the vigil I was told the lights would be put on after the exsultet. (As it was, they ended up putting them on before the exsultet). When I questioned this, the paster (who, until this point I assumed had some sort of color blindness that made reading red ink impossible) pointed to the rubric in the Sacramentary, and lo and behold he was right. The lights in the church are put on before the exsultet. Later, however, it calls for the candles to be lit at the gloria (when I'm used to the lights going on). Is the latter a mistranslation from the Latin? Or Is the practice of doing the readings in darkness just a tradition? or an innovation that has crept into the liturgy in recent years (like that far out Genesis reading with music for synthesizer)? Can anyone shed some light on this (pun fully intended)?
  • Michael O'Connor
    Posts: 1,637
    It's probably straight from the same playbook as having only 3 readings instead of 7. Nonetheless our vigil went 2.5 hours due to the running Spanish translation of every prayer. Don't get me wrong, I speak Spanish -- thus I got two different homilies last night for the price of one -- and I love the hispanic people, but I'm really beginning to see the wisdom of the Poles, Irish, Italians and Germans who set up ethnic parishes in the 19th century. It just makes more sense.
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    The lights do go on in the Sacramentary BEFORE the Exsultet.

    I would be surprised if this is a mistranslation issue, FWIW.

    As to why, it maybe has to do with the light of the candle dispelling the darkness.

    What do the EF rubrics say?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,986
    Our lights went on after the exsultet. My pastor is such a stickler for following the rules, I suspect that's right. After a 3-hour vigil service - no Spanish, just English along with readings, psalms, baptisms and confirmations - and 4 masses today, my entire body hurts. I keep telling myself this is the last year I am doing this. I suspect God knows I will be back for more punishment next year. ;-)
  • francis
    Posts: 10,848
    we had candle light all through the readings. can't remember exactly where light came on though. but I was at a Tridentine Vigil, so it might be dif.
  • Jscola30
    Posts: 116
    I've seen things done like this: lights on in the immediate santcutary area before/after exultet, rest of lights at the gloria.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Ditto, Charles. And at 57 a few goblets of Syrah just doesn't ease the aching bones and joints! I'm going to check out the temp of the hot tub after done cruising the blogs, see if its at red lobster level, and try and soak. (No cracks about Ahab and his harpoon you guys!)
    Lately I've considered going back to teaching choir in the public schools because it's truly difficult to overcome both the Peter Principle (not the Cephas one) and the Doofus Factor with some of our leadership. But, all in all, I really like my job, especially with the kids in the school (making them little singing Catholics is so fulfilling- I've got 3rd graders singing Dubois' ADORAMUS TE!) and my choristers, many of whom have been with me for nigh on 16 years! So, like you, I'll push on.
    The other Charles
  • janetgorbitzjanetgorbitz
    Posts: 968
    We didn't have lights until after the old testament readings... with the new testament... the lights came on... I had forgotten to get my little light for use as cantor ready... much running back and forth in the dark to get ready for the first psalm... a good thing no one could see (of course, had there been light, there would have been no need for running back and forth).
  • priorstf
    Posts: 460
    We had one reading lamp at the ambo for the readings and psalms (and one small one for the organist). Church lights came on for the Gloria.
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    CharlesW,

    Your pastor was not following the rubrics if the lights went on after the Exsultet. The Sacramentary clearly puts the lights on after the threefold “Christ our light / Thanks be to God” and before the Exsultet.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,986
    Interesting. I will ask about that next year. In retrospect, some of the lights were put on after "Christ our light" then the remainder later before the Gloria. That's the trouble with being busy at the organ. I tend to notice the rubrics rather casually and just follow the printed program.
  • Felipe Gasper
    Posts: 804
    He may be justifying that on the grounds that the Sacramentary doesn’t say all the lights are to go on before the Exsultet.

    This actually is a rubric that I have a hard time understanding. The Gloria at the EV is a “liturgical morning”, as I understand it; if you compare the modern EV to the EF Mass, you notice that the LotW from the Gloria through the Gospel has the same form. The Gloria marks the end of the “vigil” and the beginning of the “Mass”, so to speak.
  • Jan
    Posts: 242
    Schola sang the Exultet. Lights on after. (Pastor's call on lights...parish tradition).
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