Holy Saturday is the day of rest after Our Lord’s sacrifice on Good Friday. There is consequently no liturgical function, except the divine office, and Tenebrae in the morning. Mass is not celebrated on Holy Saturday, but only at midnight on Easter Sunday, to mark the time at which Our Lord rose from the dead. Consequently, the Easter Vigil starts around 10 pm.

 

The Vigil ceremony has the following parts to it: the blessing of the Paschal candle, the solemn Easter praise, the readings and prayers, the first part of the Litany of the Saints, the blessing of the baptismal water, followed by procession to the font and eventually any adult baptisms, then the renewal of baptismal vows by the faithful and finally the last part of the Litany of the Saints.

 

The Paschal candle represents Christ, the light of the world, gloriously rising from the dead. Before it can be blessed the new fire must be blessed, that through the light of Christ we might attain with pure souls to heavenly brightness. Then the Paschal candle, is blessed to symbolize Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, who whom all times and ages belong, and the year is inscribed onto the candle. Five grains of incense are placed on the cross on the candle to symbolize the five glorious wounds, with which Our Lord rose from the dead. The candle is then lit, that the light of Christ might dissipate the darkness of heart and mind.

 

The deacon, putting on a white dalmatic, leads a solemn procession into the church, carrying the Paschal candle and singing three times over “The light of Christ”. The candles of the priest, the acolytes and the faithful are lit in turn. Having arrived in the sanctuary, he begins the solemn Easter praise, as all hold their candles. The Easter praise is of the blessed night in which Christ rose from the dead, which fulfills so many of the figures and prophecies of the Old Testament, culminating with the paradoxical expression: “O happy fault, which merited to have such and so great a Redeemer”.

 

The candles are then extinguished and violet vestments resumed for the readings taken from the Old Testament. The first reading, from Genesis, tells the story of creation, and the second, from Exodus, of the escape of the Israelites from slavery across the Red Sea, a symbol of the redemption. The third is Isaiah’s announcement of the heavenly Jerusalem, in which all will be cleansed of sin, and the fourth the final words of Moses, in which he announced how his people will be punished for their infidelity. In between are three touching canticles, all taken from the Old Testament and describing God’s wonderful works towards his people, and four prayers which relate to the canticles or readings and beg for fidelity and eternal salvation.

 

The first part of the Litany of the Saints follows, as far as all the saints of God intercede for us. Then comes the blessing of the baptismal water, which will be used for all the baptisms for the next year. For baptism being the participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, the most suitable time for adult baptisms is Easter. The preface is a prayer begging that this innocent creature of water become the instrument for the forgiveness and perfect purification of sins. The Paschal candle is then placed three times deeper and deeper into the Easter water container with the prayer for the power of the Holy Ghost to descend into this water. The blessed Easter water is then to be used as holy water during Paschaltide and the faithful are afterwards invited to take some home. However, a portion of it is separated to become baptismal water. Into this portion are poured the oil of the catechumens and the sacred chrism blessed by the bishop on the previous Holy Thursday, and thus is sanctified baptismal water in the name of the most Holy Trinity. A procession is then formed with the newly consecrated baptismal water, to the baptismal font, and if there are any baptisms to be done, they can be done at that moment.

 

The priest then puts on a white cope and incenses the paschal candle one more time before inviting the faithful to renew their baptismal vows, made for most of them by their godparents if they were baptized as infants in the traditional rite. All renew also their profession of Faith and are sprinkled with the Easter water. As the cantors sing the last part of the Litany of the Saints, the priest processes to the sacristy to prepare for Mass.

 

The Mass is a little different, having no Introit or prayers at the foot of the altar. It starts with the Kyrie eleison, followed by the prayer begging that God might preserve in us the grace of our adoption as His children by a pure service to Him. The bells once more joyfully peal for the singing of the Gloria, and at the same time the statues are uncovered to reveal the Church triumphant. The epistle from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians reminds us to seek the things that are above, and is followed by the glorious triple Alleluia on rising tones. After St. Matthew’s account of the empty tomb, the Mass continues without Creed or Offertory antiphon. However, there is a special Communicantes prayer to honour the mystery of the Resurrection and a Hanc igitur prayer for the  priest to pray for the newly baptized. There is likewise no Agnus Dei or kiss of peace at a high Mass. After Holy Communion comes the singing of Lauds, with an antiphon, Psalm 150 of thanksgiving, and then another antiphon in honor of the women who came to the empty tomb, and the singing of the Benedictus with the incensation of the altar. The prayer asks for the spirit of charity to be poured into our souls that we might live in concord with God’s goodness.

-         FATHER PETER SCOTT