The Great Vigil of Easter

The Great Vigil of Easter is the first celebration of Easter. The service begins in darkness, between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter, and consists of four parts: The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle, the Exsultet); The Service of Lessons (readings from the Hebrew Scriptures interspersed with psalms, canticles, and prayers); Christian Initiation (Holy Baptism) or the Renewal of Baptismal Vows; and the Eucharist. Through this liturgy, the Church recalls the salvation narrative of our faith – retelling the stories of God’s saving acts throughout history. This reminder is to prepare us for renewing our baptismal covenant in preparation for celebrating the great feast of Christ’s resurrection through the shared Eucharistic meal.