The Vigil

[cornerofmadness]

There are some times when you can just look under those Catholic cassocks and see their pagan roots. I try to go to the vigil since I'm not much on mornings and I like the fire ritual. I THINK there was a new priest this time. He looked younger, thinner, happier than the last one (should research this). I was hoping he might keep it reasonable. The priest that's been here wants to do ALL seven readings (this is about 3 hours hard pew sitting). I usually can't make it. Tonight I was going to try but between the sheer pain sitting on those pews and my blood sugar diving for the dirt, I had to bail.

Anyhow, that fire ritual, first we start a fire with flint and steel ideally. There is a prayer for the new fire, sort of the fire of the new year as for the Catholic church Easter is the beginning to the liturigal year. Then out comes this white candle as long as your arm. It will be on the altar all year. A blessing is chanted while the priest carves symbols and the year into the candle (hello, candle magic, I see you there). The candle is then ritually light with a wick. The wick is then hurriedly put in the incense burner starting it on fire too. The incense blesses the candle, then all of us light our candles from this candle and parade around and into the church. More blessings as the candle goes to the altar, some singing, some blessing us with that incense censor and then mass begins.

You don't have to look hard to see the pagan origins of the Catholic church some days.