Vol. 47, No.

26 easter vigil (A) 11 April 2020

The word VIGIL means WATCH. The 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 Easter Vigil liturgy has
four parts: 1. The Service of Light (Blessing of the Fire and Lighting of the Easter Candle)
2. The Liturgy of the Word. 3. The Liturgy of Baptism (Blessing of Water, Baptism and
Renewal of Baptismal Promises) 4. The Liturgy of the Eucharist.

current year between the arms of the cross,

Part I. THE SERVICE OF THE LIGHT
meanwhile saying:)
THE BLESSING OF THE FIRE 1. Christ yesterday and today (he cuts a
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, on this most vertical line);
sacred night, in which our Lord Jesus Christ 2. the Beginning and the End(he cuts
passed over from death to life, the Church a horizontal line);
calls upon her sons and daughters, scattered 3. the Alpha (he cuts the letter Alpha
throughout the world, to come together to above the vertical line);
watch and pray. If we keep the memorial 4. and the Omega (he cuts the letter
of the Lord’s paschal solemnity in this way, Omega below the vertical line);
listening to his word and celebrating his 5. all time belongs to him (he cuts the
mysteries, then we shall have the sure hope
of sharing his triumph over death and living first numeral of the current year in
with him in God. the upper left corner of the cross);
(The Priest blesses the fire, saying:) 6. and all the ages (he cuts the second
numeral of the current year in the upper
Cel: Let us pray. O God, who through your
right corner of the cross);
Son bestowed upon the faithful the fire
of your glory, sanctify + this new fire, we 7. to him be glory and power (he cuts the third
pray, and grant that, by these paschal numeral of the current year in the lower left
celebrations, we may be so inflamed with corner of the cross);
heavenly desires, that with minds made 8. through every age and for ever. Amen. (He
pure we may attain festivities of unending cuts the fourth numeral of the current year
splendour. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. in the lower right corner of the cross).

