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 right and just.
It is truly right and just,
our duty and our salvation,
at all times to acclaim you, O Lord,
but on this night / on this day / in this time
above all
to laud you yet more gloriously,
when Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.
For he is the true Lamb
who has taken away the sins of the world;
by dying, he has destroyed our death,
and by rising, restored our life!
By dying, he’s destroyed our death,
by rising, he restored our life!
By dying, he’s destroyed our death,
by rising, he restored our life!
Therefore, overcome with paschal joy,
every land, every people exults in your praise
and even the heavenly Powers,
with the angelic hosts,
sing, sing, the unending hymn of your glory,
as they acclaim:
Holy, holy, holy…

At the banquet of the Lamb,
arrayed in white robes,
having crossed the Red Sea,
we sing to Christ the Lord.
His body ablaze with love,
at the banquet, is living bread;
on the altar, his blood
is the cup of the New Covenant.
At the banquet of the Lamb…
On this wondrous evening
the ancient marvels are made present:
a mighty arm saves us
from the angel of destruction.
At the banquet of the Lamb…
The meek slaughtered lamb,
Christ, is our Passover;
his sacred body
is the true unleavened bread.
At the banquet of the Lamb…
Pour out paschal joy
on your Church, O Lord;
unite in your victory
those born again through baptism.
At the banquet of the Lamb…
Praise and honour be to Christ,
triumphant over death,
to the Father and the Holy Spirit
now and forever.
Amen

On the eighth day dawns
the age of the new world,
consecrated by Christ,
first fruits of the risen.
O Jesus, king of glory,
unite your faithful people
to the paschal triumph
over evil and death.
Grant that one day we may come
to meet you, O Lord,
on the clouds of heaven
in the Kingdom of the blessed.
Transformed into your image,
we shall see your face
and there will be fullness of joy,
for ever and ever. Amen.

O first and last day,
day of Christ’s triumph,
radiant and splendid!
Christ, the risen Lord,
proclaims throughout the ages
the edict of peace.
Peace between heaven and earth,
peace among the peoples,
peace in our hearts.
May the paschal alleluia
resound throughout the Church,
pilgrim in the world,
united to the joyful
and everlasting praise
of the assembly of saints!
To you glory, O Christ,
to you power and honour
for ever and ever. Amen.

To the paschal victim
we offer today the sacrifice of praise.
The flock is ransomed by the Lamb,
the Innocent has reconciled us sinners to the Father.
Death and life contended
in mighty battle,
the Lord of life was slain,
yet he lives to reign.
Tell us Mary: what did you see upon the way?
The tomb of the Lord empty,
the glory of Christ as he rose,
the angels, the shroud and grave clothes.
For Christ my hope is risen:
he goes before us into Galilee.
He goes before us into Galilee.
Yes, we are sure: Christ is truly risen!
Yes, we are sure: Christ is truly risen!
He goes before us into Galilee.
He goes before us into Galilee.
To the paschal victim…
You, victorious King, give us your salvation!

You who dwell in the gardens,
where my companions are listening,
let me hear your voice,
let me hear your voice.
Flee, my beloved,
like a gazelle,
like a young stag,
on the sweet scented mountains.
I am in his eyes
as one who has found peace,
my vineyard is here in front of me,
my vineyard is here in front of me,
Flee, my beloved,
like a gazelle,
like a young stag,
on the sweet scented mountains.
You who dwell in the gardens…
The Church through Baptism has been introduced into the gardens of the Kingdom "where the
companions are listening."
There, as she has been made mother and teacher of all nations because of the experience of
love she has received and because of the suffering, the joys, the failures, the recoveries and – we
could say – because of the history of salvation that the Song of Songs expresses, the Church is
invited by the Bridegroom to let her voice be heard in a final yearning.
The Church answers with an eschatological paschal cry: what she has come to know and
experienced of the Bridegroom makes her desire to flee with him in a final exodus "to the sweet
scented mountains," which is Heaven, forever free.