The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night

A reading from the book of Exodus.

The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea, split the sea in two, that the Israelites may pass through it on dry land. But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate that they will go in after them. Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and charioteers. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I receive glory through Pharaoh and his chariots and charioteers.”

The angel of God, who had been leading Israel’s camp, now moved and went around behind them. The column of cloud also, leaving the front, took up its place behind them, so that it came between the camp of the Egyptians and that of Israel. But the cloud now became dark, and thus the night passed without the rival camps coming any closer together all night long.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord swept the sea with a strong east wind throughout the night and so turned it into dry land. When the water was thus divided, the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

The Egyptians followed in pursuit; all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them right into the midst of the sea. In the night watch just before dawn the Lord cast through the column of the fiery cloud upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic; and he so clogged their chariot wheels that they could hardly drive. With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, because the Lord was fighting for them against the Egyptians.

Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth. The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea, when the Lord hurled them into its midst. As the water flowed back, it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army which had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not a single one of them escaped. But the Israelites had marched on dry land through the midst of the sea, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

Thus the Lord saved Israel on that day from the power of the Egyptians. When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore and beheld the great power that the Lord had shown against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

A reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel.

Thus the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it by their conduct and deeds. Therefore I poured out my fury upon them (because of the blood which they poured out on the ground, and because they defiled it with idols). I scattered them among the nations, dispersing them over foreign lands; according to their conduct and deeds I judged them. But when they came among the nations (wherever they came), they served to profane my holy name, because it was said of them: “These are the people of the Lord, yet they had to leave their land.” So I have relented because of my holy name which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they came.

Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Not for your sakes do I act, house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you came. I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, in whose midst you have profaned it. Thus the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.

For I will take you away from among the nations, gather you from all the foreign lands, and bring you back to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

A reading from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Romans.

Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Through baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life.

If we have been united with him through likeness to his death, so shall we be through a like resurrection. This we know: our old self was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed and we might be slaves to sin no longer. A man who is dead has been freed from sin.

If we have died with Christ, we believe that we are also to live with him. We know that Christ, once raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no more power over him. His death was death to sin, once for all; his life is life for God. In the same way, you must consider yourselves dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

For the word of the Lord,

thanks be to God.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

For the gospel of the Lord,

praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

A REFLECTION FOR EASTER DAY

They disciples were utterly surprised at the news.  How could it be?  Was not St Mary Magdalene out of her mind?  She had told them of finding the empty tomb.  Peter and John had rushed to check the tomb.  We do not know of Peter’s reaction but John’s we do know. He sees and believes.  In other words, he now believes and understands all that he heard Jesus teach and do among the people.  At last it all makes real sense to him.

The news confirmed Mary Magdalene’s discovery.  All the disciples then came to believe, too.  So they continued to gather, not to grieve but to talk, pray and wait.  The mood turned from despair to celebration and anticipation.  The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, was to come to them.  That would be their starting point as they proclaimed the Kingdom of God as Jesus had.  They would be led in all directions to tell of the good news as would countless people who succeeded them.

St Paul tells us of our new life in Christ.  We, too, hope to share in the resurrection.  This will happen not only when we die but it can happen each day of our lives.  St Paul wants us to model our lives on the example of Jesus.  This includes loving the weakest members of the wider community, being generous to the poor, readiness at all times to forgive others, to heal people who are hurt and being able to show how joyful we are to be alive, especially on Sundays when we celebrate together the resurrection of Christ.  All this we can do in the power of the Holy Spirit.  It seems as if it a steep obligation but the more we attempt it the easier it becomes and we are never alone in our efforts.  The Holy Spirit is our helper.

So we stand in a great line of witnesses carrying the light of Christ to others. One important way of witnessing is for us to model our lives on Jesus as our example.  The risen Christ comes to meet each person and he invited the response of faith.  First it is St Mary Magdalene, St John and St Peter, then the apostles, and now to us in the great line.  To be witnesses to the Resurrection of Christ and not witnesses to negativity, despair and pessimism.

May each one of us know the peace and joy of Easter Day.  It is ours to share generously.

Fr Graeme Kaines
Locum Priest

Easter 2020

Dear brothers and sisters,
let us humbly beseech the Lord our God
to bless this water he has created,
which will be sprinkled upon us
as a memorial of our Baptism.
May he graciously renew us,
that we may remain faithful
to the Spirit whom we have received.

And after a brief pause in silence, the celebrant proclaims:

Lord our God,
in your mercy be present to your people
who keep vigil on this most sacred night,
and, for us who recall the wondrous work of our creation
and the still greater work of our redemption,
graciously bless this water.
For you created water to make the fields fruitful
and to refresh and cleanse our bodies.
You also made water the instrument of your mercy:
for through water you freed your people from slavery
and quenched their thirst in the desert;
through water the Prophets proclaimed the new covenant
you were to enter upon with the human race;
and last of all,
through water, which Christ made holy in the Jordan,
you have renewed our corrupted nature
in the bath of regeneration.
Therefore, may this water be for us
a memorial of the Baptism we have received,
and grant that we may share
in the gladness of our brothers and sisters,
who at Easter have received their Baptism.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pray that my sacrifice and yours
may be acceptable to God, the Father almighty.

May the Lord accept our sacrifice
for the praise and glory of God’s name,
for our good, and the good of all God’s holy Church.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

May almighty God bless you
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia.

Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia.