THE PASCHAL TRIDUUM 2021
20
THE PASCHAL TRIDUUM 2021 A resource for praying at home for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday
Transcript of THE PASCHAL TRIDUUM 2021
THE PASCHAL TRIDUUM 2021 A resource for praying at home
for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday
MAUNDY THURSDAY Thursday, 1st April 2021
The evening of Maundy Thursday marks the start of the Triduum – the
three holy days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
For those shielding or unable to come to church this year, you might
want to pray these liturgies at home, asking the Holy Spirit to help you
enter wholeheartedly into the mysteries of Christ’s Cross and
Resurrection.
THE INTRODUCTION
Light a candle and spend some moments giving thanks for God’s gifts,
particularly his gift of love and the Mass. To prepare, you might like to
sing or say this hymn, praying for the unity of all God’s people:
THOU, WHO AT THY EUCHARIST didst pray
that all thy Church might be for ever one,
grant us at every Eucharist to say
with longing heart and soul, “thy will be done.”
O may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to thee, O Prince of Peace;
thus may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
We pray thee too for wanderers from thy fold;
O bring them back, good Shepherd of the sheep,
back to the faith which saints believed of old,
O
back to the Church which still that faith doth keep;
soon may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
may we be one with all thy Church above,
one with thy saints in one unbroken peace,
one with thy saints in one unbounded love;
more blessèd still, in peace and love to be
one with the Trinity in Unity.
Making the sign of the Cross say:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
At the last supper Jesus gave us the new commandment to love one
another as he loved us. Pray that God would increase in you the gift of
his love and ask forgiveness for those times you have failed to love.
Then say:
Let us pray that we may love one another as Christ has loved us.
Keep a few moments of silence, and pray:
God our Father, your Son, Jesus Christ, was obedient to the end
and drank the cup prepared for him: may we who share his table
watch with him through the night of suffering and be faithful.
Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Read St Paul’s account of the institution of the holy Eucharist from 1
Cor. 11.23-26. Then read St John’s account of how Jesus showed and
taught his perfect his love by washing his disciples’ feet: John 13.1-15.
You might want to say this chant used at the washing of the feet:,
Where true charity is dwelling, God is present there.
By the love of Christ we have been brought together:
Let us find in him our gladness and our pleasure;
May we love him and revere him, God the living,
And in love respect each other with sincere hearts.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Then make your act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. :
Y JESUS, I believe that You are present in the Most
Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I
desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at
this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually
into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and
unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated
from You. Amen.
M
In thanksgiving, you might like to sing or read, St Thomas Aquinas’s
great hymn PANGE, LINGUA GLORIOSI:
1. Of the glorious body telling,
O my tongue, its mysteries sing,
And the blood, all price excelling,
Which the world’s eternal King,
In a noble womb once dwelling,
Shed for this world’s ransoming.
2 Given for us, for us descending,
Of a virgin to proceed,
Man with man in converse blending,
Scattered he the gospel seed,
Till his sojourn drew to ending,
Which he closed in wondrous deed.
3 At the last great supper lying
Circled by his chosen band,
Duly with the law complying,
First he finished its command,
Then, immortal food supplying,
4 Word made flesh, by word he maketh
Bread his very flesh to be;
Man in wine Christ’s blood partaketh:
And if senses fail to see,
Faith alone the true heart waketh
To behold the mystery.
This great sacrament revere:
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes the inward vision clear.
6. Glory let us give and blessing
To the Father and the Son,
Honour, might and praise addressing,
While eternal ages run;
Who, from both, with both is one.
THE WATCH
If you have another place to pray, you might want to move to
somewhere to represent the watch in the Garden of Gethsemane.
You might want to read Luke 22.31-62 or to read Ps 22, the Psalm
traditionally sung at the stripping of the altars in church.
It would be good to spend some time now sitting in silence to end this
time of prayer.
