Easter

What a weekend! The Triduum kicked things off. I wasn't planning on attending the Easter Vigil, but ended up going. I went to early Mass on Sunday since I was playing, and then went to the late Mass so I could sit with my husband. 3 different Masses, 3 different Priests, 3 different Homilies. Surely there's a bonus in there somewhere for me!
The Easter Vigil was beautiful. We walked in to an unlit Church, went outside for the lighting of the Easter Candle, and then processed back in by candle light. When the lights came on during the Gloria, the anticipation was over. What a spiritual experience! The lights, the music, the bells...just incredible.
My Parish had 17 people come into full Communion; 2 were baptized. It really was amazing: young, old, different races. We truly are a catholic (with a lowercase "c") church!
The priest for Saturday night reiterated what Pope Francis said last week: We can't turn our back on the persecution that is going on in other parts of the world. This tied in to the early Mass' Homily: we are called to be witnesses to our faith. That in turn, tied in to the question from the Homily that I heard 2 weeks ago: If being a Christian was a crime, would there be enough evidence to persecute me?
The Homily at the late Mass was a little different. Father said as he walked outside, he thought, "What a perfect Easter morning!" He said he went on to think about what that 1st Easter morning was like. Did Jesus, after he rose, wonder (in his human state): What in the world is going on? I thought I was dead! But, in his divine state, he might have nodded his head and said He knew His Father's plan.
I always look forward to the weeks after Easter: Jesus appearing to the disciples and their reactions.
What grabbed your attention during the Easter Mass?