The Easter Vigil: my personal experience

        The Easter Vigil is the most solemn liturgy in the Liturgical Year, highlighted by the baptism of the elects (i.e., those who are to be baptized on this sacred night). There are four parts of the Easter Vigil. Part 1: The Service of the Light; Part 2: The Liturgy of the Word; Part 3: The Liturgy of Baptism; and Part 4: The Liturgy of the Eucharist. I attend the Easter Vigil Mass every year since my own baptism over 30 years ago. This short essay briefly describes the liturgy of the Easter Vigil Mass, my personal experience during the celebration of the Mass and how it draws me closer to the Church community.

        When “The Service of the Light (Part 1)” commences, all the lights inside the Church are put out. A fire is prepared outside the Church. The priest begins with a short prayer, “Father, We share in the light of your glory through your Son, the light of the world. Make this new fire U holy, and inflame us with new hope. Purify our minds by this Easter celebration and bring us one day to the feast of eternal light.” Immediately, he draws the congregation’s attention to the Son of God, our Savior, who is the Light of the World. It also reminds the baptism elects the Gospel they heard in the Rite of Second Scrutiny – that on this sacred night they are the man who is born blind. The priest then lights the Easter Candle carried by the deacon. He traces the Greek letter alpha above the cross, the letter omega below, and the numerals of the current year between the arms of the cross; and inserts five grains of incense in the candle. By this act, he reminds us that the eternal Son of God becomes a man; He dies on the cross for us and has now risen in glory. At this juncture, the priest and the congregation gathered outside the Church begin the procession. The lights are still off and the deacon lifts the Easter Candle three times at the entrance, at the middle and before the altar of the Church, each time singing “Christ our Light”, and all answer “Thanks be to God”. After singing the second time, the acolytes will help light up all the candles except for the baptism elects who do not yet have their own candle – they are still in darkness but Christ’s lights are already around them – all others including me in the Church are lighted up by Jesus. Then, the deacon sings the Exsultet, a solemn hymn in praise of the risen Christ – God begins the re-creation of his world by transforming the corpse of Jesus into the nucleus of a new creation. Our mortal bodies will rise like Jesus one day. This concludes Part 1.

        “The Liturgy of the Word (Part 2)” features nine readings, seven from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament (the epistle and gospel). Before the readings, the priest appeals to all to listen attentively to the word of God so as to recall how He saved His people throughout history, and in the fullness of time, sent His only begotten Son as our Savior. The first reading reminds us that God is our creator, and He makes man in His own image. The second reading reminds us that God has made His promise through Abraham, our father of faith, and He fulfills His promise through the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son. The third reading reminds us that God has saved His chosen people from slavery of the Egyptians; and us, His new chosen people from the slavery of sins through baptism. This reading bears a special meaning to the baptism elects. The fourth reading reminds us that God is always merciful on us, and He will fulfill His promise. We should trust Him. The fifth reading reminds us that God’s salvation is offered to all – including us sinners and the elects who are longing to be baptized. The sixth reading reminds us that God is the fountain of wisdom. The seventh reading, the final Old Testament reading, reminds us that we need to have a new heart and a new spirit in order to be God’s people. At the end of each reading, we will meditate on the words by the singing of a responsorial psalm, to be followed by a silent pause, and then summarized by the celebrant’s prayer. After the seventh reading, the altar candles are lighted, the bells are rung and the Gloria is sung for the first time since the commencement of the Lenten Season (except on Holy Thursday and solemnities during Lent). We are filled with joy in praising God with the Angels in Heaven. Before the Gospel, the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans is read. All of us have died to sin and should begin living a new life in Christ. The Gospel is preceded by a very solemn Alleluia to be sung three times. And the Gospel is about the risen Lord, He is alive! “Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.” (Homily on 2013 Easter Vigil, Pope Francis). The homily is to capture the tremendous mysteries being celebrated on this most sacred night and elaborate on how they relate to us.

        The Liturgy of Baptism (Part 3) is the climax of the sacred night. The priest goes with the ministers to the baptismal font. The baptism elects are called forward and presented by their godparents. All facing the baptismal font, the priest invites us to pray for the baptism elects in conjunction with the saints in heaven by singing the Litany led by the cantor. After the Litany, the priest blesses the water, citing God’s almighty deeds through the water over the ages; and by water and the Holy Spirit, we may be cleansed from sin and rise to a new born. What follow are the renunciation of sin and profession of faith, the fundamental of our beliefs, by the baptism elects and then by the faithful. The elects receive baptism one by one in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. All attending are full of joy and thanks to God. We welcome the new comers to our family. They are no long called baptism elects but the newborns in Christ. Tearful eyes of joy can be seen everywhere in the Church. After baptism, the godparents clothe the newly baptized with the white baptismal garment and present a lighted candle to them. The newly baptized will have to wear their garments every day during the Easter Octave Masses, remove them on the Second Easter Sunday and wear them again at the their own funerals, as a sign that their souls are as clean as a white cloth. The candles remind them to always keep the flame of faith alive in their hearts. At this point, they receive the Light as did the rest of the congregation during the Service of the Light. The priest then sprinkles the congregation with baptismal water to signify that the Lord has given all of us a new birth by water. After the celebration of baptism, the newly baptized will receive the sacrament of confirmation. The priest lays hands on the whole group and makes a sign of the cross with chrism on the foreheads of those receiving confirmation one by one. Through confirmation, the neophytes receive the Holy Spirit who will strengthen them to become the witness of Christ to all nations on earth. Immediately, they represent us to say the general intercessions.

       The Liturgy of the Eucharist (Part 4) starts with the offering of gifts by the neophytes. In the Eucharistic Prayer, the special interpolations for “Christian Initiation: Baptism” are to be used. After saying the Lord’s Prayer – the first time the neophytes are “qualified” to call God the Father “Our Father”, they will have to prepare themselves to receive the Holy Communion. In this sacred liturgy, the faithful receive the Eucharist under two kinds – body and blood. The neophytes will be invited to receive Holy Communion before others. They are now in full communion with Christ for the first time. Also importantly, they are now part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church and become fully united with us in Christ. Together we will spread God’s word to the rest of the world. The Easter Vigil Mass ends soon after Holy Communion but our actions as the witness of Christ will last until the end of our lives.

        To me, the Easter Vigil Mass is certainly the most important liturgy of the year. It is the climax of the Easter Triduum through which we experience the death and resurrection of the Lord, and the joy of having new blood injected into the Church. As a catechist, I am most comforted that God has finally guided my “students” to receive the Sacraments of Initiation. Easter is always the season of joy, faith and hope. Hallelujah!