PREPARATION OF THE CANDLE (The Priest inserts five grains of incense into
the candle in the form of a cross, meanwhile
(After the blessing of the new fire, one of saying:)
the ministers brings the paschal candle to
1. By his holy
the Priest, who cuts a cross into the candle
with a stylus. Then he makes the Greek 2. and glorious wounds
letter Alpha above the cross, the letter 3. may Christ the Lord
Omega below, and the four numerals of the 4. guard us
5. and protect us. Amen.
Easter Vigil 1 Cycle A
(The Priest lights the Paschal Candle from his holy ones.
the new fire, saying:) This is the night, / when Christ broke the
Cel: May the light of Christ rising in glory prison-bars of death / and rose victorious
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds. from the underworld.
O wonder of your humble care for us! /
PROCESSION O love, O charity beyond all telling, / to
(All light their candles from the flame of the ransom a slave you gave away your Son!
Paschal Candle and continue in procession.) O truly necessary sin of Adam, / destroyed
Cel: The Light of Christ. completely by the Death of Christ!
All: Thanks be to God. O happy fault / that earned so great, so
THE EASTER PROCLAMATION (Exsultet) glorious a Redeemer! / The sanctifying
power of this night dispels wickedness,
(Shorter Form of the Easter Proclamation)
washes faults away, / restores innocence
Cel: Exult, let them exult, the hosts of to the fallen, and joy to mourners.
heaven, / exult, let Angel ministers of God
O truly blessed night, / when things of
exult, let the trumpet of salvation/ sound
heaven are wed to those of earth / and
aloud our mighty King’s triumph!/ Be glad,
divine to the human.
let earth be glad, as glory floods her, /
ablaze with light from her eternal King, / let On this, your night of grace, O holy
all corners of the earth be glad, / knowing Father, / accept this candle, a solemn
an end to gloom and darkness. / Rejoice, offering, / the work of bees and of your
let Mother Church also rejoice, / arrayed servants’ hands, / an evening sacrifice
with the lightning of his glory, / let this holy of praise, / this gift from your most holy
building shake with joy, / filled with the Church.
mighty voices of the peoples. Therefore, O Lord, / we pray you that this
It is truly right an just, / with ardent love of candle, / hallowed to the honour of your
mind and heart / and with devoted service of name, / may persevere undimmed, / to
our voice, / to acclaim our God invisible, the overcome the darkness of this night.
almighty Father, and Jesus Christ, our Lord, Receive it as a pleasing fragrance, / and
his Son, his Only Begotten. let it mingle with lights of heaven./ May
Who for our sake paid Adam’s debt to the this flame be found still burning / by the
eternal Father, / and, pouring out his own Morning Star: / the one Morning Star
dear Blood, / wiped clean the record of our who never sets, / Christ your Son, / who,
ancient sinfulness. coming back from death’s domain, / has
These then are the feasts of Passover, / in shed his peaceful light on humanity, / and
which is slain the Lamb, the one true Lamb, lives and reigns for ever and ever.
/ whose Blood anoints the doorposts of All: Amen.
believers. Part II. THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
This is the night, / when once you led our
forebears, Israel’s children, / from slavery (After setting aside their candles, all sit.
in Egypt / and made them pass dry-shod Before the Readings begin, the Priest instructs
through the Red Sea. the people in these or similar words:)
This is the night / that with a pillar of fire / Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, now that
banished the darkness of sin. we have begun our Solemn Vigil, let us
This is the night / that even now, throughout then listen with quiet hearts to the Word
the world, / sets Christian believers apart from of God. Let us meditate on how God in
worldly vices / and from the gloom of sin, / times past saved his people and in these,
leading them to grace / and joining them to the last days, has sent his Son as our
Easter Vigil 2 Cycle A
Redeemer. Let us pray that our God may the people he has chosen as his own. From
complete this paschal work of salvation the heavens the Lord looks forth, he sees
by the fullness of redemption. all the children of men. 
FIRST READING Our soul is waiting for the Lord. The Lord is our
help and our shield. May your love be upon us,
A reading from the book of Genesis O Lord, as we place all our hope in you. 
(1:1, 26-31a) (Shorter Form)
Prayer after the Reading:
In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth. Cel: Let us pray. O God, who wonderfully
created human nature and still more
And God said, “Let us make man in our
wonderfully redeemed it, grant us,
image, after our likeness; and let them have we pray, to set our minds against the
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over enticements of sin, that we may merit
the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and to attain eternal joys. Through Christ our
over all the earth, and over every creeping Lord.  AMEN
thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God
SECOND READING
created man in his own image, in the image
of God he created him; male and female he A reading from the book of Genesis
created them. And God blessed them, and (22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18) (Shorter Form)
God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, God tested Abraham, and said to him,
and fill the earth and subdue it; and have “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” He
dominion over the fish of the sea and over said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac
whom you love, and go to the land of
the birds of the air and over every living
Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt
thing that moves upon the earth.” And God offering upon one of the mountains of
said, “Behold, I have given you every plant which I shall tell you.”
yielding seed which is upon the face of all When they came to the place of which God
the earth, and every tree with seed in its had told him, Abraham built an altar there,
fruit; you shall have them for food. And to and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac
every beast of the earth, and to every bird his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the
of the air, and to everything that creeps on wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, and
the earth, everything that has the breath of took the knife to slay his son. But the angel
life, I have given every green plant for food.” of the Lord called to him from heaven, and
said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said,
And it was so. And God saw everything that
“Here am I.” He said, “Do not lay your hand
he had made, and behold it was very good. on the lad or do anything to him; for now I
The Word of the Lord know that you fear God, seeing you have not
PSALM (104) withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked
Response: The Lord fills the earth with and behold, behind him was a ram, caught
his love. in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham went
The word of the Lord is faithful and all and took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt
his works to be trusted. The Lord loves offering instead of his son.
justice and right and fills the earth with And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham
his love. 
a second time from heaven and said, “By
By his word the heavens were made, by
myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because
the breath of his mouth all the stars. He
collects the waves of the ocean; he stores you have done this, and have not withheld
up the depths of the sea.  your son, your only son, I will indeed bless
They are happy, whose God is the Lord, you, and I will multiply your descendants as

