Last night I went to the Roman Catholic Easter Vigil. It was amazing, as usual. The first part of the service is called the Service of the Light. It’s pretty awesome, the whole church is dark and slowly a light is brought it. Catechumens lit our candles as the pascal light was processed in. As part of the service the following prayer is prayed. It blew me away.
For the last few months I have been working on a book about death in the early church and so the cross has become a central feature of my studies. As I listened to this prayer it took on more meaning. I began to realize that Easter is the moment when the cross that had hooked sin, death, and the devil by the mouth was pulled up in the power of God and sin was defeated, death was put under foot, and Satan was cast out.
As you read this amazing prayer below imagine evil being ripped out of it’s place of power with each statement. It’s pretty amaing!
It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam’s sin
to our eternal Father!
This is our Passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.
This is the night when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.
O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
Most blest of all nights, chosen God
to see Christ rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy.”
The power of this holy night
dispels all evil, washes guilt away,
restores innocence, brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blest when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!
Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise
your church’s solemn offering.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night.
May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, the Morning Star, who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
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