From Genesis through the New Testament, God’s marvelous plan is unfolded. Second Part: The Liturgy of the WordĪ number of readings are read, still in the darkness of the church. So the candle serves as a summons to us to become involved in the community of the Church, whose raison d’être is to let the light of Christ shine upon the world. The cooperation of the living community of believers in the Church in some way resembles the activity of bees. But in the mind of the Fathers, the candle also in some sense contains a silent reference to the Church. In the candle, creation becomes a bearer of light. It reminds us that this object, the candle, has its origin in the work of bees. The great hymn of the Exsultet, which the deacon sings at the beginning of the Easter liturgy, points us quite gently towards a further aspect. ![]() When the Easter candle arrives in the sanctuary, the deacon chants the “Easter Proclamation” (also called the Exsultet, from its first word in Latin, “Rejoice”), an ancient hymn that speaks of the many mysteries of this night. As the procession makes its way through the church, shrouded in the darkness of the night, the light of the Paschal Candle becomes a wave of lights, and it speaks to us of Christ as the true morning star that never sets – the Risen Lord in whom light has conquered darkness. First there is the fire that becomes light. The deacon or priest processes into the dark church and stops three times, proclaiming “Christ, our Light!” By the time he reaches the sanctuary the entire church is blazing with candles that were lit from the Easter candle. The candle represents Jesus Christ, the light of the world. The church is shrouded in darkness as a fire is lighted outside the church and the Easter candle is lit from it. First Part: The Liturgy of Light (Lucernarium) The Easter Vigil is a beautiful experience, one that immerses a person into the very heart of the Paschal Mystery.īelow is a brief guide to the Easter Vigil, along with reflections by Pope Benedict XVI, who frequently meditated on the liturgy during his Easter Vigil homilies. It was eventually shortened and pushed back earlier in the evening, but many of the same rituals are performed with great solemnity. It was initially an all-night vigil that started in the middle of the night and didn’t end until the first rays of dawn when the celebration of Mass began.įor early Christians, it was a way to welcome the rising of the Son of God, who dispels the darkness of night. ![]() The entire liturgical year culminates in the Easter Vigil, an ancient liturgy celebrated on the night before Easter Sunday. The most beautiful liturgy of the year, explained in a brief guide.
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