GOOD FRIDAY Friday, 2nd April 2021
THE INTRODUCTION Early afternoon is the customary time for these prayers,
the hours of Jesus’ suffering on the Cross, leading up to
his death at 3pm. But you may wish to stagger the
readings throughout the day. Light a candle. Begin with
silence, and then say the Collect:
LMIGHTY FATHER,
look with mercy on your people
for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was content to be betrayed
and given up into the hands of sinners
and to suffer death upon the cross;
who is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Read: Isaiah 52.13–end of 53; Psalm 22.1-21; Hebrews 10.16-25
Then to prepare yourself to read the Passion, you may want to sing or read
this hymn:
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the cross of Christ my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
3. See from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down;
did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown!
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
words by Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
A
Then read, taking it slowly, the Passion Gospel: John 18 & 19. Extinguish
the candle as a symbol of Jesus’ death and keep silence after the reading.
If you can, you may then like to listen to Crucifixus by Lotti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLyB8nxvOeY
You may then wish to sing or read this hymn:
ING, MY TONGUE, the glorious battle,
sing the ending of the fray;
O’er the cross, the victor's trophy,
Sound the loud triumphant lay,
Tell how Christ, the world’s Redeemer,
As a Victim won the day.
2. God in pity saw man fallen,
Shamed and sunk in misery,
When he fell on death by tasting
Fruit of the forbidden tree:
Then another tree was chosen
Which the world from death should free.
3. Therefore when the appointed fullness
Of the holy time was come,
He was sent who maketh all things
Forth from God's eternal home:
Thus he came to earth, incarnate,
Offspring of a maiden's womb.
4. Thirty years among us dwelling,
Now at length his hour fulfilled,
Born for this, he meets his Passion,
For that this he freely willed,
On the Cross the Lamb is lifted,
Where his life-blood shall be spilled.
5. To the Trinity be glory,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit,
One in love and one in splendour,
While unending ages run. Amen.
By Venatius Fortunatus (530-609)
Trans. Percy Dearmer and others.
If you have a crucifix or cross, spend some time in silent prayer before it.
You may wish to hold it if possible.
You may wish slowly to repeat this acclamation out loud:
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
S
You can hear the setting by John Sanders here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scc7Lq7RE-o&t=301s
Then pray for:
• The Church, Jonathan our Bishop, and for the diocese of Bristol.
• For those who were due to be baptised this Easter.
• For Christians who are persecuted and tortured for their faith.
• For those whose faith is shaky or lost.
• The leaders of the nations.
• People whose lives are affected by war or conflict.
• Those tackling the Coronavirus.
• The sick and suffering.
• Those who minister to them and care for them.
• Those at the point of death, especially those who are afraid.
• Those who have died.
Then make your act of spiritual communion.
Then conclude with this prayer:
GOD OF UNCHANGEABLE POWER and eternal light,
look favourably on your whole Church,
that wonderful and sacred mystery,
and by the tranquil operation of your perpetual providence
carry out the work of our salvation:
and let the whole world feel and see
that things which were cast down are being raised up
and things which had grown old are being made new
and that all things are returning to perfection
through him from whom they took their origin,
even Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
O
HOLY SATURDAY Saturday, 3rd April
After nightfall on Holy Saturday, we keep the Easter Vigil. It is a night of
joy as love triumphs definitively over death. To the night belongs the most
beautiful celebration of the Church year. Out of the darkness and silence,
comes the light of the Easter fire and the Paschal candle, we rejoice as we hear
the Exsultet and as the Church sings alleluia, and the refreshment of the
waters in which we renew our baptismal vows.
THE INTRODUCTION
You may wish to be selective in the Vigil Readings, but the Exodus 14
reading should be among those that you choose. Perhaps begin in low
light, say with just a lamp. Have a unlit candle ready. Then read this
greeting:
N THIS MOST SACRED NIGHT, in which our Lord Jesus
Christ passed over from death to life, the Church calls
upon her sons and daughters, scattered throughout the
world, to come together to watch and pray. If we keep the
memorial of the Lord’s paschal solemnity in this way, listening
to his word and celebrating his mysteries, then we shall have the
sure hope of sharing his triumph over death and living with him
in God. Amen.
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
O
Say this short version of the Exsultet (or play a recording of the full
Exsultet if you can):
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the victorious trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in glory,
revealing the splendour of your creation,
radiant in the brightness of your triumphant King!
