Easter Vigil Mass 2023

Laurie: Dear brothers and sisters, on this most sacred night, in which our Lord Jesus Christ passed over from death to life, the Church calls upon her sons and daughters,

scattered throughout the world, to come together to watch and pray.

-If we keep the memorial of the Lord's paschal solemnity in this way, listening to his word and celebrating his mysteries, then we shall have the sure hope of sharing his triumph over death and living with him in God.

Then the Priest blesses the fire, saying with hands extended:

Maura: Let us pray. O God, who through your Son bestowed upon the faithful the fire of your glory, sanctify † this new fire, we pray, and grant that, by these paschal celebrations, we may be so inflamed with heavenly desires, that with minds made pure we may attain festivities of unending splendor. Through Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

The Priest lights the paschal candle saying:

Cait: May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.

The Easter Proclamation (Exsúltet)

Cait: May the Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I may proclaim his paschal praise worthily and well, in the name of the Father and of the Son, † and of the Holy Spirit.

R. Amen.

The Easter Proclamation

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.

(Therefore, dearest friends,

standing in the awesome glory of this holy light,

invoke with me, I ask you,

the mercy of God almighty,

that he, who has been pleased to number me,

though unworthy, among the Levites,

may pour into me his light unshadowed,

that I may sing this candle’s perfect praises).

(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

that 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.

Our birth would have been no gain,

had we not been redeemed.

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!

O truly blessed night,

worthy alone to know the time and hour

when Christ rose from the underworld!

This is the night

of which it is written:

The night shall be as bright as day,

dazzling is the night for me,

and full of gladness.

The sanctifying power of this night

dispels wickedness, washes faults away,

restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners,

drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.

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.

But now we know the praises of this pillar,

which glowing fire ignites for God’s honor,

a fire into many flames divided,

yet never dimmed by sharing of its light,

for it is fed by melting wax,

drawn out by mother bees

to build a torch so precious.

O truly blessed night,

when things of heaven are wed to those of earth,

and divine to the human.

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.

Maura: Dear brothers and sisters, now that we have begun our solemn Vigil,

let us listen with quiet hearts to the Word of God.

Let us meditate on how God in times past saved his people and in these, the last days, has sent us his Son as our Redeemer.

Let us pray that our God may complete this paschal work of salvation by the fullness of redemption.

First reading Genesis 1:1-2:2

God saw all that he had made, and indeed it was very good

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God’s spirit hovered over the water.

God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.

God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness.

God called light ‘day’, and darkness he called ‘night.’

Evening came and morning came: the first day.

God said, ‘Let there be a vault in the waters to divide the waters in

two.’ And so it was.

God made the vault, and it divided the waters above the vault from the waters under the vault. God called the vault ‘heaven.’ Evening came and morning came: the second day.

God said, ‘Let the waters under heaven come together into a single mass, and let dry land appear.’ And so it was. God called the dry land ‘earth’ and the mass of waters ‘seas’, and God saw that it was good.

God said, ‘Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees bearing fruit with their seed inside, on the earth.’ And so it was. The earth produced vegetation: plants bearing seed in their several kinds, and trees bearing fruit with their seed inside in their several kinds. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the third day.

God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night, and let them indicate festivals, days and years. Let them be lights in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth.’ And so it was.

God made the two great lights: the greater light to govern the day, the smaller light to govern the night, and the stars. God set them in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth, to govern the day and the night and to divide light from darkness. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the fourth day.

God said, ‘Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth within the vault of heaven.’ And so it was.

God created great sea-serpents and every kind of living creature with which the waters teem, and every kind of winged creature. God saw that it was good.

God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply upon the earth.’ Evening came and morning came: the fifth day.

God said, ‘Let the earth produce every kind of living creature: cattle, reptiles, and every kind of wild beast.’ And so it was. God made every kind of wild beast, every kind of cattle, and every kind of land reptile. God saw that it was good.

God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’

God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God he created him,

male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth

and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven

and all living animals on the earth.’

God said, ‘See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food.

To all wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food.’ And so it was.

God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day.

Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing.

He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Repeat: Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!

You are clothed with majesty and glory,

robed in light as with a cloak.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

You fixed the earth upon its foundation,

not to be moved forever;

with the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;

above the mountains the waters stood.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

You send forth springs into the watercourses

that wind among the mountains.

Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;

from among the branches they send forth their song.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

You water the mountains from your palace;

the earth is replete with the fruit of your works.

You raise grass for the cattle, and vegetation for man's use,

Producing bread from the earth.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

How manifold are your works, O LORD!

