Happy Easter!!!!!

So last night my family and I went to Easter vigil Mass.  It's an amazing Mass.  Not just because Jesus is risen, that's a huge and main part of it, but also because people who have decided to become Catholic, who have been studying for eight months, become Catholic.  It's about a 2 1/2 hour Mass.  It's so beautiful that parts of it bring me to tears.

In order to explain why I get so emotional during this Mass, I have to back up a few days to Holy Thursday.  The Priest, our amazing Fr. Tim, strips the altar at the end of service.  All the candles on the altar are extinguished.  The tabernacle is open and empty and the light in front of the tabernacle is extinguished as well.  This is all done in preparation for Jesus' death.  He's no longer in the tabernacle He is gone.  This part just breaks my heart and I was crying at this part of the Mass too.  Then, right before Mass last night,  they prepare the altar!  Oh, it made my heart sing with joy!  And, while the rest of the church is singing and thinking whatever thoughts they were thinking, I was glued to the candle in front of the tabernacle.  I waited and then, there it was...an altar server was lighting the candle!  Jesus is coming!!!!!  He's about to be risen!!!!!  I was so excited!!!!!

I got emotional confirming my baptismal promises, I got emotional watching those about to become catholic get baptized or confirmed.  Then, this one particular moment, the first person, a rather tall gentlemen, to get baptized, after he was baptized he turned to his sponsor and they embraced.  It was such a touching moment.  There were husbands sponsoring their wives, wives sponsoring their husbands and others. But I don't know who was smiling more the sponsors or the candidates!  It was so very moving!  At one point, the whole ceremony made me wish for a brief minute that I wasn't born Catholic.  That I could be a part of something so cool and come into the church like this.  But, then I realized, I was a part of it, I got to confirm my baptismal promises, I got to state my profession of faith, I got to participate!  HOW COOL IS THAT!!!????!!!!


Then, there came a point towards the end of the Mass, we were singing.  I'm not sure exactly what song it happened during, but at one point, my heart was so filled with love and joy that I could not contain it.  There was a point when my soul almost separates from me.  My soul is so filled with praise for my God, for Jesus.  I couldn't help but look up in praise and wonder and I could not stop smiling.  I cannot express enough how cool this moment was.  My soul was lifting itself up!  It was so amazingly beautiful I could not help but cry.  I looked up to God and I said to Him "I don't know why you love me.  I have no idea why.  But, I am so very glad that you do!"  I'm a sinner, I'm so not perfect, I constantly make mistakes.  I fall, a lot.  And, He loves me still!  HOW COOL IS THAT???!!!

Last night was amazing!  Christ is risen!!!!!!!  Happy Easter!!!!!





Until next time,

Happy Easter!!!!!!

Love,
Me