Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)

Date: April 11, 2009 First Reading (Genesis 1:1 – 2:2) A reading from the book of Genesis. In the beginning, when God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth had no form and was void; darkness was over the deep and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. God stated, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'Day' and the darkness 'Night'. There was evening and there was morning: it was the first day. God stated, "Let there be a firm ceiling between the waters and let it separate waters from waters." So God made the ceiling and separated the waters below it from the waters above it. And so it was. God called the firm ceiling 'Sky'. There was evening and there was morning: it was the second day. God stated, "Let the waters below the sky be gathered together in one place and let dry land appear." And so it was. God called the dry land 'Earth', and the waters gathered together he called 'Seas'. God saw that it was good. God stated, "Let the earth produce vegetation, seed-bearing plants, fruit trees bearing fruit with seed, each according to its kind upon the earth." And so it was. The earth produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kind and trees producing fruit which has seed, according to their kind. Once again, God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning: the third day. God stated, "Let there be light in the ceiling of the sky to separate day from night and to serve as signs for the season, days and years; and let these lights shine above the earth." And so it happened. God therefore made two great lights, the greater light to govern the day and the smaller light to govern the night; and God made the stars as well. God placed them in the ceiling of the sky to give light on the earth and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning: the fourth day. God stated, "Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth under the ceiling of the sky." God created the great monsters of the sea and all living animals, those that teem in the waters, according to their kind, and every winged bird, according to its kind. God saw that it was good. God bless them saying, "Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the waters of the sea, and let the birds increase on the earth." There was evening and there was morning: the fifth day. God stated, "Let the earth produce living animals according to their kind: cattle, creatures that move along the ground, wild animals according to their kind." So it was. God created the wild animals according to their kind, and everything that creeps along the ground according to its kind. Again, God saw that it was good. God states, "Let us make man in our image, to our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the wild animals, and over all creeping things that crawl along the ground." So God created man in his image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and stated to them, "Be fruitful and augment in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over every living creature that moves on the ground." God stated, "I have given you ever seed-bearing fruit which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree that bears fruit with seed. It will be for your food. To every wild animal, to every bird of the sky, to everything that creeps along the ground, to everything that has the breath of life, I give every green plant for food." And so, as God states, it occurred. God observed all that he had created and it was all very good. There was evening and there was morning: the sixth day. That was the way the sky and the earth were created and all their vast array. By the seventh day the work God had done was completed, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done. Second Reading (Exodus 14:15 – 15:1) A reading from the book of Exodus. The Lord stated to Moses, "Why do you cry to me?" Tell the people of Israel to go forward. You will raise your staff and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it to let the Israelites go dry foot through the sea. I will so harden the minds of the Egyptians that they will follow you. And I will have glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory for myself at the cost of Pharaoh and his army!" The Angel of God who had gone ahead of the Israelites now placed himself behind them. The pillar of cloud changed its position from the front to the rear, between the camps of the Israelites and the Egyptians. For one army the cloud provided light, for the other darkness so that throughout the night the armies drew no closer to each other. Moses stretched his hand over the sea and the Lord made a strong east wind that blew all night and dried up the sea. The waters divided and the sons of Israel went on dry ground through the middle of the sea, with the waters forming a wall to their right and to their left. The Egyptians followed them and all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and horsemen moved forward in the middle of the sea. It occurred that in the morning watch, the Lord in the pillar of cloud and fire, looked towards the Egyptian camp and threw it into confusion. He so clogged their chariot wheels they could hardly move. Then the Egyptians stated, "Let us flee from the Israelites for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt." The the Lord stated to Moses, "Stretch your hand over the sea and let the waters come back over the Egyptians over their chariots and horsemen." Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At daybreak, the sea returned to its place. As the Egyptians tried to flee, the Lord swept them into the sea. The waters flowed back and engulfed the chariots and horsemen of the whole army of the Pharaoh that had followed Israel into the sea. Not even one of them manage to escape. As for the Israelites, they went forward on dry ground in the middle of the sea, the waters forming a wall on their right and on their left. On that day, the Lord delivered Israel from the power of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore. They understood what wonders the Lord had done for them against Egypt, and the people feared the Lord. They believed in the Lord and Moses, his servant. Then Moses and the people sang this song to the Lord: I will sing to Yahweh, the glorious one, horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. Third Reading (Isaiah 54: 5-14) A reading from the book of Isaiah. For your Maker is to marry you: Yahweh Sabaoth is his name. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel: He is called God of all the earth. For the Lord has called you back as one forsaken and grieved in spirit. Who could abandon his first beloved? Your God states. For a brief moment I have abandoned you, but with great tenderness I will gather my people. For a moment, in an outburst of anger, I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I have had mercy on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. This is for me like Noah's waters, when I swore that they would no more flood the earth; so now I swear not to be angry with you and never again to rebuke you. The mountains my depart and the hills be moved, but never will my love depart from you nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord whose compassion is for you. O afflicted city, lashed by storm and unconsoled, I will set your stones with turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will crown your wall with agate, make your gates crystal, and your ramparts of precious stones. All your children will be taught by the Lord, and they will prosper greatly. Justice will be your foundation; tyranny and the fear of oppression will never come near you. Epistle (Romans 6: 3-11) A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans. Brothers and sisters: You know that in baptism which unites us to Christ we are all baptized and plunged into his death. By this baptism in his death, we were buried with Christ and, as Christ was raised from among the dead by the Glory of the Father, so we begin walking in a new lift. It was an image of his death when we were grafted in him, and so we will also share in his resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with Christ, so as to destroy what of us was sin, so that we may no longer serve sin — if we are dead, we are no longer in debt to sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. We know that Christ, once risen from the dead, will not die again and death has no more dominion over him. There has been death: a death to sin once for all; there is a life: a life in God. So you too, must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ. Gospel (Mark 16: 1-8) A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark. When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint the body of Jesus. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week, right just after sunrise, they come to the tomb. They were saying to one another, "Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" But as they looked up, they noticed that the stone had already been rolled away. It was a very big stone. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right, and they were amazed. But he stated to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he has been raised and is not here. This is, however, the place where they laid him. Now god and tell his disciples and Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there just as he told you." The women went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them. And they were so afraid that they stated nothing to anyone.