Reducing the Triduum

Now I’ve heard everything (or at least a bit more than I have heard before). I have recently been alerted to a move in some circles to discourage parishes away from the practice of reading the cycle of Old Testament readings at the Easter Vigil in darkness or semi-darkness. They claim that to do so is to suggest that before Christ came all was darkness. The problem with that? It is, apparently, a snub against our Jewish brothers and sisters, let alone all other religions.

But hold on a moment: Whatever happened to “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” etc.? Isn’t the whole point of the Darkness, Night, Light and Fire symbolism of the Easter Vigil that the Light of Christ has come into the world?

Where on earth did this idea spring from? I certainly haven’t heard any complaints from the Jewish community on this. Next they will be complaining about the reading of St John’s Passion on Good Friday… What? Really? They already do? Well, OK then, if we get rid of Good Friday AND the Easter Vigil, there’s not much left but to go and join the local synagogue in celebrating Pesach…