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Neil wrote: As a then-Latin growing up and serving as an altar boy throughout the 50s, I never remember the Easter Vigil commencing any earlier than the evening hours on Holy Saturday, nor do I recollect it being served as the Easter Liturgy.

Neil, My source predates the fifties, and if I'm not mistaken, there were holy Week reforms in the fifties that moved things to a more appropriate time. Even and still, in also talking with my mom about it recently--she was involved in both the choir and helping the nuns decorate, that even after these reforms, our parish, which was a large and ethnic one, still continued the morning, abbreviated version of the "Vigil." This enabled the priests to go to homes to bless food and for the nuns to decorate for Easter. It was not until after V-II that the Saturday evening celebration began (in this parish and I suspect many others as well).

Also in the fifties was the first reduction of the RC Eucharistic fast to 3 hours before receiving, again, thus ensuring that the faithful could or would receive in the evening, not having to fast all day.

Not doubting you, Neil, just relaying what I've been told.

XB!

Neil wrote: As a then-Latin growing up and serving as an altar boy throughout the 50s, I never remember the Easter Vigil commencing any earlier than the evening hours on Holy Saturday, nor do I recollect it being served as the Easter Liturgy.

Neil, My source predates the fifties, and if I'm not mistaken, there were holy Week reforms in the fifties that moved things to a more appropriate time. Even and still, in also talking with my mom about it recently--she was involved in both the choir and helping the nuns decorate, that even after these reforms, our parish, which was a large and ethnic one, still continued the morning, abbreviated version of the "Vigil." This enabled the priests to go to homes to bless food and for the nuns to decorate for Easter. It was not until after V-II that the Saturday evening celebration began (in this parish and I suspect many others as well).

Also in the fifties was the first reduction of the RC Eucharistic fast to 3 hours before receiving, again, thus ensuring that the faithful could or would receive in the evening, not having to fast all day.

Not doubting you, Neil, just relaying what I've been told.

XB!

This is my first time checking in since Pascha. I realize that this thread has long since quieted down, but an observation must be made about the issue of the evening service of Vespers and the Liturgy of St. Basil. In parishes I have served, I have never forced the issue, though I have always celebrated this Liturgy for those who wish to attend at a �Vesperal� time. Since the Gospel of the Resurrection according to St. Matthew is read, it would seem appropriate that this Liturgy should end after sunset at least. If you follow the natural cycle, I suppose it would make a difference whether Daylight Savings time has commenced or not. However, I have always gotten a good attendance at this service, though most people would see the Paschal Orthros as the beginning of �Easter.� The bridge is the procession and the solemn singing of the Paschal Troparion. However, from a more intellectual approach, the reading of the Resurrection Gospel would be the more logical �bridge,� and was probably seen as such for much of Byzantine liturgical history. Having edited a Typicon from the 11th century, we see here the more ancient Holy Week schedule, and the Paschal Orthros has not yet received the dominant position it later achieved. In my experience, and this is strictly anecdotal, we do not have an objective survey, I have found a certain lessening of interest in the Paschal Orthros. I suspect that this is because the Paschal Canon does require some theological knowledge, and is probably difficult for some to understand. So there are reasons on both sides. If we are to have an honest Liturgy, though, I think we should put this Liturgy back in the evening, and have Paschal Orthros later, though not joined together in one long Vigil. I don�t think we should be constrained to celebrate Vespers in the morning, nor should our Church be constrained from acting for the pastoral needs of the people simply because of an inferior custom.
Having said this, I want really to respond to the assertion that this Liturgy is a �baptismal� Liturgy, not a �Paschal� Liturgy. The two themes are not mutually exclusive. The resurrected Christ tells the disciples to baptize, and our baptism is the passage from darkness to light, from death to life, as the Paschal Orthros, which also presumes people have just been baptized, eloquently proclaims. The resurrection is a constant reality of Christian faith, �Christ is risen,� we proclaim, not �Christ rose� (once upon a time). The resurrection in our lives is our baptism and how we live out that baptism. This is the point of the Epistle of this Liturgy, Romans 5, �or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.� Living out our baptism is how we experience the resurrection. The Vespers and Divine Liturgy of St. Basil is a beautiful service that helps explain this �connect� in our lives. I think it should be made more available to the people.

Peace!
Christ is risen!