A time of ‘vigil’ means a time of waiting. The Vigil of Easter is the time when we await the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection. We really began this time of waiting and looking ahead from Holy Thursday night on; but now in the Vigil that waiting and watching intensifies. There are four parts to the Easter Vigil: the liturgy of light, the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of baptism and the liturgy of the Eucharist.
The Easter Vigil begins with our gathering around a newly struck fire. People have gathered around fire from time immemorial for light and warmth and security. Now we gather around a new fire which Jesus casts upon the earth (Luke 12:49; Acts 2:3), which promises us new light and warmth and security even from death.
And from this fire we light the Paschal or Easter Candle which is marked with a cross, with the Greek letters Alpha and Omega (first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) symbolising Jesus as the beginning and the end of all things. The Candle is also marked with the numbers which are the numbers of the year (2025). There are five metal studs placed into the Candle representing the five wounds of Christ. This candle is then carried into the dark church and there is sung three times “Christ our Light”, to which all respond “Thanks be to God”. The Easter Candle is then enthroned on its stand, is incensed and a long hymn of praise and thanks is sung – the Exsultet.
Then comes the long Liturgy of the Word in which there are at least five readings with psalms sung in between them. These are part of keeping vigil. They put our vigil in the context of the long vigil of the People of God beginning with creation and going through the Old Testament, tracing the long line of waiting for the Lord’s death and resurrection. It inserts us into the long-term waiting or vigil-keeping of those who came before Christ. The Liturgy of the Word culminates in the proclamation of the gospel of the resurrection with its accompanying ‘alleluias’.
There is then the baptismal liturgy in which Easter water is blessed, with which those to be baptised will be baptised and with which the whole congregation will be sprinkled, while all renew the vows of their baptism. At this stage, those who have been preparing for baptism and entry into full communion with the Church will be baptised, confirmed and receive the Eucharist for the first time.
The final part of the Vigil is the celebration of the Eucharist. We now enter into familiar territory. All the earlier parts of the vigil are unusual – we do them just once a year; but now we do what we do every Sunday, but it is the highpoint of the celebration of Easter. It is the ‘breaking of the bread’ during which the risen Christ gives us the gift of himself in the bread and wine of the Eucharist.
This celebration of the resurrection spills over into Easter Sunday, where the joy of the resurrection finds full and solid expression. At Easter Sunday Masses, all are invited to renew the promises and commitment of their baptism.
In the Eastern Churches, there is a lovely custom of greeting each other at Easter with the following words: “Christ is risen” “He is risen indeed”.
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Laura Facci says:
Thank you Father Frank for a very clear explanation of the Easter Vigil.