Normally the Vigil begins with the blessing and lighting of
the paschal candle in the church car park. A new paschal candle is blessed and
lit every year at Easter and then used throughout the year during special
occasions such as baptisms and funerals.
(Previously, passers-by who have seen the flaming brazier
in the church's car park have innocently enquired whether we are ‘having a barbeque?’)
However Saturday’s weather forecast was for torrential rain and,
sure enough, by 7pm it was bucketing down. Fortunately, altar server Georges was prepared
and had set up a fire in the church porch – with a bucket of water nearby and
a fire extinguisher.
On schedule at 8pm all the lights in the church were
extinguished and Fr Kevin and the other altar servers processed to the porch
bearing the paschal candle. After blessing the fire, Fr Kevin cut the shape of
a cross in the candle, then the Greek signs for Alpha and Omega, signifying God
is the beginning and the end, and finally the numbers 2016. Five grains of
incense were then inserted into the candle representing the five wounds of
Christ - a tricky operation at the best of times but doubly difficult when the
priest has to hold a small torch in his other hand!
Fr Kevin then sang the Easter proclamation (Exsultet) which
glories in the goodness of God who created all and His son who ‘broke the
prison-bars of death.’ The congregation's candles were snuffed out so
that the church was again in darkness, lit only by the faint glow of the
paschal candle, now placed in a candlestand next to the altar.
There followed a series of readings from the Old and New
Testaments, interspersed with prayers and psalms sung by the congregation – led
by our magnificent choir (seemingly turbo-charged for the occasion) under Jane and our nimble-fingered organist.
After the last reading from the Old Testament there was a
moment’s pause – before an explosion of noise and light as bells rang out,
clappers sounded and all the lights were switched on. Servers scurried round
ensuring that all the candles in the church were lit, even the ones ten feet up on the side walls that
are only lit once a year.
Fortunately, our parish priest has a well-modulated singing
voice and sufficient stamina, both of which are needed for the Vigil. After the
Litany of the Saints was sung, the baptismal water was blessed, lowering the paschal
candle into it several times as required by the Vigil rite.
Following this the three were clad in white
garments and lit their own baptismal candles from the paschal one. Then,
bearing their lit candles, they went into the body of the church, passing their
light from person to person until the candles of the entire congregation were
lit. The entire congregation was then invited to hold up their lit candles and renew
their baptismal promises, renouncing Satan and all his works and promising to
serve God in the holy Catholic church, following which the priest walked around
the church sprinkling holy water on everyone – and, when he had returned to the
altar, giving the altar servers and himself a good sprinkling.
Then the newly-baptised three were joined on the sanctuary by
the four persons to be confirmed in the faith, all seven standing facing the
congregation, their sponsors standing behind them, one hand on the candidate's
shoulder to indicate their support and sponsorship. Again, the prescribed questions
were put and the candidates were anointed, this time with a different oil, the Oil
of Chrism, the Holy Oil used to anoint prophets and kings. Several were visibly
moved as Fr Kevin moved down the line, blessing and praying for each one.
After Mass there were more than the usual amount of smiles,
handshakes, hugs and arm squeezes as ‘Happy Easter’ greetings were exchanged.
One of the things that I find particularly moving about the
Easter Vigil – apart from the drama of the occasion itself – was the way it attracts many
people, visitors and locals, who do not regularly attend the church. Reaching
across the pews to shake a stranger’s hand while wishing him or her a friendly ‘Peace’ or ‘Happy Easter’ often gets a fulsome response, particularly from the
elderly. It’s a way of sharing the paschal candle’s light and warmth.
As we left the church servers offered us a choice of wine
gums or jelly babies from their baskets.
Eh…can we go back to chocolates next year, Fr Kevin?
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