Holy Saturday
~*~ The Easter Vigil ~*~ 4-8-23
Easter Vigil in the Holy Night
First Part:
The Solemn Beginning of the Vigil
The blessing of the fire and preparation of the candle
Procession
The Easter Proclamation (Exultet)
Exult, let them exult,
the hosts of heaven,
exult, let Angel ministers of God exult,
let the trumpet of salvation
sound aloud our
mighty King's triumph!
Be glad, let earth be glad,
as glory floods her,
ablaze with light from
her eternal King,
let all corners of the
earth be glad,
knowing an end
to gloom and darkness.
Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice,
arrayed with the
lightning of his glory,
let this holy building
shake with joy,
filled with the mighty
voices of the peoples.
(Therefore, dearest friends,
standing in the awesome glory
of this holy light,
invoke with me,
I ask you,
the mercy of God
almighty,that he,
who has been
pleased to number me,
though unworthy,
among the Levites,
may pour into me
his light unshadowed,
that I may sing this
candle's perfect praises.)
(V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.)
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 and just.
It is truly right and just,
with ardent
love of mind and heart
and with devoted
service of our voice,
to acclaim our God invisible,
the almighty Father,
and Jesus Christ, our Lord,
his Son, his Only Begotten.
Who for our sake paid Adam's
debt to the eternal Father,
and, pouring out his
own dear Blood,
wiped clean
the record of our
ancient sinfulness.
These, then, are the
feasts of Passover,
in which is
slain the Lamb,
the one true Lamb,
whose Blood
anoints the
doorposts of believers.
This is the night, when
once you led our forebears,
Israel's children,
from slavery in Egypt
and made them pass
dry-shod through the Red Sea.
This is the night that with a pillar of fire
banished the darkness of sin.
This is the night that even now,
throughout the world,
sets Christian believers
apart from worldly vices
and from the gloom of sin,
leading them to grace
and joining them
to his holy ones.
This is the night, when Christ
broke the prison-bars of death
and rose victorious
from the underworld.
Our birth would have
been no gain,
had we not
been redeemed.
O wonder of your
humble care for us!
O love, O charity
beyond all telling,
to ransom a slave
you gave away your Son!
O truly necessary
sin of Adam,
destroyed completely
by the Death of Christ!
O happy fault that earned
so great, so glorious a Redeemer!
O truly blessed night,
worthy alone to know
the time and hour
when Christ rose
from the underworld!
This is the night
of which it is written:
The night shall
be as bright as day,
dazzling is the night for me,
and full of gladness.
The sanctifying power of this night
dispels wickedness,
washes faults away,
restores innocence to the fallen,
and joy to mourners,
drives out hatred,
fosters concord,
and brings down the mighty.
On this, your night of grace,
O holy Father,
accept this candle,
a solemn offering,
the work of bees
and of your servants’ hands,
an evening sacrifice of praise,
this gift from your
most holy Church.
But now we know
the praises of this pillar,
which glowing fire ignites
for God's honor,
a fire into many flames divided,
yet never dimmed
by sharing of its light,
for it is fed by melting wax,
drawn out by mother bees
to build a torch so precious.
O truly blessed night,
when things of heaven
are wed to those of earth,
and divine to the human.
Therefore, O Lord,
we pray you
that this candle,
hallowed to the
honor of your name,
may persevere undimmed,
to overcome the
darkness of this night.
Receive it as a
pleasing fragrance,
and let it mingle
with the lights of heaven.
May this flame
be found still burning
by the Morning Star:
the one Morning Star
who never sets,
Christ your Son,
who, coming back
from death's domain,
has shed his peaceful light
on humanity,
and lives and reigns
for ever and ever.
R. Amen
In the beginning,
when God created
the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a
formless wasteland,
and darkness
covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind
swept over the waters.
Then God said,
"Let there be light,"
and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated
the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day,"
and the darkness
he called "night."
