Easter Vigil 07

The Great Vigil of the Feast of All Feasts, according to the reforms instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955, starts with the Service of Light. This year, in thier boundless wisdom, our parish priests decided that the Vigil Mass will begin at 8.00PM.

The catechumens and their formators together with the people gathered in front of the Church as the Service of Light began.

Fr. Mark starts by blessing the new fire and then inscribing the Paschal Candle.

Christ Yesterday and Today, the Beginning and the End, Alpha and Omega; all time belongs to Him and all the ages; to Him be glory and power through every age for ever. Amen

The Paschal Candle is then brought in procession into the darkened Church.

At the door, the Priest intones 'Lumen Christi', Christ our Light. The light from the Paschal Candle is then passed to the people who light their own candles symbolizing the Light of Christ which enlightens the darkness.

The priest then intones the same words in a higher tone 2 more times.By this time, the people should all have their candles lit from the Paschal Candle.

The priest then chants the Exultet, the Proclamation of Easter.

The full authorised English text is given below, together with the Latin original (from the Missale Romanum of 1970).

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 splendor, 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 Savior 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. Deacon: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Deacon: Lift up your hearts. People: We lift them up to the Lord. Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People: 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 the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin! This is 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. 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 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, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God. (For it is fed by the melting wax, which the mother bee brought forth to make this precious candle.) 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.

Exultet iam angelica turba caelorum: exultent divina mysteria: et pro tanti Regis victoria tuba insonet salutaris. Gaudeat et tellus tantis irradiata fulgoribus: et, aeterni Regis splendore illustrata, totius orbis se sentiat amisisse caliginem. Laetetur et mater Ecclesia, tanti luminis adornata fulgoribus: et magnis populorum vocibus haec aula resultet. Quapropter astantes vos, fratres carissimi, ad tam miram huius sancti luminis claritatem, una mecum, quaeso, Dei omnipotentis misericordiam invocate. Ut, qui me non meis meritis intra Levitarum numerum dignatus est aggregare, luminis sui claritatem infundens, cerei huius laudem implere perficiat. Vers. Dominus vobiscum. Resp. Et cum spiritu tuo. Vers. Sursum corda. Resp. Habemus ad Dominum. Vers. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro. Resp. Dignum et iustum est. Vere dignum et iustum est, invisibilem Deum Patrem omnipotentem Filiumque eius unigenitum, Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, toto cordis ac mentis affectu et vocis ministerio personare. Qui pro nobis aeterno Patri Adae debitum solvit, et veteris piaculi cautionem pio cruore detersit. Haec sunt enim festa paschalia, in quibus verus ille Agnus occiditur, cuius sanguine postes fidelium consecrantur. Haec nox est, in qua primum patres nostros, filios Israel eductos de Aegypto, Mare Rubrum sicco vestigio transire fecisti. Haec igitur nox est, quae peccatorum tenebras columnae illuminatione purgavit. Haec nox est, quae hodie per universum mundum in Christo credentes, a vitiis saeculi et caligine peccatorum segregatos, reddit gratiae, sociat sanctitati. Haec nox est, in qua, destructis vinculis mortis, Christus ab inferis victor ascendit. Nihil enim nobis nasci profuit, nisi redimi profuisset. O mira circa nos tuae pietatis dignatio! O inaestimabilis dilectio caritatis: ut servum redimeres, Filium tradidisti! O certe necessarium Adae peccatum, quod Christi morte deletum est! O felix culpa, quae talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem! O vere beata nox, quae sola meruit scire tempus et horam, in qua Christus ab inferis resurrexit! Haec nox est, de qua scriptum est: Et nox sicut dies illuminabitur: et nox illuminatio mea in deliciis meis. Huius igitur sanctificatio noctis fugat scelera, culpas lavat: et reddit innocentiam lapsis et maestis laetitiam. Fugat odia, concordiam parat et curvat imperia. O vere beata nox, in qua terrenis caelestia, humanis divina iunguntur!¹ In huius igitur noctis gratia, suscipe, sancte Pater, laudis huius sacrificium vespertinum, quod tibi in hac cerei oblatione sollemni, per ministrorum manus de operibus apum, sacrosancta reddit Ecclesia. Sed iam columnae huius praeconia novimus, quam in honorem Dei rutilans ignis accendit. Qui, licet sit divisus in partes, mutuati tamen luminis detrimenta non novit. Alitur enim liquantibus ceris, quas in substantiam pretiosae huius lampadis apis mater eduxit.² Oramus ergo te, Domine, ut cereus iste in honorem tui nominis consecratus, ad noctis huius caliginem destruendam, indeficiens perseveret. Et in odorem suavitatis acceptus, supernis luminaribus misceatur. Flammas eius lucifer matutinus inveniat: Ille, inquam, lucifer, qui nescit occasum: Christus Filius tuus, qui, regressus ab inferis, humano generi serenus illuxit, et vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum. Resp. Amen.

¹ This sentence follows apis mater eduxit in the Latin. It is shown here to correspond with its placing in the English.

² This sentence has no equivalent in the standard English version.

The begins the reading of the lessons detailing the history of salvation, from the creation of the world to the coming of Christ and the Redemption, showing God's intervention with His mighty arm in saving His people Israel and foretelling of the New Covenant in Christ.

Each of the lessons is followed by a psalm of canticle.

The darkened candle lit Church.

Then the Gloria is sung to the ringing of the Church bells which have been silent since Holy Thursday. The lights of the Church are then turned on.

The Church increases in brightness.

The Gospel of the Resurrection is then proclaimed.

The next part of the Liturgy follows. The baptism of the catechumens.

The Litany of the Saints is then sung as the ministers and people kneel.

First, the water is blessed with salt and the Easter Candle is dipped in it 3 times, recalling Christ (symbolized by the Paschal Candle)'s Baptism.
Light from the Paschal Candle is then given to the catechumens as they make their profession of faith.

Then, the Rite of Baptism, the new birth from above by water and the Holy Spirit, begins. We have 12 candidates this year. A little low.

Young and old.

Men and women.

All thrilled to be received into the Body of Christ, the Church, the One Ark outside which there is no Salvation.

Then comes the clothing with the white Baptismal Garment, symbolizing their new state of purity and freedom from all sin, original and actual, which they are supposed to bring unstained to the altar of God in Heaven. Good luck folks.

The formators then pass the Light of Christ to them.

Fr. Mark then lays hands on them as a prelude to Confirmation with Holy Chrism.

Edwin Johnson, who leads the RCIA programme.

Fr. Mark praying the prayer of confirmation over them.

The candidates are anointed with Chrism and sealed with the Holy Spirit.

The parish then joyously welcomes them into the community.

With candles lit from the Paschal Candle, the people then renew their baptismal promises.

Fr. Ross and Fr. Mark then blessed the people with water to recall their baptism and incorporation into the Body of Christ.

I got a good dousing.

The presentation of the Gifts.

Censing the people.

Hoc est enim Corpus Meum.

Hic est enim Calix Sanguinis Mei.

Exchanging the sign of peace.

First Holy Communion, by intinction.

After Mass, the people once again joyfully welcomed the new brothers and sisters into the community.

The morning Mass was also quite surprisingly well attended =)
Sorry, no photos.

Have a great and happy Easter.

Christos anesti! Christ is Risen!
Alithos anesti! He is truly Risen!