Worship in the Crossroads: Easter 2023

Worship CROSSROADS

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This is the Night

When you think of a “holy night” at church, your mind probably goes to Christmas. Candlelight Christmas services and Midnight Mass are probably some of the most beloved among Christians. Indeed, going to the church when it is dark outside can be a special experience. There is both spiritual and physical brightness within the walls of a hallowed church building during such occasions when stained glass windows are dark when looking at them from the inside, but glow radiantly from the outside. To see them going to and from the church is a beautiful sight.

Although it is not as common or well known, the religious observance of the Resurrection during the night before Easter Sunday is truly the mother and most ancient of Christian religious vigils. It is the greatest and most noble of all church celebrations.

The Easter Vigil is THE night. The Roman Missal states: “By most ancient tradition, this is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Exodus 12:42), in which, following the Gospel admonition (Luke 12: 35-37), the faithful, carrying lighted lamps in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when he returns, so that at his coming he may find them awake and have them sit at his table.”

In the Catholic Church, this vigil consists of four parts:

I. The Lucernarium (Service of Light)

II. The Liturgy of the Word

III. The Baptismal Liturgy

IV. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Lucernarium (Service of Light)

The Easter Vigil begins in the dark, with a fire which is blessed and with the preparation of a large candle known as the paschal (Easter) candle. The fire brings light to a darkened world. It symbolizes the heavenly desires that Jesus graces to the world to bring us out of darkness. It is the flame of faith. The paschal candle, then lit, signifies the Light of Christ, after a procession in the darkened church, every baptized individual receives this flame from Christ’s candle, which brightens the darkened church, and, then, the lights of the church itself are lit (or turned on by electric switch). Finally, an ancient prayer is sung called the Exsultet, which is both a proclamation to the people and an offering to God of this night and this candle as a participation in Jesus’ Resurrection.

The Liturgy of the Word

This aspect of the Easter Vigil is familiar to almost all Christians

in their worship, for it is primarily the reading of Sacred Scripture. However, for this night, it takes an extended form. Between three and seven Old Testament readings from the Law and the Prophets are proclaimed, each followed by a Psalm and a prayer. After the last Old Testament reading, the Gloria is sung while bells are rung and the altar candles are lit. Then the Epistle is read. The Alleluia is first heard in the church since its burial at the beginning of Lent and the Gospel of the Resurrection is heard. Yes, all of these scripture readings take some time, but we are awaiting the Lord and rejoicing in His Resurrection through His Word. After the Gospel, the homily (or sermon) is given.

The Baptismal Liturgy

The Easter Vigil is traditionally the time when adults are baptized into the Faith of Jesus Christ. Even if a parish does not have any such baptisms, elements from the baptismal liturgy are still included, like the Litany of Saints, the blessing of Holy water, the renewal of our baptismal promises and the sprinkling of the people with Holy water while holding their lit candles as a reminder of their own baptism. Converts are often received into the church at this time, and the sacrament of Confirmation is conferred.

The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The Eucharist is the summit of the participation in the life of Christ here on earth, so there is a special joy for Christians to celebrate this sacrament at Easter and for the newly baptized to receive Christ’s Body and Blood. As the sacred three days began with the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, the sacrifice of Christ’s Body and Blood is given its glorious elevation within the celebration of the rising of Jesus from the grave.

The night of Easter is indeed full of light and holy power. It dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.

May you know and experience the grace of Easter this year.

TheRev.KristopherFuchs

The Rev. Kristopher Fuchs is the pastor of St. Mary’s Church in downtown Victoria. St. Mary’s is Victoria’s first church and has her origins in 1824 through the city’s founder, Martin De Leon. St. Mary’s was canonically erected as a parish church in 1840 and is the second oldest Catholic parish in the state of Texas. Completed in 1904, the current church building, along with the neighboring Nazareth Convent, is one of Victoria’s great architectural, cultural and spiritual treasures.

