Easter Even

Today was a relaxed day compared to the previous six of Holy Week. I only travelled to church once, and I only worked for a couple of hours. In fact, today was too relaxed; I waited too long to leave for church this evening and, consequently, arrived a few minutes late for Evensong.

I think Fr. McGrath and Bill were ready to go on without me, but I vested anyway. Bill read the service and I read the lessons. Like all of the lessons during Holy Week, they were outstanding.

The first lesson was from Job xix, at the end of which Job expresses his faith in the bodily resurrection and of being in the physical presence of his Lord at the end of the world.

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Job xix. 24-25.

The second lesson, from Romans vi, was St. Paul's wonderful explication of what it means to be baptized into our Lord, how it means we are also "baptized into his death" so that we are "freed from sin." The lesson builds to St. Paul's powerful, if not difficult, challenge:

"For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans vi. 10-11.

Sounds easy, until you really ponder its meaning. The first half of the next verse, I think, would have been a nice addition, and would have driven home the implication: "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body."

After the conclusion of Evensong, I put the cassock and surplice up and returned to the pews for the remainder of the service: the Lighting of the New Fire, Ante-Communion, and renewal of our Baptismal vows. We actually gathered in the narthex, where I noticed that Fr. McGrath had change into his alb and cope, and Bill into his alb. (The change from cassock and surplice to alb seemed very appropriate, and brought to my mind the catechumens of old, dressed all in white on Holy Saturday, fasting and being exorcised, awaiting Baptism at at the break of dawn).

I've never actually attended an enkindling of the paschal candle; the church of my youth was quite "low." It was disucssed and demonstrated briefly at the Scott School, but only briefly. I must say that it was a new and wonderful experience. I particularly relished Fr. McGrath's singing of the Exultet. I just closed my eyes and drifted off, carried by the tune and the mighty words.

Another highlight of the evening was singing the Phos Hilaron. I say signing, but for me it was really more like baying. I sing poorly in general, but I especially struggle with the Phos Hilaron. It's sad, especially, because I enjoy it so much.

After Ante-Communion, we corporately renewed our Baptismal vows. I'm not sure where Fr. McGrath obtained this short liturgy (or whether he himself composed it), but it was basically the Apostles' Creed as challenges and responses. It was very nice, and was another liturgical "extra" I've not previously experienced.

As I left the parish, I heard the beautiful sounds of Kathy's harp and Fr. McGrath's tenor preparing for the morning Mass.

Alas! I just realized that I forgot to take my St. Augustine's prayer book with me tonight to read the Stations of the Cross. Ah well, it'll be a devotion for next Friday, I suppose.