Exsultet
Rejoice, O earth, in shining
splendour,
Radiant in the brightness of
your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory
fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult
in glory!
The risen Saviour shines upon
you!
Let this place resound with
joy,
echoing the mighty song of all
God's people!
My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy
light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy
minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.
The Lord be with you.
response
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
response
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord
our God.
response
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right that with full
hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen
God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with
his blood,
and paid for us the price of
Adam's sin to our eternal Father!
This is our passover feast,
When Christ, the true Lamb,
is slain,
whose blood consecrates the
homes of all believers.
This is the night,
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel
from their slav'ry,
and led them dry-shod through
the sea.
This is the night,
when the pillar of fire destroyed
the darkness of sin.
This is night,
when Christians ev'rywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed
from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow
together in holiness.
This is the night,
when Jesus broke the chains
of death
and rose triumphant from the
grave.
What good would life have been
to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care
for us!
How boundless your merciful
love!
To ransom a slave you gave away
your Son.
O happy fault, O necessary sin
of Adam,
which gained for us so great
a Redeemer!
Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ
rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear
as day:
it will become my light, my
joy."
The power of this holy night
dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores
lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings
us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed,
when heaven is wedded to earth
and we are reconciled to God!
Therefore, heavenly Father, in
the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice
of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows
to the honour of God.
Let it mingle with the lights
of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this
night!
May the Morning Star which never
sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light
on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns
for ever and ever. Amen.