7 May 2025
With the arrival of the Fourth Sunday of Easter this Sunday, we will be half-way through the fifty days of Eastertide. Ascension Thursday is May 29 this year, forty days after Easter, and the joyful conclusion of Easter is the Feast of Pentecost on June 8, fifty days after Easter.
Similar to Easter Day, the Feast of Pentecost is also celebrated with a Vigil. The Easter Vigil has been celebrated for many years at St. Mark’s, and it is popular. It begins with the Lighting of the New Fire and candle-lighting after which the Exsultet is sung, announcing the new life that has come. Then up to seven readings from the Hebrew Scriptures are proclaimed, after which the congregation gathers at the Baptismal Font for Holy Baptisms and the Renewal of Baptismal Vows. The first mass of Easter follows, and at St. Mark’s there is always a reception afterwards.
The Pentecost Vigil is similar to the Easter Vigil, but because Easter Day is a greater feast than Pentecost Day, the Vigil of Pentecost reflects such ranking. The Vigil of Pentecost does not begin with a New Fire Ceremony, as that is done only at the Easter Vigil, but it does feature four readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, as well as an Epistle and a Gospel, outlining the Holy Spirit’s presence from the beginning of the creation to the present. Baptisms are also appropriate, along with the Renewal of Baptismal Vows.
For the first time from what I can gather, St. Mark’s will celebrate the Vigil of Pentecost on Saturday, June 7 at 4:00 pm. A parish potluck follows the mass in the Parish Hall. The Liturgy and Formation Ministry has desired to offer the Vigil of Pentecost for years now, and this will be the year. For those who attend both the Easter Vigil and Easter Day masses, the same concept holds true for the Vigil of Pentecost and Pentecost Day. The rites and readings of the vigil and the day are rich in variety, so if you attend both, you will experience the fullness of the Pentecost feast.
Father Paul Lillie +
