Grassroots Liturgist

For some of you reading this reflection, especially if you live in and around the tropics, a little context may be needed.   Our parish is in the north of England.   In winters we have very short daylight hours – sunrise ~8:20am and sunset around 3:50pm.   Conversely, our summer daylight hours are long – sunrise ~4:38am and sunset ~9:40pm.   So the start of our Easter Vigil can vary greatly depending on how late or early Easter falls.   Some of you will have noticed that the Easter Vigil this year starts a little later.   Why is this? Easter is a moveable feast.   If you want the technical bit, it occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Yes, I also had to read that twice!! That by itself, however, does not tell us why our Easter Vigil starts a little later. The Church teaches very strongly that it should be held ONLY during the hours of darkness: “ The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes pla...

  “ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel .” (Lk 24:21) These are the words of the two disciples making their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus.   Their hearts were bereft and their minds clouded in confusion because of what had happened over the last few days. Let’s try to understand and enter their desolation. Jesus had been preaching and teaching for maybe three years.   But in that time, a great multitude had become his followers – his disciples.   They left their homes, the security of all they knew, to follow him – to sit at his feet and listen to his words. Ask yourself whether there is there anyone that you would do that for? And why it was that they did?   We get an idea from the Gospels… “ And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes .” (Mt 7:28-29 & Mk 1:22) It was no earthly authority that Jesus had – that’s...