Word of the Day: Vigil

VIGIL. The day or eve before a more or less prominent feast or solemnity. It was observed as a preparation for the following day with special offices and prayers and formerly with a fast, honoring the particular mystery of religion or the saint to be venerated on the feast day. The Church today observes solemn vigils for Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. Although the number of such solemn vigils has been reduced since the Second Vatican Council, the Church still wants the notion of vigils to be kept alive in the minds of the faithful. Thus “it is fitting that Bible services on the vigils of great feasts, on certain ferial days of Lent and Advent, on Sundays and feastdays, should also have the same structure as the liturgy of the Word at Mass” (Inter Oecumenici, 1964, 38). (Etym. Latin vigilia, from vigil, alert)

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Since today is the Vigil of Christmas, it seemed fitting to use 'vigil' as the Word of the Day.

'(T)he Church still wants the notion of vigils to be kept alive in the minds of the faithful. Thus “it is fitting that Bible services on the vigils of great feasts, on certain ferial days of Lent and Advent, on Sundays and feastdays,...'

Another Vatican II 'reform' gone wrong. In almost 40 years as a Catholic, I have never heard a vigil mentioned in an NO Church, nor have I ever heard of a 'Bible Service'.