Christ has conquered! Now his life and glory fill you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
The risen Saviour, our Lord of life, shines upon you!
Let all God’s people sing and shout for joy.
THE LITURGY OF READINGS
The readings are introduced:
OW THAT WE HAVE BEGUN our solemn Vigil, let us listen
with quiet hearts to the Word of God. Let us meditate
on how God in times past saved his people and in
these, the last days, has sent us his Son as our Redeemer. Let us
pray that our God may complete this paschal work of salvation
by the fullness of redemption.
THE FIRST READING – THE CREATION
Read: Genesis 1.1-2.4a
Then say the collect: Almighty God, you have created the heavens
and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to
discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your
children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
N
Read: Exodus 14.10- 15.18
Then say the 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. Amen.
THIRD READING – ON THE NEW JERUSALEM
Read: Isaiah 54.5-14
Then say the collect: Almighty and everlasting God, who in your
tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour
Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon
the cross: grant that we may follow the example of his patience
and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
FOURTH READING – ON A NEW HEART AND NEW SPIRIT
Read: Ezekiel 36.16-18
Then say the 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.
Amen.
Then say (or sing to a setting you know!) the Gloria, turning on full
the lights if they were dimmed, ringing any bells or instruments you
might have to hand:
LORIA in Excelsis Deo!
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
stir up in your Church a spirit of adoption,
so that, renewed in body and mind,
we may render you undivided service.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
G
O
With joy, we greet the Gospel, saying these words from Ps 117:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say: “His love has no end”.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me
up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner
stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Then we read the Easter Gospel from Mark 16.1-8
HEN THE SABBATH was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary
the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices with
which to go and anoint him. And very early in the
morning on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, just
as the sun was rising.
They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the
stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ But when they
looked they could see that the stone – which was very big – had
already been rolled back. On entering the tomb they saw a
young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side, and
they were struck with amazement. But he said to them, ‘There is
no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place
where they laid him. But you must go and tell his disciples and
W
Peter, “He is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see
him, just as he told you.”’
The women at the tomb were filled with awe and great joy; let us with
joy sing God’s praises:
1. Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness;
Into joy from sadness;
Jacob's sons and daughters;
2. ‘Tis the spring of souls to-day:
Christ hath burst His prison,
And from three days' sleep in death
3. Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendour,
With the royal feast of feasts,
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to glad Jerusalem,
Who with true affection
Welcomes in unwearied strains
Nor the tomb's dark portal,
Nor the watchers, nor the seal,
As a sun hath risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From his light, to whom we give
Laud and praise undying.
Thou didst stand, bestowing
Passeth human knowing.
S. John of Damascus c.750 translated by John Mason Neale (1818–1866)
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH At the Easter Vigil we would renew our baptism vows. In the absence
of this rite, spend some time giving thanks for your baptism and for
those people who have taught you the faith.
If you can, you might listen to the traditional chant Vidi Aquam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XImCWG8EYTI
I saw water flowing out of the Temple,
From its right side, Alleluia:
And all who came to this water were saved,
And they shall say: Alleluia, Alleluia.
Then say out loud the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
and life everlasting. Amen.
Then make your act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. Spend a moment
meditating on how Christ’s victory over death has transformed and
renewed the whole of creation. Longing to be united with him in our
dying to sin and in resurrection to new and eternal life, say this prayer:
Y JESUS,
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself
wholly to You.
Amen.
Spend some time in silence, giving thanks, and then say:
Blessed, praised and adored be Jesus Christ on his throne of
glory in Heaven, and in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Amen. Alleluia! Alleluia!
you opened for us the way to eternal life
through your only Son’s victory over death.
Grant that as we celebrate the feast of his resurrection
we may be renewed by your Holy Spirit
and rise again in the light of life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
M
And then pray for God’s blessing, saying:
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Happy Easter!
all the people of S. Mark’s,
S. Saviour’s and S. Luke’s.
Excerpts from the English translation and chants of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday
MAUNDY THURSDAY Thursday, 1st April 2021
The evening of Maundy Thursday marks the start of the Triduum – the
three holy days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
For those shielding or unable to come to church this year, you might
want to pray these liturgies at home, asking the Holy Spirit to help you
enter wholeheartedly into the mysteries of Christ’s Cross and
Resurrection.