HOLYWEEK & EASTER SCHEDULE

Palm Sunday

Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 pm

Sunday Mass at 8:00 am

Sunday Mass at 10:30 am

Holy THurSday Mass at 7:30 pm

Good Friday

Ser vice at 12:00 noon

EaSTEr ViGil

Mass at 8:00 pm

EaSTEr Sunday Mass at 8:00 am

Mass at 10:30 am

http://www.stmvictoria.org/

at the corner of Church St. and Main St. in downtown Victoria

The resurrection’s power touches us now

By The Very Rev. Jacob Koether, For The Catholic Lighthouse

My favorite liturgical season of the year is the tiny one between Lent and Easter called the Triduum, from the Latin meaning “three days.” It’s the season made up of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, when we commemorate the Last Supper, the crucifixion, and the first dawning of the light of the resurrection.

On Holy Thursday, the priest washes the feet of 12 people and, after Mass, there is a Eucharistic procession to a place of reposition that reminds us of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

On Good Friday, we have the proclamation of John’s Passion Narrative and the veneration of the cross.

And at the Easter Vigil, there is the blessing of the Easter fire, the extended liturgy of the Word, new Catholics receiving sacraments of initiation, the triple Alleluia, the renewal of baptismal promises, and the singing of the Easter Proclamation.

If you have never been to the liturgies celebrated during the Triduum, I would highly recommend that you try to go at least one time in your life. Even better, go every year and make it a fixed part of your spiritual life.

I think what I like most about the Triduum is that it brings to my attention so clearly the power of the liturgy to take us out of time. And I don’t mean that it is so exciting that it makes us forget about time. What I’m referring to is a mysterious principle that’s always operative in the liturgy, but I seem to notice it more during those sacred three days, i.e., that the saving works of God throughout history (the past) as well as the anticipation of their fulfillment at the end of time (the future) are made present in their application to us today (now).

The events of salvation aren’t just stories that we hear about from the Bible. The rituals aren’t just interesting ways to memorialize the cultural practices of our ancestors. They enable us to participate with everyone up and down the generations in the common experience of God’s saving power radiating from His eternity. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Easter Proclamation, or the Exultet, which is sung at the Easter Vigil.

In this ancient prayer, as the light from our candles fills the darkened church, Easter’s arrival in our “now” is proclaimed: “Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven … sound aloud our

mighty King’s triumph! Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal King. … Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice, arrayed with the lightning of his glory, let this holy building shake with joy, filled with the mighty voices of the peoples.”

The resurrection isn’t an event 2000 years ago that we’re merely calling to mind. Its power touches us now. The prayer continues: “This is the night, when once you led our forebears, Israel’s children, from slavery in Egypt and made them pass dry-shod through the Red Sea. This is the night that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of sin. This is the night that, even now, throughout the world, sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin, leading them to grace and joining them to his holy ones. This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.”

This is the night, the moment, when Jesus reaches out from His eternity and shines the light of His resurrection into the darkness of our souls. We stand with the family of Noah, the Israelites freed from slavery, all those loyal to the anointed King David, the exiles returning home from Babylon, the apostolic witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection, and all the saints that have been filled with the Holy Spirit since the day of Pentecost. We are joined by them now as God gathers us up into the power of His saving love.

The Exultet makes it clear, but this happens in every Mass even outside the season of the Triduum. Every time we go to Mass, we are invited to be gathered up into God’s timelessness and renewed in His saving love.

Every time the priest prays over the bread and wine, Jesus reaches out from His eternity to enter our “now.”

Every time we receive His Precious Body and Blood in the Eucharist, the risen and living Jesus shines His light into our darkness.

Let Him bring you back to life. Jesus is risen! Alleluia!

The Very Rev. Jacob Koether is the Episcopal Vicar of Catechesis and Evangelization for the Diocese of Victoria. He is also the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows and Capilla de la Santisima Trinidad.

Dioceseof Victoria in Texas

God i li h

I H h r i r ll l In Him h r e r kn t ll

G h .

“Weproclaim to you THE ETERNAL LIFE,which was with the Father and was made manifest to us -- that which we haveseen and heard we proclaimalso to you, so that youmay have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

(1 John 1:2-3)

Christians prepare to celebrate Christ’s resurrection

Alleluia! Alleluia! Next Sunday, April 9th we will celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the day when Christian believers throughout the world will gather to rejoice in Christ’s victory over sin and death.

