†
HOLY NIGHT
EASTER VIGIL MASS
†
THE EASTER PROCLAMATION
LATIN & ENGLISH
(EXSULTET)
†
†
LONGER FORM
LATIN
Exsultet iam angelica turba cælorum:
exsultent divina mysteria:
et pro tanti Regis victoria tuba insonet salutaris.
Gaudeat et tellus tantis irradiata fulgoribus:
et æterni Regis splendore illustrata,
totius orbis se sentiat amisisse caliginem.
Lætetur et mater Ecclesia,
tanti luminis adornata fulgoribus:
et magnis populorum vocibus hæc aula resultet.
†
Quapropter astantes vos, fratres carissimi,
ad tam miram huius sancti luminis claritatem,
una mecum, quæso,
Dei omnipotentis misericordiam invocate.
Ut, qui me non meis meritis
intra Levitarum numerum dignatus est aggregare,
luminis sui claritatem infundens,
cerei huius laudem implere perficiat.
(V.)
Dominus vobiscum.
(R.)
Et cum spirirtu tuo.
(V.)
Sursum corda.
(R.)
Habemus ad Dominum.
(V.)
Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
(R.)
Dignum et iustum est.
†
Vere dignum et iustum est,
invisibilem Deum Patrem omnipotentem
Filiumque eius Unigenitum,
Dominum nostrum
Iesum Christum,
toto cordis ac mentis affectu et vocis ministerio personare.
Qui pro nobis æterno Patri Adæ debitum solvit,
et veteris piaculi cautionem pio cruore detersit.
Hæc sunt enim festa paschalia,
in quibus verus ille Agnus occiditur,
cuius sanguine postes fidelium consecrantur.
Hæc nox est,
in qua primum patres nostros,
filios Israel eductos de Ægypto,
Mare Rubrum sicco vestigio transire fecisti.
Hæc igitur nox est,
quæ peccatorum tenebras columnæ illuminatione purgavit.
Hæc nox est,
quæ hodie per universum mundum in Christo credentes
a vitiis sæculi et caligine peccatorum segregatos,
reddit gratiæ, sociat sanctitati.
Hæc nox est,
in qua, destructis vinculis mortis,
Christus ab inferis victor ascendit.
Nihil enim nobis nasci profuit, nisi redimi profuisset.
O mira circa nos tuæ pietatis dignatio!
O inæstimablilis dilectio caritatis:
ut servum redimeres, Filium tradidisti!
O certe necessarium Adæ peccatum,
quod Christi morte deletum est!
O felix culpa,
quæ talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem!
O vera beata nox,
quæ sola meruit scire tempus et horam,
in qua Christus ab inferis resurrexit!
Hæc nox est, de qua scriptum est:
Et nox sicut dies illuminabitur:
et nox illuminatio mea in deliciis meis.
Huius igitur sanctificatio noctis fugat scelera, culpas lavat:
et reddit innocentiam lapsis et mæstis lætitiam.
Fugat odia, concordiam parat et curvat imperia.
In Huius igitur noctis gratia,
suscipe, Sancte Pater, laudis huius sacrificium vespertinum,
quod tibi in hac cerei oblatione sollemni,
per ministrorum manus
de operibus apum,
sacrosancta reddit Ecclesia.
Sed iam columnæ huius præconia novimus,
quam on honorem Dei rutilans ignis accendit.
Qui, licet sit divisus in partes,
mutuati tamen luminis detrimenta non novit.
Alitur enim liquantibus ceris,
quas in substantiam pretiosæ huius lampadis
apis mater eduxit.
O vera beata nox,
in qua terrenis cælestia, humanis divina iunguntur!
Oramus ergo te, Domine,
ut cereus iste in honorem tui nominis consecratus,
ad noctis huius caliginem destruendam,
indeficiens perseveret.
Et in odorem suavitatis acceptus,
supernis luminaribus misceatur.
Flammas eius lucifer matutinus inveniat:
Ille, inquam, lucifer, qui nescit occasum:
Christus Filius tuus,
qui, regressus ab inferis, humano generi serenus illuxit,
et vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculorum.
(R.)
Amen.
ENGLISH
Exult, let them exult, the host of heaven,
exult, let Angel ministers of God exult,
let the trumpet of salvation
sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph!
Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her,
ablaze with light from her eternal King,
let all corners of the earth be glad,
knowing an end to gloom and darkness.
Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice,
arrayed with the lightning of his glory,
let this holy building shake with joy,
filled with the mighty voices of the peoples.
†
Therefore, dearest friends,
standing in the awesome glory of this holy light,
invoke with me, I ask you,
the mercy of God almighty,
that he, who has been pleased to number me,
though unworthy, among the Levites,
may pour into me his light unshadowed,
that I may sing this candle’s perfect praises.
(V.)
The Lord be with you.
(R.)
And with your spirit.
(V)
Lift up your hearts.
(R.)
We lift them up to the Lord.
(V.)
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
(R.)
It is right and just.
†
It is truly right and just,
with ardent love of mind and heart
and with devoted service of our voice,
to acclaim our God invisible, the almighty Father,
and Jesus Christ, our Lord, his Son, his Only Begotten.
Who for our sake paid Adam’s debt to the eternal Father,
and, pouring out his own dear Blood,
wipes clean the record of our ancient sinfulness.
These then are the feasts of Passover,
in which is slain the Lamb, the one true Lamb,
whose Blood anoints the doorposts of believers.
This is the night,
when once you led our forebears, Israel’s children,
from slavery in Egypt
and made them pass dry-shod through the Red Sea.
This is the night
that with a pillar of fire
banished the darkness of sin.
This is the night
that even now, throughout the world,
sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices
and from the gloom of sin,
leading them to grace
and joining them to his holy ones.
This is the night,
when Christ broke the prison-bars of death
and rose victorious from the underworld.
Our birth would have been no gain
had we not been redeemed.
O wonder of your humble care for us!
O love, O charity beyond all telling,
to ransom a slave you gave away your Son!
O truly necessary sin of Adam,
destroyed completely by the Death of Christ!
O happy fault
that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!
O truly blessed night,
worthy alone to know the time and hour
when Christ rose from the underworld!
This is the night of which it is written:
The night shall be as bright as day,
dazzling is the night for me,
and full of gladness.
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.
On this, your night of grace, O holy Father,
accept this candle, a solemn offering,
the work of bees and of your servants’ hands,
an evening sacrifice of praise,
this gift from your most holy Church.
But now we know the praises of this pillar,
which glowing fire ignites for God’s honour,
a fire into many flames divided,
yet never dimmed by sharing of its light,
for it is fed by melting wax,
drawn out by mother bees
to build a torch so precious.
O truly blessed night,
when things of heaven are wed to those of earth,
and divine to the human.
Therefore, O Lord,
we pray you that this candle,
hallowed to the honour of your name,
may persevere undimmed,
to overcome the darkness of this night.
Receive it as a pleasing fragrance,
and let it mingle with the lights of heaven.
May this flame be found still burning
by the Morning Star:
the one Morning Star who never sets,
Christ your Son,
who, coming back from death’s domain,
has shed his peaceful light on humanity,
and lives and reigns for ever and ever.
(R.)
Amen.
†
†
SHORTER FORM
LATIN
Exsultet iam angelica turba cælorum:
exsultent divina mysteria:
et pro tanti Regis victoria tuba insonet salutaris.
Gaudeat et tellus tantis irradiata fulgoribus:
et æterni Regis splendore illustrata,
totius orbis se sentiat amisisse caliginem.
Lætetur et mater Ecclesia,
tanti luminis adornata fulgoribus:
et magnis populorum vocibus hæc
aula resultet.
†
(V.)
Dominus vobiscum.
(R.)
Et cum spirirtu tuo.
(V.)
Sursum corda.
(R.)
Habemus ad Dominum.
(V.)
Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro.
(R.)
Dignum et iustum est.
†
Vere dignum et iustum est,
invisibilem Deum Patrem omnipotentem
Filiumque eius Unigenitum,
Dominum nostrum
Iesum Christum,
toto cordis ac mentis affectu et vocis ministerio personare.
Qui pro nobis æterno Patri Adæ debitum solvit,
et veteris piaculi cautionem pio cruore detersit.
Hæc sunt enim festa paschalia,
in quibus verus ille Agnus occiditur,
cuius sanguine postes fidelium consecrantur.