THE INTRODUCTION
Light a candle and spend some moments giving thanks for God’s gifts,
particularly his gift of love and the Mass. To prepare, you might like to
sing or say this hymn, praying for the unity of all God’s people:
THOU, WHO AT THY EUCHARIST didst pray
that all thy Church might be for ever one,
grant us at every Eucharist to say
with longing heart and soul, “thy will be done.”
O may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
For all thy Church, O Lord, we intercede;
make thou our sad divisions soon to cease;
draw us the nearer each to each, we plead,
by drawing all to thee, O Prince of Peace;
thus may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
We pray thee too for wanderers from thy fold;
O bring them back, good Shepherd of the sheep,
back to the faith which saints believed of old,
O
back to the Church which still that faith doth keep;
soon may we all one Bread, one Body be,
through this blest Sacrament of unity.
So, Lord, at length when sacraments shall cease,
may we be one with all thy Church above,
one with thy saints in one unbroken peace,
one with thy saints in one unbounded love;
more blessèd still, in peace and love to be
one with the Trinity in Unity.
Making the sign of the Cross say:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
At the last supper Jesus gave us the new commandment to love one
another as he loved us. Pray that God would increase in you the gift of
his love and ask forgiveness for those times you have failed to love.
Then say:
Let us pray that we may love one another as Christ has loved us.
Keep a few moments of silence, and pray:
God our Father, your Son, Jesus Christ, was obedient to the end
and drank the cup prepared for him: may we who share his table
watch with him through the night of suffering and be faithful.
Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Read St Paul’s account of the institution of the holy Eucharist from 1
Cor. 11.23-26. Then read St John’s account of how Jesus showed and
taught his perfect his love by washing his disciples’ feet: John 13.1-15.
You might want to say this chant used at the washing of the feet:,
Where true charity is dwelling, God is present there.
By the love of Christ we have been brought together:
Let us find in him our gladness and our pleasure;
May we love him and revere him, God the living,
And in love respect each other with sincere hearts.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Then make your act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. :
Y JESUS, I believe that You are present in the Most
Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I
desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at
this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually
into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and
unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated
from You. Amen.
M
In thanksgiving, you might like to sing or read, St Thomas Aquinas’s
great hymn PANGE, LINGUA GLORIOSI:
1. Of the glorious body telling,
O my tongue, its mysteries sing,
And the blood, all price excelling,
Which the world’s eternal King,
In a noble womb once dwelling,
Shed for this world’s ransoming.
2 Given for us, for us descending,
Of a virgin to proceed,
Man with man in converse blending,
Scattered he the gospel seed,
Till his sojourn drew to ending,
Which he closed in wondrous deed.
3 At the last great supper lying
Circled by his chosen band,
Duly with the law complying,
First he finished its command,
Then, immortal food supplying,
4 Word made flesh, by word he maketh
Bread his very flesh to be;
Man in wine Christ’s blood partaketh:
And if senses fail to see,
Faith alone the true heart waketh
To behold the mystery.
This great sacrament revere:
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes the inward vision clear.
6. Glory let us give and blessing
To the Father and the Son,
Honour, might and praise addressing,
While eternal ages run;
Who, from both, with both is one.
THE WATCH
If you have another place to pray, you might want to move to
somewhere to represent the watch in the Garden of Gethsemane.
You might want to read Luke 22.31-62 or to read Ps 22, the Psalm
traditionally sung at the stripping of the altars in church.
It would be good to spend some time now sitting in silence to end this
time of prayer.
GOOD FRIDAY Friday, 2nd April 2021
THE INTRODUCTION Early afternoon is the customary time for these prayers,
the hours of Jesus’ suffering on the Cross, leading up to
his death at 3pm. But you may wish to stagger the
readings throughout the day. Light a candle. Begin with
silence, and then say the Collect:
LMIGHTY FATHER,
look with mercy on your people
for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was content to be betrayed
and given up into the hands of sinners
and to suffer death upon the cross;
who is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Read: Isaiah 52.13–end of 53; Psalm 22.1-21; Hebrews 10.16-25
Then to prepare yourself to read the Passion, you may want to sing or read
this hymn:
on which the Prince of glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
save in the cross of Christ my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
3. See from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down;
did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown!
