the church, which were veiled during Passiontide, are unveiled. This is the beginning of Eastertide.





The Epistle of the Mass of the Easter Vigil is a short passage from St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians (page 60). St. Paul reminds us that we too are risen from our death in sin and must therefore always strive toward heaven. After the Epistle, the priest sings, “Alleluia!” This joyful word, a Hebrew word meaning, “All hail to him who is!” has not been used in the sacred liturgy since first Vespers of Septuagesima Sunday. Now that Eastertide has begun, it is returned to use in the liturgy. This ceremony echoes the unveiling of the cross on Good Friday or the ceremony with the triple candlestick at the beginning of the Vigil.only two Masses of the year that have an Alleluia Verse followed by a Tract. The Tract of the Easter Vigil is Psalm 116, the shortest psalm, just a few brief words of praise to God. It is sung to the same beautiful melody as the canticles that follow the prophecies.





Another remnant of the sorrow of Lent is that c andles are not held at the Gospel, just as they were not held at the Passion Gospels . The Gospel is from St. Matthew's account of the Resurrection of Christ (pages 62-63). However, since this is only a vigil, the Risen Christ does not actually appear in this Gospel passage. Christ is risen, but he has not appeared to us quite yet. St. Mary Magdalene, once a grievous