A Quiet Easter Vigil

Of all the Holy Week-Easter posts, the Easter Vigil is always the most difficult to create by far. There are the traditions of Easter Vigil, and then there is our Easter Saturday – two completely different observations.

While I would love to observe this long, somber day from a traditional, faith based perspective, rarely is that possible. Often when it comes to Christmas and Easter, we make choices between what the Holy Days mean to us and the reality of spending that time with my extended family. If left on our own, Hubby and I would spend the holidays differently – enriched with traditions and faith. While Hubby and I are both cradle Catholics, we are the only practicing Catholics remaining in our immediate families. Our siblings have abandoned their Catholic heritage. My youngest sister, who hosts the holidays each year, is a sister by marriage. That is not to say she is any less a sister. We just don’t have the same childhood traditions. Her mother, now my Dad’s soon to be ex-wife, is practicing Southern Baptist. Her daughter (my sister) has no religious association. She believes in Jesus, just not in the idea of attending Sunday services or observing any religious practices. She is of the school of thought that if you accept Jesus and are a decent person, that you don’t go around killing anyone, that’s really all it takes to get into heaven. Her husband is a non-practicing Catholic who hasn’t been to church in years. We all know my opinions on that subject. The best argument I have for attending Mass is that Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and all he has ever asked in return is that we spend one hour keeping Him company in prayer. The Church asks that we be more Christ-like in our relationship with the world be it friend or foe. I don’t believe either is asking too much.

Growing up, Easter Sunday meant attending Mass, then gathering with family for a traditional Easter Ham Supper. Everyone dressed in our best. Girls wore spring colors with hats or veils and white shoes, boys dressed in suits with bowties and shiny black shoes. There was always a blessing at the table. It wasn’t unheard of to have a priest to Easter Supper.

Today it’s all very casual. No one dresses for the occasion. The meal varies – served buffet style rather than a sit-down family affair. We still have a blessing – one that I write each year to express thanks and glorify God.

On Easter Saturday instead of observing a vigil Hubby, Kiddo and I have a private early Easter Supper. We dress in our Easter Best and sit down together for a traditional Easter Ham Supper with all the trimmings. Candles are lit, prayers are said. All the things we would have done on Sunday we do on Saturday instead. It’s a compromise. On Easter Morning we attend Mass. However; the remainder of Easter Day is spent with our extended family draped in all the Secular trappings that the Easter Bunny brings.

How would I prefer to observe the Easter Vigil? While I believe the traditional Tenebrae Services once held after sundown on the final three days of Holy Week would have been moving beyond words, our Parish observes Tenebrae in the mornings. If I had my way, we would attend the Tenebrae Service in the morning, then hold an Evening Tea complete with traditional readings as we waited at home. The 15 candles lit for Tenebrae would be snuffed out one at a time after each reading until only a single Christ Candle remains flickering in the darkness. The final Responsorial Psalm and the Gospel of Luke would be read by the light of that single candle. Very moving indeed.

What would I serve at the Vigil Tea? Oh, I don’t know – maybe a collection of some of my favorites from the past with one new offering in the mix.

Easter Vigil Tea
Good Sheppard Rosemary and Goat Cheese Scones
Thirty Pieces of Cucumber Canapés
Fishers of Men Smoked Salmon Canapés
Holy Cross Fruit Platter
Crown of Thorns Onion Canapés
Tomb Stone Rolled Cheese Sandwiches
Desired Hot Tea

Good Sheppard Rosemary and Goat Cheese Scones
8 tablespoons (1 stick) Butter
2-3/4 cup Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons fresh Rosemary
1/2 cup Goat Cheese
1 cup Whole Milk
2 tablespoons Butter

Place 1 stick of butter into the freezer to chill well for about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Finely mince Rosemary. Set aside. Using a grater, shred the frozen butter over the flour mixture. Sprinkle with fresh Rosemary. Crumble the goat cheese over the flour mixture.

Genly stir to combine all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour milk into the center of the well.

Using a fork, slowly drag the flour mixture into the milk and combine gently. Don’t over-mix, combine enough to create a dough.

Split the scone dough in half, place on a floured surface. If making full-size scones, shape the dough halves into two disks about 2-inches thick. If making mini scones, divide each section of dough in half again before forming the disks.

Cut the disks into scones using a pizza cutter. Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Bush the tops of each scone with the butter. Place the scones in the heated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

Serve warm with butter.

