First Reading: Isaiah 52: 13-15; 53: 1-12
Psalms: Psalm 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25
Second Reading: Hebrews 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9
Gospel Reading: Reading of the Passion John 18: 1- 39; 19: 1-42
General Intercessions, Veneration of the Holy Cross, and Holy Communion

     My Jesus, I consecrate myself this day to Your Holy Cross. Just as You took upon Yourself that great cross for the sake of all humanity, so I vow to embrace the crosses in my life. Everything I suffer, I give back to You, my Sweet Jesus, to atone for my sins and those of all the world. I will begin and end each day at the foot of Your Cross, together with our Most Blessed Mother and St. John, our brother. My only pleasure will be to comfort You, my Sweet Savior.

    Following are Meditations on the Final Seven Words spoken by Christ:

1. "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23: 34)
I pray that I, too, might be forgiven; and that I might also forgive all who offend me.

2. "I assure you: this day you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:34)
I pray that my faith, hope and love may encourage me to reahc my true home - Heaven!

3. "Woman, behold your son." (John 19: 26)
I pray that I might honor Your Holy Mother and seek her aid in every aspect of my life.

4. "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27: 46)
I pray that I might have the courage to be faithful to You even when I do not feel You near me. That I might understand with what grief the lukewarm souls caused You to suffer such grievous torment.

5. "I thirst." (John 19: 28)
I pray that I might thirst only for You, and realize the Infinite Love which thirsted for souls.

6. "It is consummated." (John 19: 30)
I pray that I might come to the end of my earthly life with the peace of having lived and died only for You.

7. "Father, into Your hands I commend My Spirit." (Luke 23: 46)
I pray that I might be obedient until the final moment, entrusting my soul to Your care with perfect confidence and love.

HOLY SATURDAY: THE EASTER VIGIL

   Probably no service in the Liturgical calendar is more beautiful and meaningful than the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening. Albeit long, Holy Mother Church gathers her children together for this special service to not only celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist, but also the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.

    The Night-watch of the Resurrection begins with the Church totally dark to symbolize the tomb. One candle is lit - the Easter or Paschal Candle which will be lit for every Mass until Pentecost Sunday. Then the light from that Candle is passed to the individual candles the congregation hold and from pew to pew light filters into the Church as the procession begins three times the celebrant chanting "Lumen Christi" or, in the vernacular now, "Light of Christ" to which all answer "Thanks be to God" or "Deo Gratias" in the Latin service.

    Once the celebrant reaches the altar the deacon places the Paschal Candle in its permanent holder and the Easter Proclamation begins. Following is the lengthy seven readings and seven accompanying responsorial psalms or readings, all from the Old Testament to symbolize the lengthy time those who were loyal to the Old Covenant spent in Limbo before being released to Heaven by Christ's Death. It was during the three days in the tomb that Christ "descended to the dead" to call all God's faithful ones from Adam and Eve to the day Christ died into Heavenly bliss.

    We then move into the New Covenant with the Epistle and Gospel Readings followed by Liturgy of Baptism where candidates who have been undergoing the catechumen program are now fully accepted into the Body of Christ's One, True, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. First all recite the Litany of Saints to unite us in the Communion of Saints as we, the Church Militant join the Church Suffering in Purgatory and the Church Triumphant in Heaven to profess our faith, hope and love in the Trinity and Christ's victory over death. There is then the Blessing of Water and the candidates renounce their sins, make their profession of faith and then receive the Sacrament of Baptism with first the saving water, then the anointing with Chrism oil, clothed with the Baptismal garment and presented a lighted candle symbolic that they have been brought into the Light of Christ and rid of Original Sin. The entire congregation then join the newly baptized candidates in Renewal of their Baptismal Promises by first renouncing their sins, then a Profession of Faith. The Celebrant then sprinkles all with Holy Water from the asperges. Now all the newly baptized candidates are fully received by the entire congregation at the beckoning of the Celebrant.

    Following the Liturgy of Baptism is the Celebration of Confirmation where the candidates for Confirmation are invited to come forth where either the Bishop or his appointed representative in the person of the Celebrant lays on hands and then annoints each with the Holy Chrism with the words, "Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit. This concludes the special Easter Vigil liturgy as the Liturgy of the Eucharist begins and, for the first time the newly Baptized are able to partake of this beautiful Liturgy and the entire Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We now have but a few hours to wait until that glorious day - Easter Sunday and the Resurrection - the beginning of the rest of our lives...forever!

April 13, 2001 volume 13, no. 104 DAILY LITURGY www.DailyCatholic.org