Hæc nox est,
in qua primum patres nostros, filios Israel
eductos de Ægypto,
Mare Rubrum sicco vestigio transire fecisti.
Hæc igitur nox est,
quæ peccatorum tenebras columnæ illuminatione purgavit.
Hæc nox est,
quæ hodie per universum mundum
in Christo credentes
a vitiis sæculi et caligine
peccatorum segregatos,
reddit gratiæ, sociat sanctitati.
Hæc nox est,
in qua, destructis vinculis mortis,
Christus ab inferis victor ascendit.
O mira circa nos tuæ pietatis dignatio!
O inæstimablilis dilectio caritatis:
ut servum redimeres,
Filium tradidisti!
O certe necessarium Adæ peccatum,
quod Christi morte deletum est!
O felix culpa,
quæ talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem!
Huius igitur sanctificatio noctis fugat scelera, culpas lavat:
et reddit innocentiam lapsis et mæstis lætitiam.
O vera beata nox,
in qua terrenis cælestia, humanis divina iunguntur!
In Huius igitur noctis gratia,
suscipe, sancte Pater, laudis huius sacrificium vespertinum,
quod tibi in hac cerei oblatione sollemni,
per ministrorum manus
de operibus apum, sacrosancta reddit Ecclesia.
Oramus ergo te, Domine,
ut cereus iste in honorem tui nominis consecratus,
ad noctis huius caliginem destruendam,
indeficiens perseveret.
Et in odorem suavitatis acceptus,
supernis luminaribus misceatur.
Flammas eius lucifer matutinus inveniat:
Ille, inquam, lucifer, qui nescit occasum:
Christus Filius tuus,
qui, regressus ab inferis, humano generi serenus illuxit,
et vivit et regnat in sæcula sæculorum.
(R.)
Amen.
ENGLISH
Exult, let them exult, the host of heaven,
exult, let Angel ministers of God exult,
let the trumpet of salvation
sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph!
Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her,
ablaze with light from her eternal King,
let all corners of the earth be glad,
knowing an end to gloom and darkness.
Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice,
arrayed with the lightning of his glory,
let this holy building shake with joy,
filled with the mighty voices of the peoples.
†
(V.)
The Lord be with you.
(R.)
And with your spirit.
(V)
Lift up your hearts.
(R.)
We lift them up to the Lord.
(V.)
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
(R.)
It is right and just.
†
It is truly right and just,
with ardent love of mind and heart
and with devoted service of our voice,
to acclaim our God invisible, the almighty Father,
and Jesus Christ, our Lord, his Son, his Only Begotten.
Who for our sake paid Adam’s debt to the eternal Father,
and, pouring out his own dear Blood,
wipes clean the record of our ancient sinfulness.
These then are the feasts of Passover,
in which is slain the Lamb, the one true Lamb,
whose Blood anoints the doorposts of believers.
This is the night,
when once you led our forebears, Israel’s children,
from slavery in Egypt
and made them pass dry-shod through the Red Sea.
This is the night
that with a pillar of fire
banished the darkness of sin.
This is the night
that even now, throughout the world,
sets Christian believes apart from Worldly vices
and from the gloom of sin,
leading them to grace
and joining them to his holy ones.
This is the night,
when Christ broke the prison-bars of death
and rose victorious from the underworld.
O wonder of your humble care for us!
O love, O charity beyond all telling,
to ransom a slave you gave away your Son!
O truly necessary sin of Adam,
destroyed completely by the Death of Christ!
O happy fault
that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!
The sanctifying power of this night
dispels wickedness, washes faults away,
restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners.
O truly blessed night,
when things of heaven are wed to those of earth,
and divine to the human.
On this, your night of grace, O holy Father,
accept this candle, a solemn offering,
the work of bees and your servants’ hands,
an evening sacrifice of praise,
this gift from your most holy Church.
Therefore, O Lord,
we pray you that this candle,
hallowed to the honour of your name,
may persevere undimmed,
to overcome the darkness of this night.
Receive it as a pleasing fragrance,
and let it mingle with the lights of heaven.
May this flame be found still burning
by the Morning Star:
the one Morning Star who never sets,
Christ your Son,
who, coming back from death’s domain,
has shed his peaceful light on humanity,
and lives and reigns for ever and ever.
(R.)
Amen.
