![]() Because the vigil began after evening prayer when, as every night, the evening candle was lit, in the Western Church on this particular night this light ceremony was eventually understood as symbolizing the return of the light of Christ and the beginning of the Easter celebration. The earliest Christian observance of Easter consisted of a vigil of watching and waiting, fasting and prayer, that lasted through the hours of darkness. (John of Damascus) Three Patterns Pattern A The ‘Alleluia’, which has been silent throughout Lent, returns. All the resources of the church – music, flowers, bells, colours – are used to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. ![]() The Easter Eucharist may follow immediately on the Vigil, or be deferred until Easter Day. The Easter Gospel is proclaimed with all the joy and splendour that the church can find. It is fittingly a time when those who are already Christians may repeat with renewed commitment the promises of their own baptism, and strengthen their sense of incorporation into the royal and priestly ministry of the whole people of God. ![]() Christian baptism is a participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, a dying to sin in order to be reborn in him, and the Easter Vigil was from early Christian times a preferred occasion for baptism. The singing of the Exsultet, the ancient hymn of triumph and rejoicing, links this night of our Christian redemption to the Passover night of Israel’s redemption out of Egypt. The Easter Vigil marks the end of the emptiness of Holy Saturday, and leads into the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. It is therefore important that the preparation is prayerful and thorough. It is meant to be a real experience of new life for the worshipper, a passing from darkness to light which offers hope to all the faithful. However, the Easter Liturgy is not merely a presentation of God’s work. It is particularly important that Evening Prayer should be treated, by the style of its celebration, as belonging to the Eve, and not as the first service of Easter, anticipating the Easter Liturgy itself.įrom earliest times Christians have gathered through the night of Easter to recall the story of God’s saving work, from creation through to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The orders of Morning and Evening Prayer offer adequate liturgical provision for the day. Welcoming the Easter Candle into the Church, with Prayers at the Easter GardenĪccording to ancient custom there is no celebration of the Eucharist on Easter Eve. Instructions for Marking the Easter Candle A Mid-morning Eucharist on Easter Day using Elements from the Easter LiturgyĪ Mid-morning Eucharist: an Outline OrderĪn Outline Service of the Word for Easter Day
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |