Easter Vigil Liturgy – Saturday 30th March 2024

We gather outside in the church garden for the Service of Light.

Introduction

Blessing of the new Paschal Candle

Priest:  May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.

As we enter the church with the priest carrying the candle:

Priest: The light of Christ   All: Thanks be to God  (three times as the peoples’ candles are lit.)

When the Paschal Candle has been placed in the stand the priest sings:

The Exultet  (this is an ancient hymn that records God’s saving action in Christ)

Priest: As we await the risen Christ, let us hear the record of God’s saving deeds in history recalling how he saved his people in ages past, and in the fulness of time, sent his Son to be our Redeemer: and let us pray that through this Easter celebration God may bring to perfection in each of us the saving work he has begun. As we keep vigil we receive and respond to scriptural readings that tell of ‘renewal’ that comes from God.

Readings: (please sit) Between each reading the priest prays a Collect.

Genesis 22:1-18

Collect: Almighty God,

whose chosen servant Abraham

faithfully obeyed your call

and rejoiced in your promise

that, in him, all the families of the earth should be blessed:

give us a faith like his,

that, in us, your promises may be fulfilled;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.

All   Amen.

Exodus 14. 10-31

Collect : Lord God our redeemer,

who heard the cry of your people

and sent your servant Moses to lead them out of slavery:

free us from the tyranny of sin and death

and, by the leading of your Spirit,

bring us to our promised land;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All   Amen.

Ezekiel 36, 24-28

Collect : Heavenly Father,

by the power of your Holy Spirit

you give to your faithful people new life

in the water of baptism.

Guide and strengthen us by the same Spirit,

that we who are born again

may serve you in faith and love,

and grow into the full stature of your Son,

Jesus Christ,

who is alive and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit now and for ever.

All   Amen.

 

Easter Acclamation (please stand)

Priest:  Alleluia, Christ is risen.

All:       He is risen indeed, Alleluia.

 

1.Glory in the highest                   2.  Jesus Christ is risen

to the God of heaven                    God the Father’s  Son

Peace to all your people               With the Holy Spirit

through the earth be given.        You are Lord a lone.

Mighty God and Father,               Lamb once killed for sinners,

Thanks and praise we bring         all our guilt to bear;

Singing alleluia                               Show us now your mercy

To our heavenly king.                  now receive our prayer.

 

3.Christ the world’s true Saviour,

High and holy one

Seated now and reigning

from your Father’s throne:

Lord and God we praise you!

Highest heaven adores:

In the Father’s glory,

all the praise be yours.

 

Priest: Let us pray that we may reign with the risen Christ in glory

Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son

overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant

grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him

in glory; to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might,

now and in all eternity. Amen.

 

New Testament Reading:  (please sit)  Romans 6, 3-11

Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, so we might no longer be enslaved to sin.  For whoever has died is freed^[a] from sin.  But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.  The death he died, he died to sin once for all, but the life he lives, he lives to God.  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 114

1    When Israel came out of Egypt,

the house of Jacob from a people of a strange tongue,

2    Judah became his sanctuary,

Israel his dominion.

3    The sea saw that, and fled;

Jordan was driven back.

4    The mountains skipped like rams,

the little hills like young sheep.

5    What ailed you, O sea, that you fled?

O Jordan, that you were driven back?

6    You mountains, that you skipped like rams,

you little hills like young sheep?

7    Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

8    Who turns the hard rock into a pool of water,

the flint-stone into a springing well.

 

Gospel Hymn   101 (Deus Tuorum Militum) The Lamb’s high banquet we await

 

Priest:  Alleluia, Jesus Christ is risen from the dead

All:       Alleluia.

Priest: He has defeated the powers of death

All:       Alleluia.

Priest: The Lord be with you

All:       and also with you

Priest:  Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark (Mark 16, 1-8)

All:       Glory you, O Lord

 

 

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.  And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.  They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”  When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”  So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.^[a]

At the end

Priest:  This is the Gospel of the Lord

All:       Praise to you, O Christ.

 

 Renewal of Baptismal belief  (please turn towards the font)

In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:

Priest: Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?

All:      I reject them.

Priest: Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?

All:      I renounce them.

Priest: Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?

All:      I repent of them.

Priest: Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?

All:      I turn to Christ.

Priest: Do you submit to Christ as Lord?

All:      I submit to Christ.

Priest: Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth and the life?

All:      I come to Christ.

 

Sanctification of the baptismal water

Priest: We praise you, loving Father, for the gift of your Son Jesus. He was baptized in the River     Jordan, where your Spirit came upon him and revealed him as the Son you love. He sent his followers to baptize all who turn to him. Now, Father, we ask you to bless this water, that those who are baptized in it may be cleansed in the water of life, and, filled with your Spirit, may know that they are loved as your children, safe in Christ for ever.  Amen.

Creed

Priest:  Do you believe and trust in God the Father?

All:        I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Priest:   Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?

All:        I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,  was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Priest: Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?

All:      I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

 

We are then reminded of our baptism by the sprinkling of waters from the font

Peace:  The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, Peace be with you. Then were they glad when they saw the risen Lord. Alleluia.

The peace of the Lord be always with you

All:         and also with you. Alleluia

 

Hymn:   106 (Ave Virgo Virginum) Come, ye faithful, raise the strain

 

Priest: Be present, be present Lord Jesus Christ, our risen high priest: make yourself known in the breaking of bread.  Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving Prayer ( Please remain standing for this)

Priest:  The Lord be with you

All:        and also with you

Priest:  Lift up your hearts

All:        We lift them to the Lord

Priest:  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

All:        It is right to give thanks and praise

The priest then continues singing the prayer to which we all listen with prayerful hearts until

‘for evermore praising you and singing’…

All: Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Priest: Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Priest :  Great is the mystery of faith

All:  Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.

As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of the Holy Mother of God, St. Paul, and all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord;

by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.

All:   Amen. Alleluia!

The Lord’s Prayer:  (to be prayed in your own language)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come;  thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Priest: We break this bread to share in the body of the risen Christ.

All:       Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

Invitation to Holy Communion

Priest:  Alleluia! Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us

All:       Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!

Said:    Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us

             Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us

             Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

 

All baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing.

Communion:  116 (St Matthew) O praise our great and glorious Lord

 

Priest:  God of life, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the

Cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: grant

us so to die daily to sin, that we evermore live with him in the joy of his risen life:

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

All: You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ, and you have made yourself known in the breaking of bread. Abide with us, we pray, that blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Post Communion Hymn:    110 (Easter Hymn) Jesus Christ is risen to-day, Alleluya!

Priest:     God, who through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us the victory, give you joy and peace in your faith. And the blessing…

 

Priest:     Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

All:           Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

 

We welcome Orpheas James Karvounis for his Baptism