The Easter Proclamation
The pandemic precautions have certainly inhibited our Easter Celebrations this year. Nevertheless Easter cannot be shut up or closed down and we celebrate anyway.
One of the great Easter songs – since the 5th century in some countries it is thought – is the Exultet or ‘Easter Proclamation, sung after the Paschal Candle has been carried through the church in darkness as people light their candles from its flame, and the deacon or cantor sings: Christ our light: and we reply ‘Thanks be to God’:
Words (c) ICEL. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick
Recorded by Grace Buckley and the congregation of St Leo’s, Glasgow
Cantor:
Rejoice, Heavenly powers, sing, choirs of angels! Exult all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ, our King is risen. Sound the trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendour, radiant in the brightness of your King. Christ has conquered! Glory fills you. Darkness vanishes for ever!
Choir: Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory! The Risen Saviour shines on you. Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!
Priest: My dearest friends, standing with me in this holy light, join me in asking God for mercy, that he may give his unworthy ministers grace to sing his Easter praises.
The Lord be with you: and also with you.
Lift up your hearts: We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God:
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right that with full hearts and minds & 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: This is the night
when first you saved our fathers;
you saved the people of Israel from slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.
This is the night! This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.
This is the night! This is the night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.
This is the night! This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.
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 Happy fault,
O necessary Sin of Adam
which gained for us to great a Redeemer!
Most blessed of all nights! Most Blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead.
Priest : Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day,
it will become my light, my joy.
” The power of this night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed! Night truly blessed !
when heaven is wed to earth
and man is reconciled with God.
Priest: Therefore, Heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your church’s solemn off’ring.
Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honour 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 that 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.
Amen. Amen.
