04 Apr> d. Easter Vigil
EASTER VIGIL – SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD
Date:
Time: 2100
Place: PCF Main Chapel
(C) Main Celebrant:
(Cc) Concelebrant 1 & 2:
(MC) Master of Ceremony:
Lectors & Psalmists:
1st Reading-
Psalm 1-
2nd Reading-
Psalm 2-
3rd Reading-
Psalm 3-
4th Reading-
Psalm 4-
5th Reading-
Psalm 5-
6th Reading-
Psalm 6-
7th Reading-
Psalm 7-
*8th/ NT Reading (Gloria & Collect precedes)-
Psalm 8 (Alleluia)-
[may be reduce in case of necessity: at least three readings from the OT should be read, the reading from the book of Exodus (3) cannot be omitted.]
Prayers of the faithful:
Offerors:
Servers:
• (th) thurifer –
• (bo) inscense boat bearer –
• (cb) candle bearers –
• (ms) main servers –
Who will switch on the hanging lamps at the nave of the main chapel at the 3rd “Lumen Christi”?
Who will switch on the halogen lights at the altar of the
main chapel during the singing of the “gloria”?
The Rite: (adapted for PCF)
- Lucernarium (Blessing of the Fire & Preparation of the Candle)
– Altar table in the chapel is left bare. Lights in the chapel are switched off and doors left wide open.
– A few minutes before the rite begins, the charcoal is set on fire. (When, because of difficulties that may occur/ hazards, a fire is not lit… see The Roman Missal, no. 13)
– The faithful holding their candles gather together in a suitable place outside the chapel. Instructions may be given regarding the rite, and as to when their candles will be lighted and put off.
– C and servers stand in a place where the fire is between them and the church. Cc and other ministers stand in line on each side of the fire.
– C and the faithful sign themselves with the cross. Then, C greets the faithful and instructs them about the vigil.
– C with hands extended says the prayer for the blessing of the fire and he blesses the fire.
– cb brings the Paschal Candle to C. ms hands the stylus to C, and the incense grain on a small tray.
– C using a stylus then cuts the (1) vertical line of the cross into the candle, saying:(1) “Christ yesterday and today” Then, the (1) horizontal line of the cross, saying: “the Beginning and the End”
– Then he engraves the (2) Greek letter Alpha above the cross, saying, (2) “the Alpha”,
– Engraves (3) the letter Omega below the cross, saying, (3) “and the Omega”.
– Then he engraves (4) the four numerals of the current year between the arms 2 0 # #, saying (4) “All times belongs to him, and all the ages, to him be glory and power, through every age and forever. Amen.”
– C then inserts five grains of incense into the candle in the form of the cross, saying: 1. “By his holy, 2. and glorious wounds, 3. may Christ the Lord, 4. guard us, 5. and protect us. Amen.”
– C lights the Easter Candle from the new fire, saying: “May the light of Christ…”
– th gets burning coals from the fire and places them on the thurible, and together with bo approach C. C then puts incense into the thurible and blesses the incense in the usual way and a procession forms.
– C takes hold of the Paschal Candle.
2. Procession
– th precedes C who carries the Paschal Candle, then the altar servers, Cc and the faithful follow, holding in their hands unlit candles.
I. At the door of the church C raising the candle says: “Lumen Christi”/ “The Light of Christ”, and all respond: “Deo gratias”/ “Thanks be to God”. Then Cc and the other ministers light their candles from the flame of the Paschal Candle.
II. The Procession moves forward to the middle of the nave. C raises the candle again says: “Lumen Christi”/ “The Light of Christ”, and all respond: “Deo gratias”/ “Thanks be to God”. Cc and the other ministers pass the flame from the Paschal Candle to light the candles of the rest of the faithful.
III. The procession advances, C arrives to before the altar, standing facing the Concelebrants and people, he raises the Paschal Candle and says a third time: “Lumen Christi”/ “The Light of Christ”, and all respond: “Deo gratias”/ “Thanks be to God”. Lights are lit throughout the church, except at the altar and the altar candles.
– C then places the Paschal candle on the candle stand prepared next to the ambo or in the middle of the sanctuary. Cc proceed to their places in the sanctuary. All present remain standing for the Exsultet, holding lighted candles.
– NOTE: assign someone to extinguish the fire and take the cauldron to a suitable place, once everyone has entered the chapel.
3. Easter Proclamation (Exsultet)
– C proceeds to his chair and sits. th and bo approach C. C puts incense into the thurible and blesses the incense in the usual way. C stands.
– The Easter Proclamation may be made by the celebrant himself, or by another concelebrating priest, or by a lay cantor (omitting “Therefore, dearest friends…” up to the end of the invitation, along with the greeting “The Lord be with you”). Preceded by th and bo, he goes to the Ambo. After incensing the book of the Exsultet, and the Paschal candle with three double swings, he proclaims the Exsultet at the ambo. th and bo remain near the ambo.
– At the end of the Exsultet, all hand candles are extinguished and set aside. All sit.
4. Liturgy of the Word
– C instructs the people with the given or similar words: “Dear Brethren, now that we have begun our solemn vigil…” The readings follow.
– in this Vigil, the mother of all Vigils, there are nine Readings (7 from the OT, one Epistle from the NT, and the Gospel), all of which should be read so that the character of the Vigil, which demands an extended period of time, may be preserved. (Except for serious pastoral circumstances, the number of OT readings may be reduced. at least 3 readings should be read from the OT together with their respective Responsorial Psalms. Exodus 14 with its canticle can never be omitted.)
– A reader goes to the ambo and proclaims the reading. Afterwards a brief moment of silence, proclaims the corresponding psalm, or a psalmist or cantor may proclaim the Psalm, and the people say the response. Then all rise. C says, “Let us pray” and, after all have prayed in silence, he says the prayer corresponding to the reading.
5. Gloria
– after the last OT Reading with its responsorial and the prayer, C intones the hymn “Gloria in excelsis Deo”/ “Glory to God in the highest”, and bells are rung joyously by ms.
– at the same time, the lights at the altar are lit, the altar table is covered with altar linen, the the altar candles are placed and lit from the Paschal candle’s flames, and is adorned by flowers by the ms.
6. Collect
– after the singing of the Gloria, C says the Collect in the usual way.
– then, all sit and the reader proclaims the Epistle from the Apostle (Rom. 6,3-11).
7. Alleluia and Gospel
– after the Epistle has been read, all stand, then C solemnly intones the Alleluia three times, raising his voice by a step each time, and all respond “alleluia”. Alternatively, a Cantor/Psalmist standing at the lectern or from the choir may intone the solemn Alleluia. Then the Cantor/Psalmist proclaims Psalm 118 with the people responding “Alleluia”.
– Meanwhile, th and bo approach C. C sits to put incense on the thurible and bless it. At the Proclamation of the Gospel candles are not carried but only th leads the procession to the Ambo. On this night, the Easter Candle suffices to honor the risen Lord in the Gospel.
– Gospel: (A) Matthew 28:1-10; (B) Mark 16:1-7; (C) Luke 24,1-12
– Homily, even if brief, is not to be omitted.
9. The Blessing of Water (cf., The Roman Missal, no. 42 & 54)
– After a brief period of silence, C introduces the faithful to the blessing of water saying: “Dear brothers and sister, let us humbly beseech the Lord our God…” Meanwhile, ms pours water into the jar/holy water vat placed in a prominent place in the sanctuary.
– After a brief pause in silence, C proclaims with hands extended the prayer of blessing: “Lord our God, in your mercy…” All respond: “Amen”
10. Renewal of Baptismal Promises
– After the blessing of water, ms with candles approach the paschal candle and pass the flame to everyone. Meanwhile, all stand, holding their lighted-candles, and then renew the promise of baptismal faith.
– C addresses the faithful and all respond.
– And C concludes with the prayer: “And may almighty God…” All respond: “Amen”
– C sprinkles the people with the blessed water, while all sing a song that is baptismal in character.
– After the sprinkling, C returns to the chair where, he leads the Prayers of the Faithful. (The Creed is omitted) Candles are then put off.
11. Liturgy of the Eucharist
– cb accompany the offertory procession towards the altar. Aside from the bread and wine, other gifts may be offered.
– incensation of the bread and wine, the altar table, the paschal candle, BVM, C, Cc, and the rest of the faithful.
– Liturgy of the Eucharist proceeds in the usual way.
– Preface I of Easter
– Sanctus: cb, th, and bo go infront of the altar for the incensation during the consecration.
– Eucharistic Prayer I (Roman Canon): communicantes & hanc igitur propria.
12. Communion Rite
13. Solemn Blessing
– proper for Easter
14. Dismissal
– C says: “Go forth, the Mass is ended, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!” All respond: “Thanks be to God, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!”
– the REGINA COELI may be sung
Things to prepare:
- Roman Missal (Exsultet, Proper, Proper Pf, Roman Canon), copies of the Eucharistic Prayer for Cc
- On the ambo: Lectionary & copy of the prayers of the faithful for C and the reader
- in the place where the Blessing of Fire will be held: a cauldron filled with charcoal, a carpet where C will stand, a small table, candles to be distributed to everyone participating, Paschal candle, stylus and incense grains placed on a small tray, thurible, incense boat, tong, a long candle, Missal, lamp/flashlight, fire extinguisher
- on the credence table: bell, Prepared Chalice, 1 large paten with enough big hosts for concelebrants, ewer and basin, 1 purificator, purifier bowl, book stand, tabernacle key,
- in the sanctuary: chairs for the servers and other ministers, adorned candle stand for the Paschal Candle, adorned jar of water to be blessed and holy water vat beside it for the sprinkling of holy water
- in the nave: table, ciboria filled with sufficient amount of bread, cruets & offerings
- in the sacristy: Gold/White vestments and stoles, extra charcoal for the thurible, lighter
Instruct/Practice:
– Main Celebrant, Cc, the faithful
– Servers and those with special tasks like extinguishing the fire and switching the lights off and on
– Readers
– Psalmists:
Musica Sacra:
– psalms, gloria, alleluia + Psalm 118, rite of sprinkling of holy water, offertory, sanctus, pater noster, communion, Regina Coeli
Announcements:
Reminders:
– Unveiling of sacred images
For inquiries/ contacts:
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“For a celebration so important as the most holy days of our liturgical calendar, being the center of our yearly liturgical celebration, nothing can be left for improvisation (i.e., performed, made, or done without preparation).”