This is the day that begins a 50-day celebratory period where we no longer hold to our Lenten penances, but rather celebrate and rejoice that the chains of our sin have been broken.

Here is when an inexpressible joy radiates from our Christian hearts, and homage is paid for the redemption that had been purchased for us by the shedding of Jesus’ blood on Good Friday.

Therefore, it is our duty that during this sacred time we praise Jesus Christ with great glory and honor as we enter into his passion, death, and resurrection.

The Rev. Jacob Mendoza, pastor of St. Michael’s Catholic Church and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Cuero, invites you to join the Catholic Community of Cuero in their Holy Week liturgies.

The Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper will begin at 7 p.m. at St.

Holy Week Schedule

Thur 4/67:00PM Mass of the Lords Supper St Michael’s Adoration and Confessions until midnight

Fri. 4/712:00PM Living Stations OLG

3:00PM The Lord’s Passion St Michael’s 6:00PM Tenebrae Service OLG

Sat. 4/88:00PM Easter Vigil St. Michael’s

Sun. 4/98:00AM Easter Mass OLG

Bi-Lingual Mass

10:00AM Easter Mass St. Michael’s English/Latin Ad Orientem

St. Michael’s Catholic Church

309 E Church St, Cuero, TX 77954

Our Lady of Guadalupe

705 W. Broadway, Cuero, TX 77954

Michael’s followed by adoration and confession until midnight. Prior to Mass a simple Lamb supper will be served in the parish hall at 5:30 p.m.

On Good Friday, our confirmation candidates will host living Stations of the Cross at noon at Our Lady of Guadalupe. At 3 p.m., St. Michael’s will have the Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord. At 6 p.m., a Tenebrae Service commemorating the burial of Jesus will be at Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Our Easter liturgies begin at 8 p.m. Holy Saturday with the Solemn Easter Vigil celebrated at St. Michael’s with the blessing of the Easter fire. During this sacred three-hour liturgy new members will be brought into the Catholic faith receiving baptism and confirmation.

On Easter Sunday, a bi-lingual Mass will be celebrated at 8 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe. Additionally, at 10 a.m. Easter Sunday, a special Latin/English Mass will be celebrated at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. The Mass will be celebrated ad orientem on the restored high altar, the Eucharistic Prayer will be recited in Latin, and an option to receive holy communion under both kinds will be given at the communion rails.

Please join us for these sacred liturgies as we approach Christ’s glorious resurrection.

Easter greetings from state Rep. Geanie W. Morrison

Dear Friends,

A very Happy Easter to you and your loved ones. In this beautiful time of year, as we celebrate the gift of new life through our risen Lord and Savior, I count it as a particular blessing to be part of our wonderful community here in District 30.

Spending time with family, neighbors and friends on such a special occasion is something to be treasured.

As each of you celebrate your own Easter traditions, from the inspiration of sacred church services to the fun of egg hunts, cascarones, and visits from the Easter Bunny, I wish you a holiday that is meaningfully-marked by the joy and hope of the spring season.

May the Lord be with you this Easter and in the year to come.

Most sincerely,

Geanie W. Morrison State Representative

Did you know?

Courtesy of Metro

Celebrations of Easter Sunday Mass are known for their joyous nature regardless of where Christians happen to be. But few, if any, celebrations of Mass can match the scope of the celebration in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the public celebration to be canceled in 2020 and 2021, but it returned in 2022. A sizable number of celebrants returned along with it, as estimates suggested around 50,000 people were on hand to celebrate Easter Sunday Mass on the plaza directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica on April 17, 2022.

Pope Francis led the Mass, which was concelebrated with 280 priests, 25 bishops and 23 cardinals. But the crowd attending Mass was just the beginning, as Pope Francis later delivered his Urbi et Orbi benediction, a papal address and apostolic blessing the pope delivers on solemn occasions, from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica before an estimated crowd of 100,000.

Share Easter joy at Trinity Lutheran Church

Do these uncertain times give you pause for thought? Did some of your thoughts go to the deeper questions about life and relationships? Or you may ask, “Just where is God in all of this, anyway?”

