Religious Holidays

The celebration takes place on December 25^th, as we all know. This event is so important that it requires great preparation. That’s why we use the four preceding Sundays to help us enter into this celebration. This period is called Advent. (This word comes from the Latin adventus, which means “coming.”) During this time, we share the hope of the people of the Old Covenant who were waiting for the coming of the Messiah. We draw our attention to the Advent wreath, where we light a candle each Sunday. The candles burn until the coming of the Messiah.

On the day of the celebration, there are two main times: night and day. You’ve likely been to or heard of midnight Mass, which is now held throughout the evening. The Gospel tells us that the shepherds heard the good news of the birth of the Messiah in the middle of the night. At Notre-Dame Basilica, we have three evening celebrations. The first, in recognition of Jesus arriving as a child, is geared toward families, with a special focus on children. There is a live Nativity scene, where young people are invited to illustrate the proclamation of the Gospel. The other two Masses have a more solemn tone, with a more elaborate musical selection.

Two other celebrations should be mentioned here. On January 1^st, we celebrate St. Mary Mother of God. The collaboration of the Virgin Mary was indispensable for the Son of God’s coming to earth. We thank the Lord for implementing his plan of salvation.

The following Sunday, we celebrate Epiphany. Following the humble shepherds who came on Christmas night were wise men from a distant land. God wanted salvation for all of humanity. We are gladdened by this very good news.

Easter Vigil begins in the evening on Holy Saturday. The word says it all; we keep a vigil. This celebration lasts longer than the ones we’re used to. The church is first plunged into half-light then complete darkness. A new fire is then lit. This makes us think about how Jesus Christ’s victory shines a light on our darkness. The Paschal candle is lit from this fire followed by the candle of each person in attendance. It’s a bit like the good news of the Resurrection being spread across the world. When standing vigil around the fire, sometimes there’s singing. Then Easter hymns will rise to acclaim the victory of God’s love.

Next, we’ll take a look back at history. We hear about the events in the history of the people of Israel that set the stage for what we’re celebrating. If you’re willing to stay awake, you could hear up to seven readings from the Old Testament. We usually listen to three or four at the Basilica. The central fact that is brought up is the crossing of the Red Sea, which marked the liberation of the Hebrew people in Egypt. Each of the readings is accompanied by a Psalm and a prayer that highlights the links between these ancient events and the new events Jesus Christ had a part in. The hymn for the crossing of the Red Sea is impressive.

After this series of readings, the organ, which has been very quiet since Holy Thursday, plays once again to invite us to sing Glory to God. Next we will hear a reading from a letter of Saint Paul that talks about baptism, since Easter Vigil is organized, among other things, to welcome newly baptized people. Then we’ll hear the Gospel of Resurrection.

The focus will then shift to water, since as we’ve mentioned baptisms will be performed. We will take the time to solemnly bless this water. The priest will go over the historical events we mentioned above and ask the Lord to act now on behalf of the newly baptized. For adult baptisms, it will be accompanied by confirmation.

Attendees, having acted as witnesses, will be invited to renew their baptismal promises. Then the priest will walk among them and sprinkle them with baptismal water.

The Eucharist that will follow will therefore be the first communion for newly baptized people.

On Easter Day, we look at the same wonder from a different perspective. The Gospel leads us to the empty tomb. Jesus Christ’s resurrection is not a spectacular event but a reality that our faith provides. Saint John, who told us about his visit to the empty tomb, was able to recognize the signs: “he saw and believed,” says the Bible. This Mass has a unique solemnity to it due to its music and singing.

Forty days later, we’re invited to celebrate the Ascent of Jesus Christ. (In fact, the 40th day would put us on Thursday. In many countries including ours, this celebration is postponed to the following Sunday to allow for more people to take part.) It’s Jesus Christ’s last appearance. With him our humanity enters into the glory of heaven. The apostles were a little bewildered by this departure. Jesus Christ had promised that he would be with us until the end of time…but in other ways. One of these ways is that he will be with us through the actions of the Church. This last remark leads us to the next event.

We’re now on the 50th day (that’s what Pentecost means). There is a holiday with this name on the Jewish calendar. On that day, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles in quite a spectacular way through tongues of fire, and everyone present could understand the apostles despite all speaking different languages. Friends of Jesus Christ, who had been quiet up until then, boldly set out to spread the Good News. It’s a celebration that marks the beginning of the Church’s mission, which continues to this day.

The candle that was central to the Easter Vigil will disappear at that moment. The last day of this period will also be marked at the end of this celebration. Hallelujah, which had not been heard during Lent, has resounded in a special way since Easter. To mark the end of this period, it will be present even in the way worshippers are greeted.

It’s a very festive 50 days, inviting us to take in the Good News. God, our Father, loved us to the point of sending his Son to achieve our salvation, and he himself sends us his spirit so that we can live by it.