{"id":4253,"date":"2010-04-03T14:14:47","date_gmt":"2010-04-03T14:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2010\/04\/rejoice-heavenly-powers.html"},"modified":"2010-04-03T14:14:47","modified_gmt":"2010-04-03T14:14:47","slug":"rejoice-heavenly-powers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2010\/04\/rejoice-heavenly-powers.html","title":{"rendered":"Rejoice, heavenly powers!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"EasterVigil.jpg\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels!
\nExult, all creation around God’s throne!
\nJesus Christ, our King is risen!
\nSound the trumpet of salvation!<\/p>\n

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
\nradiant in the brightness of your King!
\nChrist has conquered! Glory fills you!
\nDarkness vanishes for ever!<\/p>\n

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
\nThe risen Savior shines upon you!
\nLet this place resound with joy,
\nechoing the mighty song of all God’s people!<\/p>\n

My dearest friends,
\nstanding with me in this holy light,
\njoin me in asking God for mercy,
\nthat he may give his unworthy minister
\ngrace to sing his Easter praises.<\/p>\n

The Lord be with you.
\n
And also with you. <\/em>
\n
Lift up your hearts.
\n
We lift them up to the Lord. <\/em>
\n
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
\n
It is right to give him thanks and praise<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices
\nwe should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
\nand his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
\nand paid for us the price of Adam’s sin to our eternal Father!<\/p>\n

This is our passover feast,
\nWhen Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
\nwhose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.<\/p>\n

This is the night,
\nwhen first you saved our fathers:
\nyou freed the people of Israel from their slav’ry,
\nand led them dry-shod through the sea.<\/p>\n

This is the night,
\nwhen the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.<\/p>\n

This is night,
\nwhen Christians ev’rywhere,
\nwashed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
\nare restored to grace and grow together in holiness.<\/p>\n

This is the night,
\nwhen Jesus broke the chains of death
\nand rose triumphant from the grave.<\/p>\n

What good would life have been to us,
\nhad Christ not come as our Redeemer?<\/p>\n

Father, how wonderful your care for us!
\nHow boundless your merciful love!
\nTo ransom a slave you gave away your Son.<\/p>\n

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
\nwhich gained for us so great a Redeemer!<\/p>\n

Most blessed of all nights,
\nchosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!<\/p>\n

Of this night scripture says:
\n“The night will be as clear as day:
\nit will become my light, my joy.”<\/p>\n

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
\nwashes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
\nbrings mourners joy;
\nit casts out hatred, brings us peace,
\nand humbles earthly pride.<\/p>\n

Night truly blessed,
\nwhen heaven is wedded to earth
\nand we are reconciled to God!<\/p>\n

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
\nreceive our evening sacrifice of praise,
\nyour Church’s solemn offering.<\/p>\n

Accept this Easter candle,
\na flame divided but undimmed,
\na pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.<\/p>\n

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
\nand continue bravely burning
\nto dispel the darkness of this night!<\/p>\n

May the Morning Star which never sets
\nfind this flame still burning:
\nChrist, that Morning Star,
\nwho came back from the dead,
\nand shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
\nyour Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.<\/p>\n

— The Exultet,<\/a> sung by the deacon at the start of the Easter Vigil.<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/i><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 for ever! Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory! 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