Easter Vigil 3 Cycle A

the stars of heaven and as the sand which Then the angel of God who went before
is on the seashore. And your descendants the host of Israel moved and went behind
shall possess the gate of their enemies, and them; and the pillar of cloud moved from
by your descendants shall all the nations of before them and stood behind them, coming
the earth bless themselves, because you between the host of Egypt and the host of
have obeyed my voice.” Israel. And there was the cloud and the
The Word of the Lord darkness; and the night passed without one
coming near the other all night.
PSALM (16) Then Moses stretched out his hand over
Response: Preserve me God, I take refuge the sea; and the Lord drove the sea back by
in you. a strong east wind all night, and made the
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; sea dry land and the waters were divided.
it is you yourself who are my prize. I keep the And the people of Israel went into the midst
Lord ever in my sight; since he is at my right of the sea on dry ground, the waters being
hand, I shall stand firm.  a wall to them on their right hand and on
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went
even my body shall rest in safety. For you in after them into the midst of the sea,
will not leave my soul among the dead, nor all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his
let your beloved know decay.  horsemen. And in the morning watch, the
Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked
You will show me the path of life, the down upon the host of the Egyptians, and
fullness of joy in your presence, at your discomfited the host of the Egyptians,
right hand happiness for ever. 
clogging their chariot wheels so that they
Prayer after the Reading: drove heavily; and the Egyptians said, “Let
Cel: Let us pray. O God, supreme Father of us flee from before Israel; for the Lord fights
the faithful, who increase the children of for them against the Egyptians.”
your promise by pouring out the grace of Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your
adoption throughout the whole world and hand over the sea, that the water may come
who through the Paschal Mystery make your back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots,
servant Abraham father of nations, as once and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched
you swore, grant, we pray, that your peoples forth his hand over the sea, and the sea
may enter worthily into grace to which you returned to its wonted flow when the morning
call them. Through Christ our Lord.  AMEN appeared; and the Egyptians fled into it, and
THIRD READING the Lord routed the Egyptians in the midst of
A reading from the book of Exodus the sea. The waters returned and covered the
(14:15–15:1) chariots and the horsemen and all the host of
The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea;
me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. not so much as one of them remained. But the
Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand people of Israel walked on dry ground through
over the sea and divide it, that the people of the sea, the waters being a wall to them on
Israel may go on dry ground through the sea. their right hand and on their left.
And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from
so that they shall go in after them, and I will the hand of Egyptians; and Israel saw the
get glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts, his Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And
chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians Israel saw the great work which the Lord
shall know that I am the Lord, when I have did against the Egyptians, and the people
gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and
his horsemen.”
Easter Vigil 4 Cycle A
feared the Lord; and they believed in the MASS OF THE EASTER NIGHT
Lord and in his servant Moses.
Glory to God in the highest…
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang
this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to COLLECT
the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into Cel: Let us pray. O God, who make this most
the sea.” sacred night radiant with the glory of the
Lord’s Resurrection, stir up in your Church
The Word of the Lord a spirit of adoption, so that, renewed
in body and mind, we may render you
PSALM (Exodus 15) undivided service. Through our Lord Jesus
Response: I will sing to the Lord, for he has Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with
triumphed gloriously. you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed for ever and ever.
gloriously; the horse and his rider he FIRST READING
has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my
strength and my song, and he has become A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the
my salvation; this is my God and I will praise Romans (6:3-11)
him, my father’s God, I will exalt him.  Do you not know that all of us who have been
The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into
Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into his death? We were buried therefore with
the sea; and his picked officers are sunk in him by baptism into death so that as Christ
the sea.  was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
The floods cover them; they went down
For if we have been united with him in a
into the depths like a stone. Thy right hand,
death like his, we shall certainly be united
O Lord, glorious in power, thy right hand,
with him in a resurrection like his. We know
O Lord, shatters the enemy. 
that our old self was crucified with him, so
Thou wilt bring them in, and plant them that the sinful body might be destroyed, and
on thy own mountain, the place, O Lord, we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For
which thou hast made for thy abode, the he who has died is freed from sin. But if we
sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have have died with Christ, we believe that we
established. The Lord will reign for ever shall also live with him. For we know that
and ever.  Christ being raised from the dead will never
Prayer after the Reading: die again; death no longer has dominion
Cel: Let us pray. O God, whose ancient over him. The death he died he died to sin,
wonders remain undimmed in splendour once for all, but the life he lives he lives to
even in our day, for what you once God. So you also must consider yourselves
bestowed on a single people, freeing them dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
from Pharaoh’s persecution by the power The Word of the Lord.
of your right hand, now you bring about PSALM (118)
as the salvation of the nations through
the waters of rebirth, grant, we pray, that Response: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
the whole world may become children of Alleluia! Give thanks to the Lord for he is
Abraham and inherit the dignity of Israel’s good, for his love has no end. Let the sons
birthright. Through Christ our Lord. of Israel say: “His love has no end.” 
 AMEN
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; His