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were a present far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.
words by Isaac Watts (1674–1748)
A
Then read, taking it slowly, the Passion Gospel: John 18 & 19. Extinguish
the candle as a symbol of Jesus’ death and keep silence after the reading.
If you can, you may then like to listen to Crucifixus by Lotti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLyB8nxvOeY
You may then wish to sing or read this hymn:
ING, MY TONGUE, the glorious battle,
sing the ending of the fray;
O’er the cross, the victor's trophy,
Sound the loud triumphant lay,
Tell how Christ, the world’s Redeemer,
As a Victim won the day.
2. God in pity saw man fallen,
Shamed and sunk in misery,
When he fell on death by tasting
Fruit of the forbidden tree:
Then another tree was chosen
Which the world from death should free.
3. Therefore when the appointed fullness
Of the holy time was come,
He was sent who maketh all things
Forth from God's eternal home:
Thus he came to earth, incarnate,
Offspring of a maiden's womb.
4. Thirty years among us dwelling,
Now at length his hour fulfilled,
Born for this, he meets his Passion,
For that this he freely willed,
On the Cross the Lamb is lifted,
Where his life-blood shall be spilled.
5. To the Trinity be glory,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit,
One in love and one in splendour,
While unending ages run. Amen.
By Venatius Fortunatus (530-609)
Trans. Percy Dearmer and others.
If you have a crucifix or cross, spend some time in silent prayer before it.
You may wish to hold it if possible.
You may wish slowly to repeat this acclamation out loud:
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
S
You can hear the setting by John Sanders here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scc7Lq7RE-o&t=301s
Then pray for:
• The Church, Jonathan our Bishop, and for the diocese of Bristol.
• For those who were due to be baptised this Easter.
• For Christians who are persecuted and tortured for their faith.
• For those whose faith is shaky or lost.
• The leaders of the nations.
• People whose lives are affected by war or conflict.
• Those tackling the Coronavirus.
• The sick and suffering.
• Those who minister to them and care for them.
• Those at the point of death, especially those who are afraid.
• Those who have died.
Then make your act of spiritual communion.
Then conclude with this prayer:
GOD OF UNCHANGEABLE POWER and eternal light,
look favourably on your whole Church,
that wonderful and sacred mystery,
and by the tranquil operation of your perpetual providence
carry out the work of our salvation:
and let the whole world feel and see
that things which were cast down are being raised up
and things which had grown old are being made new
and that all things are returning to perfection
through him from whom they took their origin,
even Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
O
HOLY SATURDAY Saturday, 3rd April
After nightfall on Holy Saturday, we keep the Easter Vigil. It is a night of
joy as love triumphs definitively over death. To the night belongs the most
beautiful celebration of the Church year. Out of the darkness and silence,
comes the light of the Easter fire and the Paschal candle, we rejoice as we hear
the Exsultet and as the Church sings alleluia, and the refreshment of the
waters in which we renew our baptismal vows.
THE INTRODUCTION
You may wish to be selective in the Vigil Readings, but the Exodus 14
reading should be among those that you choose. Perhaps begin in low
light, say with just a lamp. Have a unlit candle ready. Then read this
greeting:
N THIS MOST SACRED NIGHT, in which our Lord Jesus
Christ passed over from death to life, the Church calls
upon her sons and daughters, scattered throughout the
world, to come together to watch and pray. If we keep the
memorial of the Lord’s paschal solemnity in this way, listening
to his word and celebrating his mysteries, then we shall have the
sure hope of sharing his triumph over death and living with him
in God. Amen.
May the light of Christ, rising in glory,
dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
O
Say this short version of the Exsultet (or play a recording of the full
Exsultet if you can):
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the victorious trumpet of salvation!
Rejoice, O earth, in glory,
revealing the splendour of your creation,
radiant in the brightness of your triumphant King!
Christ has conquered! Now his life and glory fill you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!
The risen Saviour, our Lord of life, shines upon you!
