A Song For Easter

The burning sun falls westwards now,
across the sands of Babylon.
One jackal and a crow call out,
triumphant that their war is won.


The days and years fall heavy here,
bearing judgment on this land.
The ants have picked the corpses bare
that lie between the sun and sand.


No music now, no laughter heard,
and all the harlots sleep alone;
the sprouts that pricked the surface once
are shriveled at the roots and gone.


Broken gateways of this place
we leave behind, we turn and fly;
at our backs a gaping sepulcher,
a cactus, and a stone beneath the sky.


One road leads across this desert,
Worn by naked feet throughout the years.
In sackcloth robes and thumb-crossed ashes
we wander through this wilderness of tears.


Salt-stained cheeks; bruised, aching limbs-
Our legs give out; we stumble, fall....
A piece of bread sustains us here,
a piercing ache, an inner call.


Broken, weary, empty, still
the air within our lungs is clean,
and in this cold and desert night
appear the stars that few have seen.

Now, when all but faith is gone,
we come at last to desert's edge;
I see you standing by me still,
my friend, to whom I gave my pledge.


We come to Zion's shining walls
with bleeding breasts and barren wombs;
O Water! Wash away the dust!
O sacred Oil of chrism heal our wounds!


Beyond the pages of the Book,
Past the open, empty tomb,
to the House where Father spreads
a banquet table, in the Upper Room.


And as we stand with shining eyes,
slowly forgetting Babylon
I welcome you, sweet child of God,
and all the choirs of angels sing us home.

"O Vere Beata Nox...."

The liturgy for Holy Saturday, the Easter Vigil Mass, is to me one of the richest and most beautiful of the year. Of all the profound and glorious moments it contains, the chanting of the ancient Exsultet hymn has always been one of my favorites. It calls us to rejoice, to exult, in the dark night that heralds Easter's dawn.The Paschal Lamb has been slain, the first-born sons of Israel have been saved from death, the people of God prepared to leave the bondage of Egypt, and in the morning Christ our Lord will rise in victory over death.

One of the aspects of the Exsultet which I particularly love, is its carefully woven tapestry of Scripture verses and symbols. In its deep theology, in its recounting of God's mighty redemptive deeds, and in the sheer beauty of its prose, it becomes a symphony of redemption.

We arrive at Easter Vigil once again, and I have included the text of the Exsultet below. I hope it will bless you greatly.

There are longer and shorter versions of the text, and various translations from the Latin. The version posted here is fairly close to standard:

Rejoice heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels!

Exult, all creation around God's throne!

Jesus Christ, our King is risen!

Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,

radiant in the brightness of your King!

Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!

Darkness vanishes forever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!

The risen Savior shines upon you!

Let this place resound with joy,

Echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

My dearest friends, standing with me

in this holy night,

join me in asking God for mercy,

that he may give his unworthy minister

grace to sing his Easter praises.

The Lord be with you.

   And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

   We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

   It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices

we should praise the unseen God, the all powerful Father,

and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,

and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,

when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,

whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night,

when first you saved our Fathers:

you freed the people of Israel from their slavery,

and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night,

when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.

This is the night,

when Christians everywhere,

washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,

are restored to grace, and grow together in holiness.

This is the night,

when Jesus broke the chains of death

and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us

had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!

How boundless your merciful love!

To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,

which gained for us so great a redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,

chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night Scripture says:

"The night will be as clear as day:

it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,

washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,

brings mourners joy;

it casts out hatred, brings us peace,

and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed,

when heaven is wedded to earth

and we are reconciled to God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,

receive our evening sacrifice of praise,

your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,

a flame divided but undimmed,

a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it  mingle with the lights of heaven

and continue bravely burning

to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets

find this flame still burning:

Christ, that Morning Star,

who came back from the dead,

and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,

your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.