Liturgical Information
Easter Vigil (A)
Liturgical Color: White [Note: "On solemn occasions more precious vestments may be used, even if not the color of the day" GIRM #309]
Themes & Motives: solemnity, glory, joy, initiation, history of salvation, resurrection, life, hope
Blessing of the Fire:
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 honor 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.
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 through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Preparation of the 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.
- By his holy
- and glorious wounds
- may Christ our Lord
- guard us
- and keep us. Amen.
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
During procession:
Christ our light.
Thanks be to God.
See Lumen Christi CNP Catalog #3140
Exsultet (Easter Proclamation):
See Exsultet CNP Catalog #3150
Rejoice, heavenly powers!
Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult all creations 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!
* Omit the following 6 lines if not sung by a deacon or priest.
[My dearest friends, standing with me in the holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And also with you.] *
V. Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up to the Lord.
V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. 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 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.
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.
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 the 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.
Lectionary Readings:
Old Testament Readings and Responsorial Psalms:
See CNP's Psalms for the Easter Vigil (McManus) CNP Catalog #1600
- Genesis 1:1 - 2:2 [And God saw all that He made, and behold, it was very good. /v.31]
Psalm 104:1-2 / 5-6 / 10,12 / 13-14 / 24,35 [R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. /v.30] – or –
Psalm 33:4-5 / 6-7 / 12-13 / 20-22 [R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.]
- Genesis 22:1-18 [I will greatly multiple your seed as the stars of the heavens. /v.17]
Psalm 16:5,8 / 9-10 / 11 [R. You are my inheritance, O Lord. /v.1]
- Exodus 14:15 - 15:1 [And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on dry land. /v.22]
Exodus 15:1-2 / 3-4 / 5-6 / 17-18 [R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory. /v.1b]
- Isaiah 54:5-14 [My lovingkindness will not be removed from you. /v.10]
Psalm 30:2,4 / 5-6 / 11-12a,13 [R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me. /v.2a]
- Isaiah 55:1-11 [I will make an everlasting covenant with you. /v.3]
Isaiah 12:2-3 / 4 / 5-6 [R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. /v.3]
- Baruch 3:9-15,32 - 4:4 [Approach the splendor of the Lord.]
Psalm 19:8 / 9 / 10 / 11 [R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life. Jn 6:68c]
- Ezekiel 36:16-17a,18-28 [I will sprinkle clean water on you. /v.25]
Psalm 42:3 / 5 / 43:3 / 4 [R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God. /v.42:2] – or –
Isaiah 12:2-3 / 4bcd / 5-6 [R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. /v.3] – or –
Psalm 51:12-13 / 14-15 / 18-19 [R. Create a clean heart in me, O God. /v.12a]
During the singing of the Gloria the church bells are rung.
- Epistle: Romans 6:3-1 [Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again. /v.9]
- Gospel Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2 / 16-17 / 22-23 [R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.]
See CNP's Easter Vigil Gospel Procession CNP Catalog #3145
- Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10 [He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. /v.6]
See CNP's Book of Sung Gospels - 3rd Edition CNP Catalog #3012-3
Prayer after Reading 1:
Almighty and eternal God,
you created all things in wonderful beauty and order.
Help us now to perceive
how still more wonderful is the new creation
by which in the fullness of time
you redeemed your people
through the sacrifice of our passover, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer after Reading 2:
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 fulfill 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 through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer after Reading 3:
Father,
even today we see the wonders
of the miracles you worked long ago.
You once saved a single nation from slavery,
and now you offer that salvation to all through baptism.
May the peoples of the world become true sons of Abraham
and prove worthy of the heritage of Israel.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer after Reading 4:
Almighty and eternal God,
glorify your name by increasing you chosen people
as you promised long ago.
In reward for their trust,
may we seek in the Church the fulfillment of your promise.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer after Reading 5:
Almighty, ever-living God,
only hope of the world,
by the preaching of the prophets
you proclaimed the mysteries we are celebrating tonight.
Help us to be your faithful people,
for it is by your inspiration alone
that we can grow in goodness.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer after Reading 6:
Father,
you increase your Church
by continuing to call all people to salvation.
Listen to our prayers
and always watch over those you cleanse in baptism.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer after Reading 7:
God of unchanging power and light,
look with mercy and favor on your entire Church.
Bring lasting salvation to mankind,
so that the world may see
the fallen lifted up,
the old made new,
and all things brought to perfection,
through him who is their origin,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer after the Gloria:
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 through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
+++ Celebration of Baptism +++
Presentation of Candidates
Invitation to Prayer:
Dear friends, let us pray to almighty God for our brothers and sisters, N. and N., who are asking for baptism.
He has called them and brought them to this moment; may he grant them light and strength to follow Christ with resolute hearts and to profess the faith of the Church.
May he give them the new life of the Holy Spirit, whom we are about to call down on this water.
Litany of the Saints
Blessing of Water:
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.
We ask you, Father, with your Son
to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font.
May all who were buried with Christ
in the death of baptism
rise also with him to newness of life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Acclamation:
Springs of water, bless the Lord.
Give him glory and praise for ever.
Renunciation of Sin:
Do you reject Satan? I do.
And all his works? I do.
And all his empty promises? I do.
Profession of Faith:
Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty
creator of heaven and earth? I do.
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? I do.
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? I do.
Baptism:
N., I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Anointing after Baptism: if confirmation does not follow at this liturgy
The God of power and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
has freed you from sin
and brought you to new life
through water and the Holy Spirit.
He now anoints you with the chrism of salvation,
so that, united with his people,
you may remain for ever a member of Christ
who is Priest, Prophet, and King. Amen.
Clothing with a Baptismal Garment:
N. and N., you have become a new creation
and have clothed yourselves in Christ.
Receive this baptismal garment
and bring it unstained to the judgment seat of our Lord Jesus Christ,
so that you may have everlasting life. Amen.
Presentation of a Lighted Candle:
You have been enlightened by Christ.
Walk always as children of the light
and keep the flame of faith alive in your hearts.
When the Lord comes, may you go out to meet him
with all the saints in the heavenly kingdom. Amen.
Renewal of Baptismal Promises:
Dear friends,
through the paschal mystery
we have been buried with Christ in baptism,
so that we may rise with him to 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:
Do you reject Satan? I do.
And all his works? I do.
And all his empty promises? I do.
Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty
creator of heaven and earth? I do.
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? I do.
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? I do.
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. Amen.
Sprinkling with Holy Water:
Antiphon:
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. (See Ezekiel 47:1-2,9)
See CNP's I Saw Water Flowing CNP Catalog #3025
+++ Celebration of Reception +++
Invitation:
N. and N., of your own free will you have asked to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church.
You have made your decision after careful thought under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
I now invite you to come forward with your sponsors and in the presence of this community to profess the Catholic faith.
In this faith you will be one with us for the first time at the eucharistic table of the Lord Jesus, the sign of the Church's unity.
Profession by the Candidates:
I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.
Act of Reception:
N., the Lord receives you into the Catholic Church.
His loving kindness has led you here,
so that in the unity of the Holy Spirit
you may have full communion with us
in the faith you have professed in the presence of his family.
+++ Celebration of Confirmation +++
Invitation:
My dear candidates for confirmation, by your baptism you have been born again in Christ and you have become members of Christ and of his priestly people.
Now you are to share in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit among us, the Spirit sent by the Lord upon his apostles at Pentecost and given by them and their successors to the baptized.
The promised strength of the Holy Spirit, which you are to receive, will make you more like Christ and help you to be witnesses to his suffering, death, and resurrection.
It will strengthen you to be active members of the Church and to build up the Body of Christ in faith and love.
My dear friends, let us pray to God our Father, that he will pour out the Holy Spirit on these candidates for confirmation to strengthen them with his gifts and anoint them to be more like Christ, the Son of God.
Laying on of Hands:
All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by water and the Holy Spirit
you freed your sons and daughters from sin
and gave them new life.
Send your Holy Spirit upon them
to be their helper and guide.
Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of right judgment and courage,
the spirit of knowledge and reverence.
Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Anointing with Chrism:
N., be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Peace be with you. And also with you.
Offertory Antiphon: **
The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord has struck with power.
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. [Psalm 118:16-17]
Verses of Psalm 118 can also be sung between repetitions of the antiphon.
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 through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Preface of Easter I: [The Paschal Mystery]
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We praise you with greater joy than ever
on this Easter night,
when Christ became our paschal sacrifice.
He is the true Lamb that took away the sins of the world.
By dying he destroyed our death;
by rising he restored our life.
And so, with all the choirs of angels in heaven
we proclaim your glory
and join in their unending hymn of praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord...
Communion Antiphon:
Christ has become our paschal sacrifice; let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, alleluia. (I Corinthians 5:7-8)
Prayer after Communion:
Lord,
you have nourished us with your Easter sacraments.
Fill us with your Spirit,
and make us one in peace and love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
** An official, approved English translation of the Offertory Antiphon has never been published.
The offertory antiphon used here is cited in Latin in the Graduale Romanum and the Graduale simplex.
The English is from the New American Bible, a Scripture translation approved for liturgical use in the United States.
The English translation of the Blessing of the Fire, Preparation of the Candle, Exsultet, Psalm Refrains, Gospel Verse, Prayers, Blessing of Water, Acclamation, Renewal of Baptismal Promises, Antiphon, Prayer over the Gifts, Preface, Communion Antiphon and Prayer after Communion from The Roman Missal, Copyright 1973, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved.
Excerpts from the Readings and Gospel are taken from the New American Standard Bible ® © Copyright 1973 The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
|
Back to Triduum (Year A)