Exult, choirs of angels,
Exult, heavenly assembly!
May a hymn of glory
greet the triumph of our risen Lord!
Rejoice, all the earth,
flooded with the new light!
The splendour of the King has conquered darkness,
the darkness of the world!
The splendour of the King has conquered darkness,
the darkness of the world!
Rejoice, O Mother Church, made resplendent
with the glory of your risen Lord.
Let this holy building resound,
echoing the song of a people in feast.
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
It is truly right and just
to express, by singing, the great joy of the spirit
and to praise the all powerful Father
and his Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
He paid for us to the eternal Father Adam’s debt,
and with his blood, shed out of love,
he wiped away the condemnation of the ancient fault.
This is the Passover
in which is slain the one true Lamb.
This is the night
in which you freed our fathers from the slavery of Egypt.
This is the night
that with a pillar of fire banished the darkness of evil.
This is the night in which you have conquered the darkness of sin.
This is the night
in which Christ has destroyed death
and from the dead arises victorious.
How wonderful is the mercy
of your grace,
how boundless the tenderness of your love;
to ransom a slave you sacrificed your Son!
Without the sin of Adam,
Christ would not have redeemed us!
O happy fault,
which deserved so great a Saviour,
O happy fault!
O Night, truly blessed,
which knew the hour in which Christ arose!
O Night, truly blessed,
which despoiled the Egyptians to make Israel wealthy!
O Night, which conquers evil and washes guilt away!
O Night, truly glorious,
which reconciles man | to his God!
This is the night
in which Christ has destroyed death
and from the dead arises victorious.
In this night, receive, heavenly Father,
the sacrifice of praise
that the Church is offering you by the hand of her ministers
in the solemn liturgy of the candle,
sign of the new light.
We pray you, O Lord:
let this candle,
offered in honour of your name,
shine with light;
let it ascend to you like fragrant perfume,
let it mingle with the stars of heaven;
may the morning star find this flame still burning,
the morning star which never sets:
Christ, your Son, risen from the dead,
who shines resplendent with his peaceful light!
Amen, Amen, Amen!

A voice resounds from heaven,
it echoes in the night;
let dreams and anguish flee,
the light of Christ shines forth.
The heart awakes from slumber
no longer troubled by evil;
a new star is shining
in the darkness of the world.
Behold the Lamb of God,
the price of our ransom;
with living faith we implore
his forgiveness and peace.
When at the end of time
Christ comes in his glory,
may his grace release us
from his fearsome judgement.
Praise be to Christ the Lord,
to the Father and the Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be. Amen.

Flee, shadows and darkness,
the light of day shines forth,
Christ the Lord is coming.
The sun of justice
transfigures and inflames
the waiting universe.
With pure and humble joy,
amid songs and prayers,
we welcome the Lord.
You, Saviour of the poor,
let the glory of your face
shine on a new world.
Praise to you, O Christ,
with the Father and the Spirit,
now and forever.
Amen.

All you works of the Lord
O bless the Lord!
To him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore!
Angels of the Lord *
Heavens of the Lord
All waters above the heavens *
All armies of the Lord*
Sun and moon
Stars of heaven *
Showers and rain
All breezes and winds *
Fire and heat *
Cold and heat *
Showers and dew *
Frosts and cold *
Ice and snow *
Night and day
Darkness and light *
Lightning and clouds
O let the earth bless the Lord – to him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore!
Mountains and hills
All plants of the earth
Fountains and springs *
Rivers and seas *
Sea-monsters and all that moves in the waters *
Every bird in the sky *
Wild beasts and tame *
Children of men *
O Israel, bless the Lord – to him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore.
Priests of the Lord *
Servants of the Lord *
Spirits and souls of the just *
Holy and humble of heart *
Ananias, Azarias, Mizael *
To him…
be highest glory and praise for evermore.
Let us praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
To you be highest glory and praise for ever!
May you be blessed, O Lord, in the heavens.
To you be highest glory and praise for ever!
O bless the Lord.