If so, Trinity Lutheran is the place for you. Our roots go deep into the rich history of Victoria. Our prayers rise high above the rooftops to the very ear of God. Our arms are outstretched to welcome our neighbors – both friends and strangers.

Jesus tells all who are tired and heavy laden to come to him and they will find rest for their souls. Find mental, emotional, social and spiritual rest with us this Easter and connect or reconnect with what is most im-

portant to your wellbeing. Find God in your life through worship, Bible study, fellowship, and service to others.

We invite you to share the joy of the Risen Christ with us this Easter Sunday, April 9. Worship begins at 8 a.m. in our chapel and 10:30 a.m. in our main sanctuary. Sunday School begins at 9:15 a.m. You may also participate virtually at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Facebook Group or You Tube.

We are located at 106 N. DeLeon St., Victoria. We would love to get acquainted and learn about you as you learn about us. Have a blessed Easter.

Trini

He is risen!

All are welcome -comeasyou are!

10:30 AM -Easter Sunday -April 9, 2023

How did Easter get its name?

Christians and even many non-Christians likely know that Easter is the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Less widely known may be the origins of the name of this significant holiday. Historians are not certain about the precise origins of the name “Easter.”

Some believe the name can be traced to the English monk Bede, often referred to as “St. Bede the Venerable” or “The Venerable Bede.” According to History.com, in his most famous work, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, Bede asserts that the English word “Easter” can be traced to “Eostre” or “Eostrae,” which is the pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. Many historians past and present echo this sentiment and believe Eostre is the namesake of Easter.

However, others believe “Easter” comes from the Latin phrase “in albis,” which is plural for “alba” (dawn). That phrase became “eostarum” in Old High German, a language that historians have connected to Old English. Though which camp is correct may never be resolved, there’s no denying that the word “Easter” represents the same spirit of rebirth that Christians celebrate each spring.

Courtesy of Metro

The significance of various symbols of Easter

Courtesy of Metro

Easter Sunday is a day when Christians across the globe celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Data from the Pew Research Center indicates there are approximately 2.4 billion Christians across the globe, which accounts for nearly one-third of the global population.

Though certain Christians groups do not celebrate Easter, many consider it the holiest day of the year. Given that significance, it’s no surprise Easter is steeped in symbolism. The following are some of the many symbols of Easter and what they represent to faithful Christians across the globe.

EGGS

Eggs might now be more instantly associated with Easter egg hunts for children, but the American Bible Society notes that eggs are symbolic of more than just fun for kids. Eggs represent the new life that’s symbolic of spring, which is when Easter occurs in the northern hemisphere. Christians view eggs as a reminder of the resurrection of Jesus. Interestingly, though colored eggs are often seen as a fun Easter activity for kids, the ABS notes that the tradition dates back to the early days of Christianity, when red-colored eggs were used to represent the resurrection.

CRUCIFIX

The crucifix, which is a distinct representation of a cross with Jesus

Christ on it, is symbolic of the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus. The ABS notes that the resurrection of Jesus symbolizes his victory over the power of sin and death.

THE LAMB

Jesus is referred to in the Bible as the “Lamb of God” (Revelation 5:6-14), so the lamb is another important Easter symbol for Christians. In addition, in John (1:29), Jesus is referred to by John the Baptist as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

EASTER BUNNY

Another symbol, like Easter eggs, that people could be forgiven for mistaking as purely secular, the Easter Bunny is not entirely separate from the spiritual meaning of the holiday. As noted, Easter, even though it’s a moveable feast, takes place in spring in the northern hemisphere each year. Spring is symbolic of rebirth, and the hare was a symbol of fertility among the ancient pagans. The spirit of rebirth associated with rabbits, particularly in spring, also is reminiscent of the resurrection of Jesus from his tomb.

Easter is celebrated across the globe. Those celebrations feature many significant religious symbols that have withstood the test of time.

Allare invited to worship with Christ in the Countr yShared Ministr y Come celebratethe giftofResurrec tion and the promise of eternal lifeinChrist Jesus with us this Easter Morning

11:00am Easter worship celebrating the RisenChrist

9:00am Easter morning celebration with Easter egg huntand fellowship forall ages immediately following

Sunrise Service7:00am. Easter egg hunt and fellowship following forall ages

10:00am Resurrec tion Service

The days of Holy Week

Courtesy of Metro

Easter Sunday is often described as the holiest day on the Christian calendar. A day when Christians across the globe commemorate and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday is the culmination of the Lenten season of sacrifice. Easter Sunday comes on the heels of Holy Week, which is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity.

