Today is Easter Sunday. He is risen. Alleluia!
At the Easter Vigil we hear the Exsultet, the Easter Proclamation for the only time in the year it is used. It’s a beautiful chanted text that helps set the tone for the Vigil Mass.
In it there are some powerful lines. One of the most memorable is: ” O truly necessary sin of Adam, destroyed completely by the Death of Christ! O happy fault that earned so great, so glorious Redeemer!”. That reference to Original Sin speaks to our need for a savior and our inability to save ourselves.
Later it says “The sanctifying power of this night dispels wickedness, washes faults away, restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners, drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.” That’s a power we all need.
Th reference to bees (making the way used in the candle) is always interesting to me. The Easter candle is more sacramental than sacrament but I love the way God uses the things of this world, even beeswax, to point us to His Son and the Grace He provides.
And finally this from the closing stanza “…we pray you that this candle, hallowed to the honor of your name, my persevere undimmed, to overcome the darkness of this night…and mingle it with the light of heaven. May this flame be found still burning by the Morning Star: the one Morning Star who never sets, Christ your Son.“
It’s unfortunate that the Exsultet is proclaimed at a point in the liturgy when the church is dim, if not dark, and people are holding their own candles. It almost completely precludes following along in the hymnal/missal.
Here’s a recording of the Exsultet with words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVwuc_CNswY
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading.
Happy Easter. I hope you have a great, joy filled, week.
Peace, Bob
This and That BLOG 