Blessed be the Lord,
the God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people,
raising up for us a power of salvation
in the house of his servant David.
According to the promise made from ancient times,
through the mouths of his holy prophets,
that he would save us from our enemies
and from the hands of all those who hate us.
Fulfilling in this way the mercy
he had with our fathers,
remembering his holy Covenant,
and the oath he swore to our father, Abraham,
that he would set us free from fear
to be delivered from the hands of our enemies,
to serve him in holiness and virtue
in his presence all our days.
Blessed be the Lord...
And you, little child,
you shall be called Prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare a way for him,
announcing to his people salvation
and forgiveness of their sins.
Because of the tender mercy of our God,
a sun, rising from on high, will visit us,
to give light to those who live in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Blessed be the Lord…

O heavens,
rain from above,
O clouds,
send us the Holy One;
O earth,
open up, you earth,
and let the Saviour spring up.
We are the desert,
we are the drought:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
We are the wind, nobody hears us:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
O heavens, rain from above…
We are the darkness,
nobody guides us:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
We are the chains,
nobody loosens us:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
O heavens, rain from above…
We are the cold,
nobody covers us:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
We are hunger,
nobody feeds us:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
O heavens, rain from above…
We are tears,
nobody dries us:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
We are suffering,
nobody looks at us:
Maranatha! Maranatha!
O heavens, rain from above…

The people that walked in darkness
has seen a great light.
On those who walked in a land of darkness
a great light has shone.
You have made their gladness greater,
you have made their joy increase:
they rejoiced in your presence
as they rejoice at harvest time,
as they rejoice when they divide the spoils.
And dominion will be upon his shoulders,
and his name will be, and his name will be:
wonderful, wonderful counsellor,
mighty God, eternal Father;
Prince of peace,
Prince of peace.
The yoke that was weighing on the people,
the yoke that weighed on their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressors,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
Every boot of the trampling warrior,
every garment soaked in blood
will be burnt and consumed by fire,
for a child is born for us,
a Son has been given to us.
And dominion will be upon his shoulders…

If in the Lord I have taken my refuge,
how can you say to me, how can you say to me:
flee like a bird to the mountain,
flee like a bird to the mountain?
I know that the wicked bend the bow,
and fit their arrows on the string,
to shoot in darkness the upright of heart,
but when the foundations quake,
what can the just man do?,
what can the just man do?
The Lord, the Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord has his throne in heaven,
his eyes look upon the world,
his gaze searches every man.
The Lord tests the just,
but the Lord tests the wicked as well,
the Lord does not love violence,
the Lord does not love violence.
If in the Lord I have taken my refuge…

God, God
has led me, has led me
into darkness.
He has made for me a yoke
and he has pressed my head, my head
and my jaw.
God has bent his bow,
making me the target
for his arrows.
Though I call and cry,
he stifles, he stifles
my prayer.
When I see where he has brought me
in my wandering life,
this is wormwood and gall.
What will I do
if hope fails within me,
the hope
that comes from the Lord,
that comes from the Lord.
Sit down alone and in silence,
because God has laid it upon you.
Put your mouth in the dust,
there may yet be hope.
Offer your cheek to him who strikes you,
for the Lord does not reject you forever:
even if he afflicts you, he will then be merciful.
For the Lord does not reject you forever,
even if he afflicts you, he will then be merciful,
according to the abundance of his love.

The Lord has given me a disciple’s tongue
so that I may bring to the weary
a word of consolation.
Morning after morning
you open my ear
so that I may listen
as a disciple.
The Lord, the Lord, the Lord
has opened my ear.
So I offered no resistance,
I offered no resistance.
I gave my back to those who struck me.
So I offered no resistance,
I offered no resistance.
I offered my cheek
to those who tore my beard.
So I offered no resistance,
I offered no resistance.
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.
Because I already knew
that you would come to my help,
I have set my face as hard as a flint;
I was sure that you would come to my help.
If you are, if you are near,
if you save me, who will fight against me?
If you help, if you help me,
if you save me, who will dare to condemn me?
All of you who fear the Lord,
listen to the voice of his Servant;
if you find yourselves in darkness,
trust in the Lord,
trust in his holy Name.
If you are…

Clothe yourselves in the armour of God,
carrying the weapons of light.
Because our struggle
is not against creatures of flesh and blood,
but against the spirits of evil
which live in this world of darkness.
Gird your loins
with the truth,
clothe yourselves
with the justice of the cross,
which does not resist evil,
but takes on itself the sins of others.
Having shod your feet
with zeal to announce of the Gospel,
above all
carry the shield of faith –
That Christ really loves you,
that he died on the cross for you
when you were wicked and a sinner.
Carry the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God,
and the helmet
of salvation.
That Christ Jesus rose from death!
That he is the Lord,
that he will come again, he will come again
and will take us with him!
Alleluia, allelu, allelu, alleluia!

The same God who said:
'From darkness let the light shine,'
is he who shone into our hearts
to make the knowledge of his glory shine,
which is on the face of Christ,
which is on the face of Christ.
But we carry this treasure
in earthen vessels.
But we carry this treasure
in earthen vessels.
So that it may be shown
that the sublimity of this love comes from God,
comes from God and not from us.
Insulted on every side
but not distressed;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
cast down, but not destroyed.
Carrying always in our bodies
the death of Jesus,
so that
in us may be shown his resurrection.
And so while we die,
you are receiving life.
And so while we die,
you are receiving life.
Carrying always in our bodies
the death of Jesus,
so that
in us may be shown his resurrection.

The dove hovered over the head of the Lord
and sang psalms above him.
and the Lord revealed his designs of love,
works of art ineffable, for every man.
The chasms opened up
and dreadful cries were heard –
like women giving birth,
but the Lord dispelled the darkness
with his piercing look.
The dove hovered over the head of the Lord
and sang psalms above him.
and the Lord revealed his designs of love,
works of art ineffable, for every man.
The designs were foiled
and the angels of heaven were weeping,
the designs for all those
who did not follow his truth.
Because the Lord has shown his way
and has showered his grace
on all those who follow him;
he has given them power
to be adorned with his holiness.
The dove hovered over the head of the Lord
and sang psalms above him.
and the Lord revealed his designs of love,
works of art ineffable, for every man.

You have covered death with shame,
you have thrown hell into mourning,
you have struck iniquity,
you have deprived injustice of her children,
as Moses did to Pharaoh,
as Moses did to Pharaoh.
You have brought us from slavery to freedom,
from darkness to light, from death to life.
You are the passover of our salvation,
you are the lamb born of Mary.
Mary, she-lamb without blemish,
Mary, the innocent she-lamb.
You have been slain in Abel,
you have been bound in Isaac,
sold in Joseph,
abandoned on the waters in Moses,
persecuted in David,
mocked and despised in all the prophets.
You are the lamb who does not open his mouth,
you are the lamb born of Mary.
Mary, she-lamb without blemish…
You were taken from the flock,
led to sacrifice,
slaughtered in the evening,
buried in the night,
your blessed body did not experience corruption.
You rose from death,
and made mankind rise
from the depths of the tomb.
You are the lamb who does not open his mouth,
you are the lamb born of Mary.
Mary, she-lamb without blemish…

Upon a dark night,
ablaze with love, with urgent longings,
O happy chance! –
I left without being noticed,
my house at last completely quiet.
In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, in disguise,
O happy chance! –
in darkness and concealed,
my house at last completely quiet.
On this blessed night,
in secret and not seen by anyone,
I beheld nothing
with any other light or guide
but for that which in my heart was burning.
And this was guiding me,
more surely than the light of noon,
to where he was awaiting me –
he whom I knew so well –
and no one, no one else was there.
O night that was my guide!
O night more lovely than the dawn's first light!
O night that united
the Lover with his beloved,
the beloved in her Lover transformed.
Upon a dark night…
O night that was my guide…