Easter AD 2008

	[Priest:] The Lord be with you. [All:] And with thy spirit. [Priest:] Let us pray. O God, Thou hast bestowed on the faithful the fire of Thy brightness through Thy Son, Who is the cornerstone; sanctify + this new fire, produced from flint, that it may be profitable to us, and grant that during this Paschal festival we may be so inflamed with heavenly desires, that with pure minds we may come to the solemnity of perpetual light. Through the same Christ our Lord. [All:] Amen.
	He sprinkles the fire three times with holy water, and then incenses it three times.
	[Priest:] Let us pray. May an abundant outpouring of Thy blessing, + we beseech Thee, almighty God, descend upon this lighted candle: and, O invisible Regenerator, illumine Thou this nocturnal brightness, that not only the sacrifice that is offered this night shine by the secret mixture of Thy light, but also, into whatever place anything of this mysterious sanctification shall be brought, there, the power of Thy majesty may be present, and all the malicious artifices of Satan may be defeated. Through Christ our Lord. [All:] Amen.
	Let the angelic hosts of heaven now rejoice; let the divine mysteries rejoice; and let the trumpet of salvation sound forth the victory of so great a King. Let the earth also rejoice, made radiant by such splendor; and enlightened with the brightness of the eternal King, let it know that the darkness of the whole world is scattered. Let our mother the Church also rejoice, adorned with the brightness of so great a light; and let this temple resound with the loud acclamations of the people. Wherefore, I beseech you, most beloved brethren, who are here present in the wondrous brightness of this holy light, to invoke with me the mercy of Almighty God. That He who has vouchsafed to admit me among the Levites, without any merit of my own, would pour forth the brightness of His light to enable me to perfect the praise of this candle of wax. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, Who with Him and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, forever and ever, world without end. [All:] Amen.
	And God said, «Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and for years, to shine in the firmament of heaven, and to give light upon the earth»; and it was done. And God made two great lights, a greater light to rule the day, and a lesser light to rule the night; and the stars; and He set them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth, and to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light and the darkness; and God saw that it was good; and the evening and morning were the fourth day.
	The priest divides the waters with his hand in the form of a cross. And may that same Holy Ghost, by the hidden virtue of His Godhead, make fruitful this water prepared for the regeneration of men, that a heavenly offspring, conceived in sanctification, may emerge from the immaculate womb of this divine font, reborn to newness of life, and that grace, as a mother, bring forth everyone, however different in age or sex, into a like spiritual infancy. At Thy bidding, therefore, O Lord, may every unclean spirit depart from hence; far be removed all malice of diabolical deceit. Here let no admixture of the enemy's power have any place; let it not hover in ambush; let it not creep in unperceived; let it not corrupt with infection.
	He it was Who bade thee to flow from the fountain of paradise and commanded thee to water the earth in four rivers. Who, when thou wast bitter in the desert, put sweetness into thee, made thee good to drink, and drew thee from the rock for His thirsty people. I bless + thee also in the name of Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who by a wonderful miracle in Cana of Galilee, converted thee into wine; Who with His feet walked upon thee; and was baptized in thee by John in the Jordan. Who gave thee forth, together with blood from His side; and ordered His disciples that those who believed should be Baptized in thee, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
	He immerses the Paschal Candle into the water of each font, thrice, more deeply each time, saying each time: May the virtue of the Holy Ghost descend into all the waters of this font. While the Candle is immersed, he breathes on the waters in the form of the Greek letter “psi.” Ψ And may He render the whole substance of this water fruitful with the quality of regeneration.
	He pours a little of the Oil of the Catechumens. May this font be sanctified and made fruitful of the oil of salvation to those who are born again from it unto everlasting life. [All:] Amen. He pours a little of the Holy Chrism. May the infusion of the Chrism of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete, be made in the name of the Holy Trinity. [All:] Amen. Lastly, he pours a little of the Oil of Catechumens and the Holy Chrism. May this mixture of the Oils of Chrism and of Catechumens and the water of Baptism, be made in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. [All:] Amen.
	At the Glória in excélsis the purple drapes which have covered the statues and pictures since Saturday before Passion Sunday are removed and put away. The bells ring gently.
	Sermon Easter Sunday AD 2008 On real and illusory change.
	"I will wash my hands among the innocent... Lord I love the beauty of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwells."
	Easter Morning Vidi aquam "I saw water coming forth from the Temple on the right side, allelúja. And all those to whom this water came were saved, and shall say, allelúja" The people are sprinkled with the holy water blessed last night at the Vigil.
	"In the name of the Father + and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." "Amen" "I will go into the altar of God." To God who giveth joy to my youth."
	Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum, allelúja: posuísti super me manum tuam, allelúja: mirábilis facta est sciéntia tua, allelúja, allelúja. [Ps. ibid., 1-2]. Dómine, probásti me, et cognovísti me: tu cognovísti sessiónem meam, et resurrectiónem meam. Glória Patri. Resurrexi.
	Gospel: Mark xvi: 1-7 + The continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Mark: At that time, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, brought spices that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb, when the sun had just risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll the stone back from the entrance of the tomb for us?" And looking up they saw that the stone had been rolled back, for it was very large. But on entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, "Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen. He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him. But go and tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him as He told you."
	Sermon Easter Sunday AD 2008 On real and illusory change.