Thirty Pieces Cucumber Canapés
2 Cucumbers
15 slices thin Wheat Bread
1 tablespoon fresh Dill
8 oz Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
Garlic Powder to taste
Kosher Salt to taste
Additional Dill for garnish

Use a fork to remove strips of peeling from the cucumber. Slice each cucumber into 15 thin round slices. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

Cut each bread slice into 2 circles. Use a glass or round cookie cutter, making sure none of the crust is part of the circle.. You want the circles to be the same size as the cucumber rounds. If necessary, trim with a sharp knife.

Finely chop the fresh dill. Set aside. Cream together cream cheese and mayonnaise. Add garlic powder, salt and dill. Spread one side of each bread round with cream cheese mixture. Top with cucumber slice.

Place remaining cream cheese mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a star on each open-faced sandwich. Garnish with a little fresh dill and serve.

Fishers of Men Smoked Salmon Canapés
1 long Baguette
2 tablespoons Butter
8 oz Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Garlic Cloves
1-1/2 tablespoon fresh Dill
4 oz Smoked Salmon
Additional Dill for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice bread into 1/3-inch thick slices. Place bread slices on a baking pan side-by-side. Melt butter and, using long strokes, brush the tops of the bread. Flip slices over, brush with remaining butter.

Bake bread slices until the edges are just beginning to golden, no more than 5 minutes. Remove bread from the oven, let cool.

In a mixing bowl, place softened cream cheese and mayonnaise. Finely mince the dill, sprinkle over the cream cheese. Press garlic over the mixture. Blend everything together, mashing with a fork.

Spread cream cheese mixture over the top of each bread slice. Top with a piece of smoked salmon, then garnish with some fresh dill as desired. Arrange on a serving tray.

Blessed Cross Fruit Platter
2 baskets fresh Strawberries
1 basket fresh Blueberries
1 basket fresh Blackberries
1 Cantaloupe

Wash and dry all the berries, set aside. Cut cantaloupe in half, then cut each half into quarters. Peel the rine, cut cantaloupe into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Cut strawberries in half, separate the top half (with green tussles) from the bottom half. On a rectangular serving platter arrange the bottom sections of the strawberries, cut side down, to form a cross. Finish cross with the top half of the berries, green tops up. Around the top half of the cross to the right and left of the cross arrange a mixture of blackberries and blueberries. Around the bottom half of the cross to the right and left arrange the cantaloupe.

Cover and keep chilled until ready to serve.

Crown of Thorns Onion Canapés
1 Red Onion
4 tablespoons Italian Parsley
8 slices firm-textured White Bread
1/4 cup Butter, softened
Coarse Salt to taste
1/4 cup Mayonnaise

Peel and thinly slice onion into rounds. Finely mince parsley. Place parsley on a plate and set aside.

Using a glass or a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 2 bread rounds from each bread slice; discard trimmings.

Spread one side of each bread circle with a heavy layer of butter. Place a thin layer of sliced onions over the butter. Lightly season the onions with salt. Top the sandwiches with remaining bread slices, pressing lightly to make them adhere.

Spread some mayonnaise around the outside rim of each sandwich round. Roll the rim of each sandwich in the minced chives or parsley to coat.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerator for a few hours.

Tomb Stone Rolled Cheese Sandwiches
8 slices White Sandwich Bread
1/3 cup Cheese Whiz
4 whole Pickled Jalapenos

Remove crust from the bread. Lay out 4 pieces of bread end to end, overlapping. Press the overlap to pince the pieces together. There is now a long, narrow length of bread.

Spread a thin layer of Cheese Whiz over the length of the bread. Trim stem from the jalapeno pepper, pat dry with a paper towel. Lay two jalapenos end to end on the short end of the bread, extending to the outer edge. Roll up and tightly wrap in plastic warp. Repeat with remaining bread, cheese and peppers.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Slice just before serving.

When ready brew your favorite tea or simply put on a kettle and have a selection of different tea bags to choose from.

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Traditional Catholic Readings for Easter Vigil
1st Reading: Genesis 1-2:2
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14. 24, 35
2nd Reading: Genesis 22:1-18
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 16:5, 8-11
3rd Reading: Exodus 14:15-15:1
Responsorial Psalm: Exodus 15:1-6, 17-18
4th Reading: Isaiah 54:5-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 30:2, 4-6, 11-13
5th Reading Isaiah 55:1-11
Responsorial Psalm: Isaiah 12:2-6
6th Reading: Baruch 3:9-15, 32C4:4
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 19:8-11
7th Reading: Ezekiel 36:16-17A, 18-28
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 51:12-15, 18-19
Epistle: Romans 6:3-11
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
Gospel: Luke 24-1-12

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Lord, You have the words of everlasting life