The Great Vigil of Easter

The Great Vigil — Easter's equivalent of Christmas's Eve — was the ancient gathering of believers in the hours of darkness to hear scripture and offer prayer. Initially a night-long service ending at dawn, this practice of prayerful watching anticipated the baptisms that would come at first light. Easter was the primary baptismal baptismal occasion for the early church, and still today, whether we celebrate a baptism during the Vigil or not, we reaffirm our own baptismal vows after hearing the record of God's saving deeds in history. In this way, we further link the meanings of Christ's dying and rising to our understanding of our own baptisms.