The Great Vigil of Easter

Liturgy of the Word

At least two of the following Lessons are read, of which one is always the Lesson from Exodus. After each Lesson, the Psalm or Canticle listed, or some other suitable psalm, canticle, or hymn may be sung. A period of silence may be kept; and a suitable Collect, such as those on pages 288-291 of the Book of Common Prayer, may be said.

Genesis 1:1-2:4a – Psalm 136:1-9,23-26
Genesis 7:1-5,11-18;8:6-18; 9:8-13 – Psalm 46
Genesis 22:1-18 – Psalm 16
Exodus 14:10-31;15:20-21 – Canticle 8
Isaiah 55:1-11 – Canticle 9
Baruch 3:9-15,32-4:4 or Proverbs 8:1-8,19-21;9:4b-6 – Psalm 19
Ezekiel 36:24-28 – Psalm 42 and 43
Ezekiel 37:1-14 – Psalm 143
Zephaniah 3:14-20 – Psalm 98

At the Eucharist

The Collect:

Almighty God, who for our redemption gave your only- begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

O God, who made this most holy night to shine with the glory of the Lord’s resurrection: Stir up in your Church that Spirit of adoption which is given to us in Baptism, that we, being renewed both in body and mind, may worship you in sincerity and truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Romans 6:3-11

³Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For whoever has died is freed from sin. ⁸But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Psalm: Psalm 114

¹ Hallelujah!
  When Israel came out of Egypt, *
       the house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
² Judah became God’s sanctuary *
       and Israel his dominion.
³ The sea beheld it and fled; *
       Jordan turned and went back.
⁴ The mountains skipped like rams, *
       and the little hills like young sheep.
⁵ What ailed you, O sea, that you fled? *
       O Jordan, that you turned back?
⁶ You mountains, that you skipped like rams? *
       you little hills like young sheep?
⁷ Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, *
       at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸ Who turned the hard rock into a pool of water *
      and flint-stone into a flowing spring.

Gospel: Matthew 28:1-10

¹After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is my message for you.’ ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

Printable Lectionary Readings

Find more resources for Easter Vigil A

This page is available in: Español