Thus evening came,
and morning followed
—the first day.
Then God said,
"Let there be a dome
in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body
of water from the other."
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated
the water above the dome
from the water below it.
God called the
dome "the sky."
Evening came,
and morning followed
—the second day.
Then God said,
so that the dry land
may appear."
And so it happened:
the water under the sky
was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land "the earth, "
and the basin of the water
he called "the sea."
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
that bears fruit with its seed in it."
And so it happened:
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
"Let there be lights
in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
and serve as luminaries
in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth."
And so it happened:
and he made the stars.
and to separate
the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
And so it happened:
God created the
great sea monsters
and let the birds
multiply on the earth."
Then God said,
cattle, creeping things,
and wild animals of all kinds."
And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals,
all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of
creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
and all the creatures
that crawl on the ground."
God blessed them, saying:
and all the living things
that move on the earth."
God also said:
And so it happened.
God looked at everything
he had made,
and he found it very good.
Evening came,
and morning followed
—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens
and the earth
and all their array
were completed.
Since on the seventh
day God was finished
with the work
he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day
from all the work he had undertaken.
The Word of the Lord,
~Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35
R. Lord, send out your Spirit,
and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the LORD,
O my soul!
O LORD, my God,
you are great indeed!
You are clothed with
majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit,
and renew the face of the earth.
You fixed the earth
upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
with the ocean, as with
a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit,
and renew the face of the earth.
You send forth springs
into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the
birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches
they send forth their song.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit,
and renew the face of the earth.
You water the mountains
from your palace;
the earth is replete
with the fruit of your works.
You raise grass for the cattle,
and vegetation for man's use,
Producing bread from the earth.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit,
and renew the face of the earth.
How manifold are
your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have
wrought them all—
the earth is full
of your creatures.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
R. Lord, send out your Spirit,
and renew the face of the earth.
3rd Reading Ex 14:15—15:1
The LORD said to Moses,
"Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the Israelites to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and,
with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,
that the Israelites may
pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the
Egyptians so obstinate
that they will
go in after them.
Then I will receive glory
through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots
and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall
know that I am the LORD,
when I receive
glory through Pharaoh
and his chariots
and charioteers."
The angel of God,
who had been
leading Israel's camp,
now moved and
went around behind them.
The column of cloud also,
leaving the front,
took up its place behind them,
so that it came between
the camp of the Egyptians
and that of Israel.
But the cloud now became dark,
and thus the night passed
without the rival camps
coming any closer together
all night long.
Then Moses stretched
out his hand over the sea,
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind
throughout the night
and so turned
it into dry land.
When the water
was thus divided,
the Israelites marched into
the midst of the sea on dry land,
with the water like a wall
to their right and to their left.
The Egyptians followed in pursuit;
all Pharaoh's horses
and chariots and
charioteers went after them
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch
just before dawn
the LORD cast through
the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a
glance that threw it into a panic;
and he so clogged
their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians
sounded the retreat before Israel,
because the LORD
was fighting for them
against the Egyptians.
Then the LORD told Moses,
"Stretch out your
hand over the sea,
that the water may
flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots
and their charioteers."
So Moses stretched
out his hand over the sea,
and at dawn the sea
flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were
fleeing head on toward the sea,
when the LORD hurled
them into its midst.
As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots
and the charioteers
of Pharaoh's whole army
which had followed
the Israelites into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the Israelites
had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea,
with the water like a wall
to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD
saved Israel on that day
from the power
of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the
Egyptians lying dead
on the seashore
and beheld the great
power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians,
they feared the LORD
and believed in him
and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the Israelites
sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD,
for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot
he has cast into the sea.
The Word of the Lord,
~Thanks be to God
Responsorial Psalm Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18
R. Let us sing to the Lord;
he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot
he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my
courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.
R. Let us sing to the Lord;
he has covered himself in glory.