Easter Vigil 5 Cycle A

right hand raised me up. I shall not die, I (If the font is to be blessed, but no one is
shall live and recount his deeds.  to be baptized:)
The stone which the builders rejected has Cel: Dearly beloved, let us humbly invoke
become the corner stone. This is the work upon this font the grace of God the
of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes.  almighty Father, that those who from it are
born anew may be numbered among the
GOSPEL children of adoption in Christ.
A reading from the Holy Gospel according (The Litany is sung by two cantors, with all
to St Matthew (28:1-10) standing and responding)
Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of If no one is to be baptized and the font is
the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene not to be blessed, the Litany is omitted, and
and the other Mary went to see the the Blessing of Water takes place at once.
sepulchre.  And behold, there was a great
(If there are candidates to be baptized,
earthquake; for an angel of the Lord
the Priest, with hands extended, says the
descended from heaven and came and
following prayer:)
rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.  His
appearance was like lightning, and his Cel: Almighty ever-living God, be present
raiment white as snow.  And for fear of him by the mysteries of your great love and
the guards trembled and became like dead send forth the spirit of adoption to create
men.    But the angel said to the women, the new peoples brought to birth for you in
“Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek the font of Baptism, so that what is to be
Jesus who was crucified.    He is not here; carried out by our humble service may be
for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the brought to fulfilment by your mighty power.
place where he lay.   Then go quickly and Through Christ our Lord.
tell his disciples that he has risen from the BLESSING OF BAPTISMAL WATER
dead, and behold, he is going before you
to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have Cel: O God, who by invisible power
told you.”  So they departed quickly from accomplish a wondrous effect through
the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran sacramental signs and who in many ways
to tell his disciples.  And behold, Jesus met have prepared water, your creation, to show
them and said, “Hail!” And they came up forth the grace of Baptism;
and took hold of his feet and worshiped O God, whose Spirit in the first moments of
him.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be the world’s creation hovered over the waters,
afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to so that the very substance of water would
Galilee, and there they will see me.” even then take to itself the power to sanctify;
The Gospel of the Lord O God, who by the outpouring of the flood
foreshadowed regeneration, so that from,
Part III. BAPTISMAL LITURGY the mystery of one and the same element
of water would come an end to vice and a
(If there are candidates to be baptized:) beginning of virtue;
Cel: Dearly beloved, with one heart and O God, who caused the children of Abraham
one soul, let us by our prayers, come to the to pass dry-shod through the Red Sea, so that
aid of these our brothers and sisters in their the chosen people, set free from slavery of
blessed hope, so that, as they approach Pharaoh, would prefigure the people of the
the font of rebirth, the almighty Father baptized;
may bestow on them all his merciful help. O God, whose Son, baptized by John in

