What is the Easter Vigil?

The mother of all vigils

The Easter Vigil is the most sacred liturgy of the Catholic year. Saint Augustine of Hippo, in his sermons on the Vigil, called it "the mother of all vigils" (mater omnium vigiliarum). The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that "Holy Mother Church considers the celebration of this vigil so important that she has called it 'the mother of all vigils'" (CCC 1168, citing Augustine).

The Vigil takes place after nightfall on Holy Saturday and concludes before dawn on Easter Sunday. It is the third of the three liturgies of the Sacred Triduum (after the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday evening and the Celebration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday afternoon), and it is the first Mass of Easter.

The four parts

The Easter Vigil is structured in four parts:

1. The Service of Light

Outside the church, in darkness, the Paschal Fire is kindled. From it the Paschal Candle (the new candle that will burn throughout the Easter season and at every baptism and funeral of the coming year) is lit. The candle is inscribed with the cross, the Greek letters Alpha and Omega ("the beginning and the end"), and the year of the Lord. Five grains of incense are inserted into the candle in the form of a cross, signifying the five wounds of Christ.

The lit candle is processed into the dark church. Three times the deacon (or priest) sings Lumen Christi ("the Light of Christ"), to which the assembly responds Deo gratias ("Thanks be to God"). The candles of the assembly are progressively lit from the Paschal Candle.

The deacon (or priest) then chants the Exsultet, the great Easter Proclamation. The Exsultet is one of the most ancient texts of the Latin liturgy, dating in substance from at least the seventh century. It is approximately fifteen minutes long and proclaims the entire arc of salvation history culminating in the Resurrection.

2. The Liturgy of the Word

Up to nine readings may be proclaimed, tracing the entire arc of salvation history:

• Up to seven readings from the Old Testament (creation, the binding of Isaac, the Exodus, Isaiah's prophecy of the new Jerusalem, etc.). At least three Old Testament readings must be used; the Exodus reading (the crossing of the Red Sea) may never be omitted.
• The Epistle (Romans 6:3-11, on baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ).
• The Gospel of the Resurrection (Matthew 28, Mark 16, or Luke 24, depending on the lectionary year).

After the final Old Testament reading, the Gloria is intoned for the first time since the start of Lent, accompanied by the ringing of bells and the lighting of the church (which had been kept dimmed since the Service of Light).

3. The Liturgy of Baptism

The catechumens of the parish (the adults who have been preparing for baptism through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, RCIA) are baptized, confirmed, and admitted to first Holy Communion. The water of baptism is blessed by the priest with a long blessing in which the Paschal Candle is lowered three times into the water.

After the baptisms (or, if there are no baptisms, immediately after the Liturgy of the Word), the entire assembly renews the baptismal promises and is sprinkled with the newly blessed Easter water.

4. The Liturgy of the Eucharist

The first Mass of Easter is then celebrated in the usual form, with the proper texts of the Easter Vigil. The newly baptized receive their first Holy Communion at this Mass.

The Vigil concludes with the dismissal: Ite missa est, alleluia, alleluia, to which the assembly responds Deo gratias, alleluia, alleluia. The double alleluia, suppressed throughout Lent, returns with the Resurrection and continues throughout the Easter season.

When the Vigil takes place

The Easter Vigil "must" begin after nightfall and "must" end before dawn (Paschalis Sollemnitatis n. 78). The hour varies by latitude and time of year, but in most parishes the Vigil begins at approximately 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. on Holy Saturday and runs approximately three hours.

The Vigil is the only Mass that fulfills the Sunday obligation for Easter Sunday in the night liturgy; Catholics who attend the Easter Vigil are not required to attend a separate Easter morning Mass.

For the larger Triduum and Easter season, see the Sacred Triduum and Easter.

Sources

The Easter Vigil is governed by the Roman Missal, third typical edition (2002), and the Congregation for Divine Worship's Paschalis Sollemnitatis (January 16, 1988), nn. 79 to 97.