2017年圣周: 复活节前夕守夜礼

For the last several years, our family has attended the Easter Vigil Mass. There is such a sense of anticipation that night. Even my kids feel it, and it keeps them going through the first few hours. It began, of course, in silence, in the dark.

And then the Easter Fire cut through the darkness.



And the Light of Christ spread.









The anticipation built through the Exsultet (in Mandarin 逾越颂 Yúyuè sòng, which means Passover/Paschal Chant), the reintroduction to the church of musical instruments and bells in the Gloria....

...to the Alleluia bringing us further into an illuminated world.

The crescendo continues, especially for the soon-to-be baptized and confirmed. The Litany of Saints.

请为我们祈祷 Qǐng wèi wǒmen qídǎo Please pray for us.

Then, in case there still were any lingering doubt that it was now Easter, our priest proclaimed the Alleluia one more final time.

弥撒礼成! 阿肋路亚! Mísā lǐ chéng! Ā lē lù yà!
感谢天主! 阿肋路亚! Gǎnxiè tiānzhǔ! Ā lē lù yà!




主真复活了！Zhǔ zhēn fùhuóle!
阿来路亚！Ā lái lù yà!

The Lord is truly Risen!
Alleluia!

(And some readers will notice that Alleluia is represented in Chinese two different ways. That's just the way it is)