Q: Attended an Easter vigil at a different parish this year. A couple of observation…
For the initial readings …the parish used four creation, Abraham, Exodus and springs of living water… three per brought out music stands and stood in front of the congregation… each reading was a paraphrased synopsis mostly sung versions of the Biblical texts and no accompanying Psalms or prayers. Between each segment was a brief pause followed by a phrase like “ later in time” as a bridge to the next portion. All took less than 15 minutes and felt very cursory presentation and lost the richness of the vigil readings. . The parish only had about 10 baptisms so were not pressed for time. Leaving the vigil mentioned this to the deacon and he laughed at me and made no comment.
At confirmation instead of making a cross on the forehead of each person, the priest poured the oil in their hair and slathered it around aggressively to the point people in congregation were laughing.
This same parish only washed the feet of the ten people being baptized at the vigil on Holy Thursday, so the symbolism of Jesus washing the feet of the twelve apostles was lost.
Your comments please on these observations Your column is so appreciated!
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A: For some reason over many years, the Holy Week liturgies, rich in tradition, have attracted inconsistent innovations. It’s one reason I wrote my book Glory in the Cross.
The scripture readings obviously should be proclaimed as they appear in the bible. It’s prideful to think you can improve on sacred scripture through paraphrase.
The Order of Confirmation no. 27 says the minister dips the tip of his right thumb in chrism and makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the one being confirmed. There are historical examples of more elaborate usages of oil, and one could argue that the anointing is not limited to a cross on the forehead, but for the sake of consistency, decorum, and tradition, it’s best to keep to the instructions.
However, on Holy Thursday, the rubrics have never required a specific number of individuals for the footwashing—not 12 or any other number. I responded to a similar question here https://paulturner.org/foot-washing/. That said, limiting footwashing to the elect reinterprets the symbol. In my view, it’s more favorable for the priest to wash the feet of a broader range of people.
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