The candles lit at the Easter Vigil symbolize the Christ-light that
drives away all darkness.
GREG TARCZYNSKI PHOTO |
By Brother John Samaha, SM
Special to The Voice
From the outset, the Easter Vigil, originally and more
appropriately called the Paschal Vigil, has been celebrated at night.
In the beginning, it was a very plain ceremony — an assembly that
ended with the breaking of the bread and an “agape.” One or
more days of fasting preceded the Easter Vigil.
As the Easter Vigil developed in Rome and in places where the Roman rite
was followed, this tradition added a baptismal rite, the ceremony of the
“lucernarium” (the lighting of lamps), a blessing of the new
fire, and a candlelight procession.
As it developed, the Vigil became more and more meaningful. At first the
celebration took place at night like the weekly Eucharist because most
of the faithful could not assemble during the day.
However, the evangelists situate the discovery of the tomb “as the
first day of the week was dawning” (Mt. 28:1), “very early”
(Mark 16:2; Jn 20:1) “at dawn” (Luke 24:1). The thrust emphasizes
that Jesus is the “light of the world” that came into the
world as a “revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32).
In baptism, the believer passes from death to life (Col. 2:12). Ritually
and really the neophyte is plunged with Christ into death so as to come
to new life with the one who “was raised from the dead by the glory
of the Father” (Rom 6:4). For this reason, baptism is called illumination
(in biblical Greek “photismos”) and the baptized, illuminated.
In our day, thanks to electricity, we can have as much light as we want
whenever we want it. This was not the case in the past, when lighting
the lamps in the evening was a rite. This was generally a happy occasion,
when many lamps were lit as for a banquet at the beginning of the Sabbath
on Friday evening.
Christians understood this light that drives away the darkness as a symbol
of the Christ-light. The procession led by the Paschal Candle represents
the journey of God’s people no longer led by a bright cloud but
by the glorious light that shines on every person coming into the world
(John 1:9).
This rite is most solemn in the context of the great night illuminated
by the resurrected Christ. This was eloquently explained in the solemn
proclamation of the Lord’s resurrection that we now call the Exultet.
Because all lights are extinguished on Holy Thursday evening, it is necessary
to light a new flame in order to celebrate a liturgy at night. And so
the ritual developed: the blessing of a new fire and the procession into
the church led by the Paschal Candle as the celebrant intoned “Light
of Christ” and the faithful responded “Thanks be to God.”
Over the centuries this celebration underwent some problems and waned
in significance. As late as the 13th century, the liturgy was still not
entirely structured. Since the seventh century there had been a general
decline and this event was celebrated early in the day on Holy Saturday.
When Pope Pius V reformed the Missal in the 16th century following the
Council of Trent, he forbade the celebration of the Eucharist after midday.
Consequently on Holy Saturday morning in churches brightened with sunlight
and a barely perceptible flame on the Easter candle, the celebrant sang
“O night truly blessed.” In addition, very few people were
able to attend this long liturgy on Holy Saturday morning. This added
to its diminished significance.
The biblical, patristic, theological and liturgical renewal that began
to swell in the 1920s indicated the unacceptability of this condition
and the impoverishment of the Easter celebration.
In 1951, Pope Pius XII authorized the celebration of the Easter Vigil
during the evening hours of Holy Saturday and revised the rites to foster
greater congregational participation. Then in 1955 he decreed that the
Easter Vigil must take place at night.
In our day we follow the Missal of Pope Paul VI promulgated in 1969, following
the Second Vatican Council. The Easter Vigil celebration has four parts:
1) the blessing of the fire, the procession of the Easter candle, and
the chanting of the Exultet; 2) the Liturgy of the Word; 3) the baptismal
liturgy which includes at least the blessing of the water and a renewal
of baptismal vows; and 4) the Eucharistic liturgy.
This solemn celebration of the Lord’s resurrection is the zenith
of the liturgical year, “the solemnity of solemnities.”
While the spoken word is very important in the liturgy, we are called
to be more alert to the symbolism, both in things and in actions. We are
asked to approach with a receptive attitude, ready to be engaged in a
way that appeals both to the mind and to the heart, to one’s whole
being. We are invited to listen carefully and to look attentively on the
realities present in signs that cannot be fully captured in words.
This is how we are called to participate fully in the Easter Vigil.
(Marianist Brother John Samaha is a former religious
educator in the Oakland Diocese who currently resides in Cupertino.)
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