In wisdom you have wrought them all—

the earth is full of your creatures.

Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.

R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Third reading

Exodus 14:15-15:1, 20-21

The sons of Israel went on dry ground right into the sea

The Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me so? Tell the sons of Israel to march on. For yourself, raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and part it for the sons of Israel to walk through the sea on dry ground. I for my part will make the heart of the Egyptians so stubborn that they will follow them. So shall I win myself glory at the expense of Pharaoh, of all his army, his chariots, his horsemen.

And when I have won glory for myself, at the expense of Pharaoh and his chariots and his army, the Egyptians will learn that I am the Lord.’

Then the angel of God, who marched at the front of the army of Israel, changed station and moved to their rear. The pillar of cloud changed station from the front to the rear of them, and remained there. It came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. The cloud was dark, and the night passed without the armies drawing any closer the whole night long.

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove back the sea with a strong easterly wind all night, and he made dry land of the sea. The waters parted and the sons of Israel went on dry ground right into the sea, walls of water to right and to left of them. The Egyptians gave chase: after them they went, right into the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

In the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and of cloud, and threw the army into confusion. He so clogged their chariot wheels that they could scarcely make headway. ‘Let us flee from the Israelites,’ the Egyptians cried. ‘The Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians!’

‘Stretch out your hand over the sea,’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘that the waters may flow back on the Egyptians and their chariots and their horsemen.’

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and, as day broke, the sea returned to its bed. The fleeing Egyptians marched right into it, and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the very middle of the sea.

The returning waters overwhelmed the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh’s whole army, which had followed the Israelites into the sea; not a single one of them was left. But the sons of Israel had marched through the sea on dry ground, walls of water to right and to left of them.

That day, the Lord rescued Israel from the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore. Israel witnessed the great act that the Lord had performed against the Egyptians, and the people venerated the Lord; they put their faith in the Lord and in Moses, his servant. The prophetess Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses, took a tambourine in her hand while all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing. It was then that Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song in honour of the Lord:

Canticle Hymn of victory after crossing the Red Sea

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;

horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,

and he has been my savior.

He is my God, I praise him;

the God of my father, I extol him.

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

The LORD is a warrior, LORD is his name!

Pharaoh's chariots and army he hurled into the sea;

the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

The flood waters covered them,

they sank into the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

You brought in the people you redeemed

and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance

the place where you made your seat, O LORD,

the sanctuary, LORD, which your hands established.

The LORD shall reign forever and ever.

R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

Fifth reading Isaiah 55:1-11

Come to me and your soul will live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you

Thus says the Lord: Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come! Buy corn without money, and eat, and, at no cost, wine and

milk. Why spend money on what is not bread, your wages on what fails to satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy. Pay attention, come to me; listen, and your soul will live. With you I will make an everlasting covenant out of the favours promised to David. See, I have made of you a witness to the peoples, a leader and a master of the nations. See, you will summon a nation you never knew, those unknown will come hurrying to you, for the sake of the Lord your God, of the Holy One of Israel who will glorify you.

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near.

Let the wicked man abandon his way, the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, to our God who is rich in forgiving; for my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not

your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.

Yes, the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts.

Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not

return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to

provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes

from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will

and succeeding in what it was sent to do.

The rejoicing of a redeemed people

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD,and he has been my

savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;

among the nations make known his deeds,

proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement; let this be

known throughout all the earth. Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sixth reading: Baruch 3:9-15,32-4:4

In the radiance of the Lord, make your way to light

Listen, Israel, to commands that bring life; hear, and learn what knowledge means.

Why, Israel, why are you in the country of your enemies, growing older and older in an alien land, sharing defilement with the dead, reckoned with those who go to Sheol?

Because you have forsaken the fountain of wisdom. Had you walked in the way of God, you would have lived in peace for ever.

Learn where knowledge is, where strength, where understanding, and so learn

where length of days is, where life, where the light of the eyes and where peace.

But who has found out where she lives, who has entered her treasure house?

But the One who knows all knows her, he has grasped her with his own intellect,

he has set the earth firm for ever and filled it with four-footed beasts.

He sends the light – and it goes, he recalls it – and trembling it obeys; the stars shine joyfully at their set times: 17 when he calls them, they answer, ‘Here we are’;

they gladly shine for their creator.

It is he who is our God, no other can compare with him. He has grasped the whole way of knowledge, and confided it to his servant Jacob, to Israel his well-beloved;

so causing her to appear on earth and move among men.

This is the book of the commandments of God, the Law that stands for ever;

those who keep her live, those who desert her die.

Turn back, Jacob, seize her, in her radiance make your way to light:

do not yield your glory to another, your privilege to a people not your own.

Israel, blessed are we: what pleases God has been revealed to us.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul;

the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

the command of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eye.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;

the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

They are more precious than gold, than a heap of purest gold;

sweeter also than syrup or honey from the comb.

R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Seventh reading: Ezekiel 36:16-17,18-28

I shall pour clean water over you and I shall give you a new heart

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, the members of the House of Israel used to live in their own land, but they defiled it by their conduct and actions. I then discharged my fury at them because of the blood they shed in their land and the idols with which they defiled it. I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them in foreign countries. I sentenced them as their

conduct and actions deserved. And now they have profaned my holy name among the nations where they have gone, so that people say of them, “These are the people of the Lord; they have been exiled from his land.”

‘But I have been concerned about my holy name, which the House of Israel has profaned among the nations where they have gone. ‘And so, say to the House of Israel, “The Lord says this: I am not doing this for your sake, House of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I mean to display the holiness of my great name, which has 19

been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord – it is the Lord who speaks – when I display my holiness for your sake before their eyes.

Then I am going to take you from among the nations and gather you together from all the foreign countries, and bring you home to your own land.‘ “I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land which I gave your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God.”’

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid.

My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my

savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name; among the nations

make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name.

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement; let this be

known throughout all the earth. Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,

for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel!

R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Epistle Romans 6:3-11

Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again

When we were baptized in Christ Jesus we were baptized in his death; in other words, when we were baptized we went into the tomb with him and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life. If in union with Christ we have imitated his death, we shall also

imitate him in his resurrection. We must realize that our former selves have been crucified with him to destroy this sinful body and to free us from the slavery of sin. When a Christian dies, of course, he has finished with sin.But we believe that having died with Christ we shall return to life with him: Christ, as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and

in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,

for his mercy endures forever.

Let the house of Israel say,

"His mercy endures forever."

R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;

the right hand of the LORD is exalted. I shall not die, but live,

and declare the works of the LORD.

R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.

By the LORD has this been done;

it is wonderful in our eyes.

R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

The Gradual (Stand)

Laurie: They that love wisdom, love life.

All: And they that seek her early shall be filled with joy.

Laurie: Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.

All: And I shall keep it unto the end.

Munda Cor Meum (Stand)

Laurie: I weave a silence into my mind. I weave a silence onto my 22 lips. I weave a silence within my heart. I close my ears to confusion.

I close my eyes to enticements. I close my heart to temptations.

Calm me, my Savior, as you stilled the storm.

Comfort me, my Redeemer, keep me from destruction. Let all turmoil within me cease. Enfold me, Lord Christ, with your peace.

The Priest then kneels before the altar and says the following prayer:

Laurie: Cleanse my heart and my lips, O God, who by the hand of

your angel cleansed the lips of the prophet Isaiah with a burning coal from

your altar and in your loving kindness so purify me that I may worthily

proclaim your Holy Gospel; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Laurie: May the Lord be in my heart (+) and on my lips (+), that

through my heart the love of God may shine forth and through my lips His

power be made manifest.

All: Amen.

The Holy Gospel (Stand)

Laurie: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

ALL: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel Acclamation: He has risen from the dead and now he is

going before you into Galilee

Laurie Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

ALL: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 28:1-10

All: Glory be to You, O Lord.

Gospel

Laurie: After the sabbath, and towards dawn on the first day of the week,

Mary of Magdala and the other Mary went to visit the sepulchre. And

all at once there was a violent earthquake, for the angel of the Lord,

descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone and sat on

it. His face was like lightning, his robe white as snow. The guards

were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like dead men.

But the angel spoke; and he said to the women, ‘There is no need for

you to be afraid. I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said he would. Come and see

the place where he lay, then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has

risen from the dead and now he is going before you to Galilee; it is

there you will see him.” Now I have told you.’ Filled with awe and

great joy the women came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell

the disciples.

And there, coming to meet them, was Jesus. ‘Greetings’ he said.

And the women came up to him and, falling down before him, clasped

his feet. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my

brothers that they must leave for Galilee; they will see me there.’

Homily - Sister Laurel O’Neal, Diocesan Hermit

The Litany of Victory (Stand)

Maura: May the saints be with you.

All: And also with you.

Maura: With St. John the Evangelist who soars like an eagle,