The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh's chariots
and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers
were submerged in the Red Sea.
R. Let us sing to the Lord;
he has covered himself in glory.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the
depths like a stone.
Your right hand,
O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand,
O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
R. Let us sing to the Lord;
he has covered himself in glory.
You brought in the
people you redeemed
and planted them on the
mountain of your inheritance
the place where
you made your seat, O LORD,
the sanctuary, LORD,
which your hands established.
The LORD shall reign forever and ever.
R. Let us sing to the Lord;
he has covered himself in glory.
5th Reading Is 55:1-11
Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying
and without cost, drink wine and milk!
Why spend your
money for what is not bread,
your wages for
what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully, listen,
that you may have life.
I will renew with you
the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
As I made him a
witness to the peoples,
a leader and
commander of nations,
so shall you summon
a nation you knew not,
and nations that knew
you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD,
your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
who has glorified you.
Seek the LORD
while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked
man his thoughts;
let him turn to
the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous
in forgiving.
For my thoughts
are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways,
says the LORD.
As high as the heavens
are above the earth,
so high are my ways
above your ways
and my thoughts
above your thoughts.
For just as from
the heavens the
rain and snow
come down and
do not return there
till they have
watered the earth,
making it fertile
and fruitful, giving seed
to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not
return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
The Word of the Lord,
~Thanks be to God
GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord, Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
For you alone are the Holy One,
Epistle Rom 6:3-11
Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that
we who were baptized
into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried
with him through baptism
into death,so that,
just as Christ was
raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live
in newness of life.
For if we have grown
into union with him
through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him
in the resurrection.
We know that our old self
was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body
might be done away with,
that we might no longer
be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person
has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have
died with Christ,
we believe that
we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ,
raised from the dead,
dies no more; death
no longer has power over him.
As to his death,
he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life,
he lives for God.
Consequently,
you too must think of ourselves
as being dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.
The Word of the Lord,
~Thanks be to God
Gospel Mark 16:1-7
When the sabbath was over,
Mary Magdalene, Mary,
the mother of James, and Salome
bought spices so that
they might go and anoint him.
Very early when
the sun had risen,
on the first day of the week,
they came to the tomb.
They were saying
to one another,
“Who will roll back
the stone for us
from the entrance to the tomb?”
When they looked up,
they saw that the stone
had been rolled back;
it was very large.
On entering the tomb
they saw a young man
sitting on the right side,
clothed in a white robe,
and they were utterly amazed.
He said to them,
“Do not be amazed!
You seek Jesus of Nazareth,
the crucified.
He has been raised;
he is not here.
Behold the place
where they laid him.
But go and tell his
disciples and Peter,
‘He is going before
you to Galilee;
there you will see him,
as he told you.’”
The Gospel of the Lord,
~ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
Dearly beloved…. … all his merciful help.
The Rite of Baptism:
Blessing of the
Baptismal Water
Renunciation of Sin
and Profession of Faith
Baptism renewal
Celebration of Confirmation
Eucharistic Acclamations:
R: Blessed be God forever
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
R: May the Lord accept the sacrifice
at your hands for the
praise and glory of his name,
for our good
and the good of all His holy Church
Resurrection you have set us free
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Sign of Peace
Communion Song:
Spiritual Communion:
My Jesus, I believe that you are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love you above all things,
and I desire to receive you into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
Come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
And unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Lord Jesus, You said to your disciples,
"I am the way the truth and the life."
Give young people the gift of discernment,
to find their way and embrace their true vocation,
the life for which you have created them.
In all that lies before them, help them discern a life
that is pleasing to you,
whether to Christian marriage,
to priesthood,
or the consecrated religious life.
Send your Holy Spirit to inspire them.
Grant them the grace to embrace
a life of joyful service.
Fulfill their desires to make a
generous gift of themselves to others,
after your example.
Give them the loving support of family and friends
as they prayerfully discern their vocation in this life.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
~ Amen
