Easter Sunday 9th April - Pentecost Sunday 28th May
CHRIST IS RISEN!
Alleluia!
Easter is more than one day.
On Easter Sunday,
we celebrate
the Resurrection of The Lord.
This holy day is the
beginning of the Easter Octave -
a period of eight continuous days of solemnities -
providing the opportunity to contemplate more fully
the mysteries, joys and graces of
Easter -
the greatest feast of the Church.
*Christ yesterday and today (the priest cuts a vertical line);
*the Beginning and the End (the priest cuts a horizontal line);
*the Alpha (the priest cuts the letter Alpha above the vertical line);
*and the Omega (the priest cuts the letter Omega below the vertical line).
*All time belongs to him (the priest cut the first numeral of the current year in the upper left corner of the cross )
*and all the ages (the priest cuts the second numeral of the current year in the upper right corner of the cross).
*To him be glory and power (the priest cuts the third numeral of the current year in the lower left corner of the cross); *through every age and for ever. Amen (the prieast cuts the fourth numeral of the current year in the lower right corner of the cross).
Wax Candle
According to the Catholic Encyclopaedia, “The pure wax extracted by bees from flowers symbolizes the pure flesh of Christ received from His Virgin Mother, the wick signifies the soul of Christ, and the flame represents His divinity.”
Light
“May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.” (Roman Missal) This connects the Easter candle to Jesus, “light of the world,” as He describes himself in the Gospel of John. From the Easter candle are lit all the other candles in the church, showing how Jesus is the source of our light.
Flame
The flame is reminiscent of the “pillar of fire” that led the people of Israel and protected them as they escaped the slavery of the Egyptians. The Exsultet refers to this symbolism when it states, “This is the night that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of sin.”
Cross
The cross is the supreme symbol of Jesus and the instrument through which he saved the world from sin and death.
Alpha and Omega
It is common in Christian art to find two Greek letters: the alpha (Α) and omega (Ω). These two letters have an ancient history in Christianity and are rooted in the book of Revelation, where Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without price from the fountain of the water of life. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son” (Revelation 21:6-7).
Year
As the priest traces the year on the Easter candle, he prays, “All time belongs to him, and all the ages.” This reminds us that God is here with us today and is constantly guiding all creation to himself.
Grains of incense
Five grains of incense are inserted into the candle on top of the cross, symbolizing the five “holy and glorious wounds” of Jesus Christ.
When the cutting of the cross and of the other signs has been completed, the Priest may insert five grains of incense into the candle in the form of a cross, meanwhile saying:
1. By his holy
2. and glorious wounds,
3. may Christ the Lord
4. guard us
5. and protect us.
Amen.