Easter Vigil
Preparation for the Easter Vigil home liturgy
Introduction:
The Easter Vigil is the most sacred night of the Church year. It is the celebration of Christ’s triumph over death through the resurrection to new life. This passing from darkness into light, and from death into life is what the Vigil commemorates. It is the ultimate victory all Christians share through Jesus Christ.
What will you need?
Please have a special candle to use at home during the Easter season. If you are feeling artistic, feel free to paint/decorate as we do the Paschal candle at College Church. The candle decoration should include the year.
Have your candle at home ready to light during our prayer.
Have a computer or iPad available to watch and listen to the videos which will be linked below.
Before supper watch together this short introduction to the Vigil linked above.
Order of Home Liturgy
1) Gather after supper around twilight or after dark. Place the home Easter candle in a prominent (and safe!) place.
2) Turn off the lights and wait in the darkness for a minute or longer.
3) Have someone pray the following prayer:
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
on this most sacred night,
in which our Lord Jesus Christ passed over from death to life,
the Church calls upon her daughters and sons,
scattered throughout the world,
to come together and pray.
If we keep the memorial of the Lord’s paschal solemnity,
Then we shall have the sure hope of sharing in his triumph over
death and living with him in God.
3) Bless the candle in the following way while tracing the cross on it:
Christ yesterday and today
the beginning and the end
the Alpha and the Omega
All time belongs to him and all the ages
To him be glory and power
through every age and forever. Amen.
Light the candle at the conclusion of the blessing.
*IF YOU CAN DO THIS SAFELY, CONSIDER WALKING THE CANDLE THROUGH YOUR HOME WHILE SINGING:
Leader: The light of Christ!
Reply: Thanks be to God!
4) Return to gathering space and Listen to the Exsultet:
Exsultet (sung by Fr. Matthew Baugh, S.J.)
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.
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 which 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.
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!
The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners.
O truly blessed night, when things of heaven are wed to those of earth and divine to the human.
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
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.
5) Listen to Vigil readings (as many as appropriate)
6) Listen to Fr. Dan’s homily. Share your own reflections on light and darkness.
7) Sing “I want to walk as a child of the light” and/or “Christ be our Light”
I Want To Walk As A Child Of The Light Lyrics
I want to walk as a child of the light
I want to follow Jesus
God sent the stars to give light to the world
The star of my life is Jesus
In Him there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus
I want to see the brightness of God
I want to look at Jesus
Clear Sun of Righteousness, shine on my path
And show me the way to the Father
In Him there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus
I'm looking for the coming of Christ
I want to be with Jesus
When we have run with patience the race
We shall know the joy of Jesus
In Him there is no darkness at all
The night and the day are both alike
The Lamb is the light of the city of God
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus
Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus
Christ, Be Our Light
Longing for light, we wait in darkness
Longing for truth, we turn to You.
Make us Your own, Your holy people
Light for the world to see.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in Your church gathered today.
Longing for peace, our world is troubled
Longing for hope, many despair.
Your word alone has pow'r to save us.
Make us your living voice.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in Your church gathered today.
Longing for food, many are hungry
Longing for water, many still thirst.
Make us Your bread, broken for others
Shared until all are fed.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in Your church gathered today.
Longing for shelter, many are homeless
Longing for warmth, many are cold.
Make us Your building, sheltering others
Walls made of living stone.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in Your church gathered today.
Many the gift, many the people
Many the hearts that yearn to belong.
Let us be servants to one another
Making Your kingdom come.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in our hearts.
Shine through the darkness.
Christ, be our light!
Shine in Your church gathered today.
*Record and/or take pics as appropriate during liturgy.
Additional Resources
