Star of the Sea, Castlebay, The Isle of Barra. HS9 5XD.
Phone 01871 810267
Email Addres castlebay@rcdai.org.uk

Easter Vigil at home

Holy Saturday- Easter Vigil Candle

An important part of the Easter Vigil Mass is always the beginning of the Mass with the “Liturgy of Light”. We always begin the Easter Vigil in darkness and we light a fire and from the fire we light the Paschal Candle (the Easter Candle). The Priest says three times “The Light of Christ” and we all respond with “Thanks be to God”.

The Church is always in total darkness and from that one Paschal Candle we then light our own vigil candles in the church and suddenly the ripple from the one light spreads throughout the Church and the church is illuminated to reveal that Christ is our Light -the light which illuminated the empty tomb to reveal that Jesus had risen from the dead. In the Easter Proclamation (The Exsultet) which is sung during the Liturgy of Light- the Priest says the words “This is the night when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld”. Jesus destroyed death forever by rising from the dead on Easter.

Since we cannot physically go to the Easter Vigil Mass in our own Churches this year because of the Coronavirus restrictions- let us light our own “Easter Candle” in our own homes. Use any candle and light it at the same time as Canon John Paul will light the Paschal Candle in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church – at 9pm on Holy Saturday and as you light the candle say the words “The Light of Christ- thanks be to God”. Leave the candle lit for an hour and place the candle in a window of your home as a visible sign to the World that Christ is with you in a very special way this Easter and as Canon John Paul celebrates the Vigil Mass he will pray for you all and for God’s blessing and protection to come down upon each of your homes this Easter and that the light of the Risen Lord will bless us all, all our families and our loved ones during these strange and difficult times.