Holy Week consists of various days that have their own special significance in the minds and hearts of Christians.

PALM SUNDAY

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Trinity College at the University of Melbourne notes that Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, where he was greeted with crowds that enthusiastically waved palm branches. In commemoration of that entry and greeting, Christians receive palm branches or palm crosses during Palm Sunday Mass.

HOLY WEDNESDAY

Once known as “Spy Wednesday,” Holy Wednesday focuses on the darkness of Holy Week and is meant to symbolize the abandonment of Jesus by his disciples. The religious service of Tenebrae, which is a Latin word meaning “darkness” or “shadows,” is typically observed during Holy Wednesday services.

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Washing of the Feet (Maundy) and the

Last Supper. The Last Supper is the final meal Jesus shared with his apostles prior to his crucifixion. Christian scriptures indicate that, during the Last Supper, Jesus predicted his betrayal by one of the apostles present at the meal. It was also during the Last Supper when Jesus foretells that Peter will deny knowing him three times before the next morning. Trinity College notes that Maundy Thursday reminds Christians of the new commandment that Jesus gave his disciples. That commandment was to love others as Jesus has loved them.

GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday commemorates the trial of Jesus, his subsequent sentence of death, his torture, his crucifixion, and burial. Non-Christians may wonder why a day commemorating such events would be characterized as “good,” but Trinity College notes that, in this sense, the word “good” is meant to connote something “holy” or “pious.”

HOLY SATURDAY

Holy Saturday marks the conclusion of Holy Week. Celebrations of Holy Saturday typically include a late-night Easter Vigil service that involves a liturgy and ultimately the celebration of the Eucharist. The two-part celebration is designed to commemorate the emergence from darkness into the light that is the Eucharist.

Holy Week is a significant period for Christians across the globe that commemorates many of the events that preceded the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Embrace the cross year 'round for its entirety

By Jim Graff, Pastor, Faith Family Church

The cross. It’s a symbol we see a lot this time of year. On it, Jesus uttered a phrase that changed our lives and eternities forever. Through heavy breaths and blood-stained lips He said, “It… is… finished.”

And with His last breath, the sacrifice was complete.

Jesus’ followers’ hearts shattered as they stared at their Savior hanging on two wooden, rugged beams—His face unrecognizable and His body lifeless.

Each time I gaze at a picture of that cross, the two beams remind me of two integral pieces of our Savior’s story—one complete and one continual.

The vertical beam, pointing upward, reminds me of connection—Jesus connecting us with God for eternity. The horizontal beam, pointing outward, speaks of a commissioning to us all. It reminds us how we’re to live on the earth.

Together, these beams tell me that though “It is finished,” His love is not. The great sacrifice is complete, but His love is to live on through us.

Jesus made this clear when He appeared to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection. Mary visited Jesus’ tomb to prepare His body for burial. When she got there, she found the stone rolled away and His body missing. She began frantically searching for Him. As she searched, she ran into Jesus, whom she thought was a gardener.

John 20:15-17 records their conversation: “He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’… She said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’…

Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’’”

Through this conversation, Jesus gives three ways we can honor the cross in its entirety. The first is to understand His attitude toward us. Even in her unbelief, Jesus spoke tenderly to Mary, calling her by name. In the same way, Jesus wants us to understand His great, personal love for us.

The second way is to act on Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus told Mary not to cling to Him but to go instead to the disciples. He didn’t want her to only focus on the vertical beam, but on the horizontal one as well. She had connected with Jesus’ love; now, she was being commissioned

The third way is to continually abide in Jesus, letting His love lead us to love others. Jesus wanted Mary to make it clear to the disciples: His love wasn’t done, and ours isn’t to be, either.

This Easter season and beyond, I pray we all embrace the cross in its entirety—thanking our Savior for His great sacrifice, and extending to others the same sacrificial love. Though it is finished, His love is not!