Easter Vigil Christ has risen from the dead! Alleluia The word VIGIL means WATCH. Early Christians used to keep watch the whole night on the eve of big feasts. Yet, theirs was not a watch of fear, but rather, a watch of longing for the coming of someone; the guest they waited for, was Christ. The night vigil has four parts: I. The service of the light, II. Listening to the Word of God, III. Blessing of water, Baptism and renewal of Baptismal promises, IV. The Liturgy of the Eucharist. I. THE SERVICE OF THE LIGHT Blessing of the fire Cel: Dear friends in Christ, on this most holy night, when our Lord Jesus Christ passed from death to life, the Church invites her children throughout the world to come together in vigil and prayer. This is the Passover of the Lord: if we honour the memory of his death and resurrection by hearing his word and celebrating his mysteries, then we may be confident that we shall share his victory over death and live with him for ever in God. Cel: Let us pray. Father, we share in the light of your glory through your Son, the light of the world. Make this new fire + holy, and inflame us with new hope. Purify our minds by this Easter celebration, and bring us one day to the feast of eternal light. We ask this… LIGHTING OF THE CANDLE The Celebrant cuts a Cross in the Easter candle with a stylus. Then he traces the Greek letter ALPHA above the cross, the letter OMEGA below, and the numerals of the current year between the arms of the cross. Meanwhile he says: 1. Christ yesterday and today 2. The beginning and the end 3. Alpha 4. and Omega 5. All time belongs to him 6. and all the ages 7. to him be glory and power 8. through every age and forever. Amen.   The priest inserts five grains of incense in the candle. He does this in the form of a cross, saying: 1. By this holy 2. and glorious wounds 3. may Christ our Lord 4. guard us 5. and keep us. Amen. The priest lights the Easter candle from the new fire, saying: May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. PROCESSION The priest lifts high the Easter candle and sings: Cel: Christ our light. All: Thanks be to God. The same is repeated at the Church entrance, and before the altar. EASTER PROCLAMATION The deacon places the Easter candle on a stand in the sanctuary. The priest puts some incense in the in the thurible, and candle and the book on the lectern are incensed. Then the deacon or the priest sings the Easter Proclamation while the faithful stand holding the lighted candles. Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation! 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! The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 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 slavery and led them dry-shod through the sea. This is the night when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement, are restored to grace and grow together in holiness. This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave. 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! The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy. Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth and man is reconciled with 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. May it always 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. All: Amen. II. LITURGY OF THE WORD Cel: Dear friends in Christ, we have begun our solemn vigil. Let us now listen attentively to the word of God, recalling how he saved his people throughout the history and, in the fullness of time, sent his own Son to be our Redeemer. Through this Easter celebration, may God bring to perfection the saving work he has begun in us. FIRST READING A reading from the Book of Genesis (1:1, 26-31a) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (32) Response: The Lord fills the earth with his love. The word of the Lord is faithful and all his works to be trusted. The Lord loves justice and right and fills the earth with his love. By his word the heavens were made, by the breath of his mouth all the stars. He collects the waves of the ocean; he stores up the depths of the sea. They are happy, whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen as his own. From the heavens the Lord looks forth, he sees all the children of men. Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our help and our shield. May your love be upon us, O Lord, as we place all our hope in you. Cel: Let us pray. Lord God, the creation of man was a wonderful work, his redemption still more wonderful. May we persevere in right reason against all that entices to sin and so attain everlasting joy. We ask this… SECOND READING A reading from the Book of Genesis (22:1-2,9a.10-13,15-18) God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I”. He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham put forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the sea shore. And your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.” This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (15) Response: Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay. You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever. Cel: Let us pray. God and Father of all who believe in you, you promised Abraham that he would become the father of all nations, and through the death and resurrection of Christ you fulfil that promise: everywhere throughout the world you increase your chosen people. May we respond to your call by joyfully accepting your invitation to the new life of grace. We ask this… THIRD READING A reading from the Book of Exodus (14:15-31,15:1) The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go on dry ground through the sea. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God who went before the host of Israel moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness; and the night passed without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down upon the host of the Egyptians, and discomfited the host of the Egyptians, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel; for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its wonted flow when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it, and the Lord routed the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not so much as one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. And Israel saw the great work which the Lord did against the Egyptians, and the people feared the Lord; and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (Ex 15) Response: I will sing to the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously. I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea; and his picked officers are sunk in the Red Sea. The floods cover them; they went down into the depths like a stone. Thy right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, thy right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them on thy own mountain, the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thy abode, the sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The Lord will reign for ever and ever. Cel: Let us pray. Lord God, in the new covenant you shed light on the miracles you worked in ancient times: the Red Sea is a symbol of our baptism, and the nation you freed from the slavery is a sign of your Christian people. May every nation share the faith and privilege of Israel and come to new birth in the Holy Spirit. We ask this… The altar candles are lighted from the Easter candle, the priest intones the Gloria while the Church bells are rung. Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord, Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. OPENING PRAYER Let us pray. Lord God, you have brightened this night with the radiance of the risen Christ. Quicken the spirit of sonship in your Church; renew us in mind and body to give you whole-hearted service. Grant this… FIRST READING A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Romans (6:3-11) Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (117) Response: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end. Let the sons of Israel say: “His love has no end.” The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; His right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds. The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes. GOSPEL A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (28:1-10) After the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightening, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” This is the Gospel of the Lord (Homily) III. LITURGY OF BAPTISM If there are candidates to be baptized: Cel: Dear friends in Christ, as our brothers and sisters approach the waters of rebirth, let us help them by our prayers, and ask God, our almighty Father, to support them with his mercy and love. If there is no one to be baptized but the font is to be blessed: Cel: Dear friends in Christ, let us ask God, the almighty Father to bless this font, that those reborn in it may be made one with his adopted children in Christ. If there is no one to be baptized the Litany is omitted, and the blessing of water takes place at once. Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy Christ, have mercy Lord, have mercy Lord, have mercy Holy Mary, Mother of God* Saint Michael Holy angels of God Saint John the Baptist Saint Joseph Saint Peter and Saint Paul Saint Andrew Saint John Saint Mary Magdalene Saint Stephen Saint Ignatius Saint Lawrence Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicita Saint Agnes Saint Gregory Saint Augustine Saint Athanasius Saint Basil Saint Martin Saint Benedict Saint Francis and Saint Dominic Saint Francis Xavier St John Vianney Saint Catherine Saint Teresa All holy men and women Lord, be merciful From all evil From every sin From everlasting death By your coming as man By your death and rising to new life By your gift of the Holy Spirit Be merciful to us sinners. Lord, hear our prayer Give new life to these chosen ones by the grace of baptism. Lord, hear our prayer, By your grace bless this font where your children will be reborn. Lord, hear our prayer Jesus, Son of the living God. Lord, hear our prayer Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us Lord Jesus, hear our prayer Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. BLESSING OF WATER The priest blesses the baptismal water. With hands joined, he sings or says the following prayer: Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament. At the very dawn of creation your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. The waters of the great flood you made a sign of the waters of baptism, that make an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness. Through the waters of the Red Sea you led Israel out of slavery, to be an image of God’s holy people, set free from sin by baptism. In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Spirit. Your Son willed that water and blood should flow from his side as he hung upon the cross. After his resurrection he told his disciples: “Go out and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism. By the power of the Spirit give to the water of this font the grace of your Son. You created man in your own likeness: cleanse him from sin in a new birth of innocence by water and the Spirit. (The priest lowers the Easter candle into the water either once or three times, as he continues:) We ask you, Father, with your Son to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font. (The priest holds the candle in the water:) May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also with him to newness of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. (The candle is taken out of the water as the people sing the following acclamation, or any other appropriate acclamation.) All: Springs of water, bless the Lord, Give him glory and praise for ever. RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES Cel: Dear friends, through the paschal mystery we have been buried with Christ in baptism, so that we may rise with him to a new life. Now that we have completed our Lenten observance, let us renew the promises we made in baptism when we rejected Satan and his works, and promised to serve God faithfully in his holy Catholic Church. And so: Cel: Do you Satan? All: I do. Cel: And all his works? All: I do. Cel: And all his empty promises? All: I do. Cel: Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth? All: I do. Cel: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father? All: I do. Cel: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? All: I do. Cel: God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. All: Amen. (The priest sprinkles the people with the blessed water, while all sing: I saw water, or any other song.) All: I saw water flowing from the right side of the temple, alleluia. It brought God’s life and his salvation and the people sang in joyful praise: Alleluia, alleluia. (Profession of Faith is omitted.) IV. THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord, accept the prayers and offerings of your people. With your help may this Easter mystery of our redemption bring to perfection the saving work you have begun in us. We ask this… PREFACE (P 21) All: Holy, holy, holy… COMMUNION ANTIPHON Christ has become our paschal sacrifice; let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, alleluia. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Lord, you have nourished us with your Easter sacraments. Fill us with the Spirit of your love and make us all one in heart. We ask this…