[Magdalen] Easter Vigil.

[M J _Mike_ Logsdon]

My first Easter Vigil of significance was Roman Catholic, during my brief phase in 1995 of trying to convert.  It was at St Angela's, Pacific Grove, in order to see a friend and co-worker become a full-fledged member.  The main memory of that evening was one newbie who, in the space of that one evening, experienced four (4) sacraments:  baptism, confirmation, communion, and matrimony.  (The last of which was kept from the audience till it happened, for effect.)

Upon my return to Pisky-ism, at St John's, Monterey (1928), my experiences were more sedate, especially as they were afternoon services only, of meditations on the Seven Last Words (Old Fowlke, can't stay up too late ;-).

And then I got ordained Old Roman.  What code-violating experiences I took part in in my Abp's chapel in Prunedale.  Sheesh.  Easter Vigil was always wacky.  The opening act was of course in darkness, candles only, with the Lighting of the Holy Wheelbarrow.  Yard clippings, random kitchen garbage, and sparks flying everywhere.  But the Christ candle would get lit, the Exsultet would be sung by the only priest able and willing, and of course the incense.  In a windows-shut non-circulating chapel (nearly midnight in North County, at least back then, could be quite chill).  After we clergy'd get settled around the altar, and people could no longer stifle their choked coughing, I'd catch the eye of a parishioner and with a firm glance point at the window near him, then gesture all around to indicate all the windows, and mouth "OPEN!"  (The Abp was in his own world, which they were used to, but they also knew it when I meant business.)  Once open, what had become a thick haze of white smoke would begin to dissipate and people would start appearing a bit more comfortable (as comfortable as one could be on thin, hard metal folding chairs for an hour or more).

Ah, the memories.  Ah, the virtual atheism that resulted!