This book is offered as a companion to the Easter Vigil. It includes an account of the meaning of the Vigil and of how it came to have the shape it now has, as well as a commentary on each of the readings. From earliest times, the Church has celebrated Easter, the feast of feasts, by means of a night vigil. This extended reading of passages from the Old Testament, in the light of the Pashal Candle, creates a sense of expectancy. The Easter Vigil readings were all chosen because of the light they shed on the central reality of the Christian faith – what the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ mean for the salvation of all peoples. Spending some time and effort on deepening our encounter with God’s Word in these texts will surely enrich the celebration of the Vigil. The Glenstal Companion to the Easter Vigil addresses the worries of those who feel the readings are inacessible or irrelevant or even cruel and barbaric. It arises for a series of Sunday afternoon talks in Glenstal Abbey, in Co. Limerick, in Lent 2018. Some of the contributors are academic Scripture scholars while others have liturgical or more general theological interests and this means that each chapter has a distinctive approach and style. Each contributor examines a single Vigil reading, in its liturgical context, so as to provide real and substantial information and nourishment in an attractive and accessible way. Contributors include the editors, plus Jessie Rogers, Francis Cousins, Celine Mangan, Terence Crotty, Susan Docherty, Thomas Esposito.