Easter Vigil 6 Cycle A

the waters of Jordan, was anointed with Cel: Do you renounce the lure of evil, so
the Holy Spirit, and, as he hung upon the that sin may have no mastery over you?
Cross, gave forth water from his side along All: I do.
with blood, and after his Resurrection,
Cel: Do you renounce Satan, the author
commanded his disciples: ‘Go forth, teach
and prince of sin?
all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy All: I do.
Spirit’, look now, we pray, upon the face of Cel: Do you believe in God, the Father
your Church and graciously unseal for her almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
the fountain of Baptism. All: I do.
May this water receive by the Holy Spirit Cel: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his
the grace of your Only Begotten Son, so only Son, our Lord, who was born of
that human nature, created in your image the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was
and washed clean through the Sacrament buried, rose again from the dead and is
of Baptism from all the squalor of the life seated at the right hand of the Father?
of old, may be found worthy to rise to the
life of newborn children through water All: I do.
and the Holy Spirit. Cel: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy
(And lowering the paschal candle into the Catholic Church, the communion of saints,
water three times, he continues:) the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of
May the power of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, we the body and life everlasting?
pray, come down through your Son into the All: I do.
fullness of this font, (holding the candle in the Cel: And may almighty God, the Father of
water, he continues:) so that all who have our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us
been buried with Christ by Baptism into death new birth by water and the Holy Spirit and
may rise again to life with him. Who lives and bestowed on us forgiveness of our sins,
reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, keep us by his grace, in Christ Jesus our
one God, for ever and ever.  Amen
Lord, for eternal life.
(Then, the candle is lifted out of the water, All: Amen.
and the people acclaim:)
(The Priest sprinkles the people with the
All: Springs of water, bless the Lord; /
blessed water, while all sing:)
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
All: I saw water flowing from the Temple,
THE RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES from its right-hand side, alleluia; / and all
to whom this water came were saved/
Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, through the and shall say: Alleluia, alleluia.
Paschal Mystery we have been buried with
Christ in Baptism, so that we may walk (The Creed is omitted)
with him in newness of life. Also, now that PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
our Lenten observance is concluded, let
us renew the promises of Holy Baptism, Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, we
by which we once renounced Satan and have come together to celebrate the
his works and promised to serve God in resurrection of the Lord Jesus. It is one
the holy Catholic Church. event that has changed the spiritual
history of the humankind. Resurrection
And so I ask you:
has brought a purpose and orientation to
Cel: Do you renounce sin, so as to live human lives: we live and die to rise with
in the freedom of the children of God? Christ. Let our response be,
All: I do.
Easter Vigil 7 Cycle A
 Regd. No. R/N. 26565/74
Response: Come, Lord Jesus. Part IV. THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
1. For the pope, the bishops, the clergy
and the religious that as leaders in PRAYER OVER THE OFFERINGS
the Church they may encourage the Accept, we ask, O Lord, the prayers of
faithful to persevere in their faith, we your people with the sacrificial offerings,
pray …  that what has begun in the paschal
2. For Christians all over the world that the mysteries may, by the working of your
celebration of the resurrection of the power, bring us to the healing of eternity.
Through Christ our Lord.
Lord may challenge them to re-commit
themselves to the faith they have PREFACE I (Easter)
received at baptism and live it with joy,
we pray …  It is truly right and just, our duty and our
salvation, at all times to acclaim you, O
3. For all the faithful who have gone Lord, but on this night above all to laud
through the season of Lent with self- you yet more gloriously, when Christ our
denial and interior purification that the Passover has been sacrificed.
risen Lord may shower upon them his For he is the true Lamb who has taken
choicest blessings, we pray …  away the sins of the world; by dying he
4. For peace in the world that Jesus who is has destroyed our death, and by rising,
the prince of peace may enlighten the restored our life.
hearts and minds of world leaders that Therefore, overcome with paschal joy,
in a spirit of dialogue and collaboration every land, every people exults in your
they may work towards establishing praise and even the heavenly Powers,
peace in the world, we pray …  with the angelic hosts, sing together the
unending hymn of your glory, as they
5. For all of us present in this Eucharistic
acclaim:
assembly that the celebration of Easter
All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts…
may help us to live our Christian faith
with fervour and courage, we pray …  COMMUNION ANTIPHON
(Pause to pray for personal and community needs)
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed;
therefore let us keep the feast with the
Cel: God, our Father, we thank you for the unleavened bread of purity and truth,
gift of your Son Jesus whose resurrection alleluia (1 Cor 5:7-8).
we celebrate today. Jesus voluntarily bore PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
on himself the sins of humanity. Having
died on the cross you raised him. Give us Pour out on us, O Lord, the Spirit of your
the grace that firmly following his footsteps love, and in your kindness make those
you have nourished by this paschal
we may attain our eternal reward. We make
Sacrament one in mind and heart.
this prayer … Through Christ our Lord.

The Spirit of Easter

is all about Hope
Love & Joyful Living
Happy Easter
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