Just curious what are some of your favorite feast days and do you have stories of feast days that have affected you in a profound or moving way? For me it has been anything related to Our Holy Mother. She is my Confirmation Saint. So when Marian feast days come around, I'm like a moth to the flame in every way. I'm blessed enough to work almost directly across the street to our cathedral here, St. Marys. This past 8/15, Feast of the Assumption, I remember it being just a joyful day. It was one of those days where nothing could bring me down, I was simply euphoric. I went across the street at lunch to pray my Rosary, and then I stayed at work late so I could go to the evening mass. Both times I remember running over there like a child running toward the tree on Christmas morning. And mass was simply amazing, and reverent and beautiful. The cathedral's music director has a very powerful and operatic voice, and his rendition of Ave Maria left me speechless. The other really profound thing for me was Holy Week, Triduum mass and the Easter Vigil where I was confirmed. It was probably the most joyous feeling I have ever experienced. It's kind of difficult to put this into words that makes sense. Happiness, joy, feeling that you KNOW you are loved. Sort of like you feel high but wasn't ingesting anything at all. Euphoric. I don't think I stopped smiling all night. We were fairly close in the cathedral to the statue of Our Holy Mother ,and as I was praying, I sort of felt like I had the sense that her facial expression was changing. Light, shadow, etc. Like her smile got bigger.... So as I'm here praying, my wife leans over and says, "look, Mary is smiling!" The entire experience was mind blowing. Not like in the southern baptist sense, where they sing and dance around lol, but in the sense that the God had His hand on my shoulder, and was happy for me, and was giving me a tiny taste of what Heaven could be like. In Heaven there is no sadness. Nothing could bring me down that wonderful night. So please, share away if wish.
As you already said, the entire Triduum and especially the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil is the supreme Feast day to me. We’ve been blessed the past several years to attend at a church that does not shorten it- all 9 readings , sung psalms between readings. Usually rites of baptism and confirmation for new Catholics. And then afterward we start and have a huge feast to celebrate. I too love the Marian feast days. Also find myself drawn to the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ and the upcoming Feast of Christ the King. The former one helps me focus on the Eucharist and the need we all have for it. And the latter, especially in these tumultuous days reminds me how this world ultimately ends with Christ as King and Ruler over all.