Let all God’s people sing and shout for joy.
THE LITURGY OF READINGS
The readings are introduced:
OW THAT WE HAVE BEGUN our solemn Vigil, let us listen
with quiet hearts to the Word of God. Let us meditate
on how God in times past saved his people and in
these, the last days, has sent us his Son as our Redeemer. Let us
pray that our God may complete this paschal work of salvation
by the fullness of redemption.
THE FIRST READING – THE CREATION
Read: Genesis 1.1-2.4a
Then say the collect: Almighty God, you have created the heavens
and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to
discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your
children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
N
Read: Exodus 14.10- 15.18
Then say the 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. Amen.
THIRD READING – ON THE NEW JERUSALEM
Read: Isaiah 54.5-14
Then say the collect: Almighty and everlasting God, who in your
tender love towards the human race sent your Son our Saviour
Jesus Christ to take upon him our flesh and to suffer death upon
the cross: grant that we may follow the example of his patience
and humility, and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
FOURTH READING – ON A NEW HEART AND NEW SPIRIT
Read: Ezekiel 36.16-18
Then say the 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.
Amen.
Then say (or sing to a setting you know!) the Gloria, turning on full
the lights if they were dimmed, ringing any bells or instruments you
might have to hand:
LORIA in Excelsis Deo!
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
stir up in your Church a spirit of adoption,
so that, renewed in body and mind,
we may render you undivided service.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
G
O
With joy, we greet the Gospel, saying these words from Ps 117:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love has no end.
Let the sons of Israel say: “His love has no end”.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed; his right hand raised me
up. I shall not die, I shall live and recount his deeds.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner
stone. This is the work of the Lord, a marvel in our eyes.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Then we read the Easter Gospel from Mark 16.1-8
HEN THE SABBATH was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary
the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices with
which to go and anoint him. And very early in the
morning on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, just
as the sun was rising.
They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the
stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ But when they
looked they could see that the stone – which was very big – had
already been rolled back. On entering the tomb they saw a
young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side, and
they were struck with amazement. But he said to them, ‘There is
no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who
was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place
where they laid him. But you must go and tell his disciples and
W
Peter, “He is going before you to Galilee; it is there you will see
him, just as he told you.”’
The women at the tomb were filled with awe and great joy; let us with
joy sing God’s praises:
1. Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness;
Into joy from sadness;
Jacob's sons and daughters;
2. ‘Tis the spring of souls to-day:
Christ hath burst His prison,
And from three days' sleep in death
3. Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendour,
With the royal feast of feasts,
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to glad Jerusalem,
Who with true affection
Welcomes in unwearied strains
Nor the tomb's dark portal,
Nor the watchers, nor the seal,
As a sun hath risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From his light, to whom we give
Laud and praise undying.
Thou didst stand, bestowing
Passeth human knowing.
S. John of Damascus c.750 translated by John Mason Neale (1818–1866)
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH At the Easter Vigil we would renew our baptism vows. In the absence
of this rite, spend some time giving thanks for your baptism and for
those people who have taught you the faith.
If you can, you might listen to the traditional chant Vidi Aquam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XImCWG8EYTI
I saw water flowing out of the Temple,
From its right side, Alleluia:
And all who came to this water were saved,
And they shall say: Alleluia, Alleluia.
Then say out loud the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
and life everlasting. Amen.
Then make your act of SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. Spend a moment
meditating on how Christ’s victory over death has transformed and
renewed the whole of creation. Longing to be united with him in our
dying to sin and in resurrection to new and eternal life, say this prayer:
Y JESUS,
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself
wholly to You.
Amen.
Spend some time in silence, giving thanks, and then say:
Blessed, praised and adored be Jesus Christ on his throne of
glory in Heaven, and in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Amen. Alleluia! Alleluia!
you opened for us the way to eternal life
through your only Son’s victory over death.
Grant that as we celebrate the feast of his resurrection
we may be renewed by your Holy Spirit
and rise again in the light of life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
M
And then pray for God’s blessing, saying:
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Happy Easter!
all the people of S. Mark’s,
S. Saviour’s and S. Luke’s.
Excerpts from the English translation and chants of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
