the ceremony is already very long.





In the Litany of the Saints, we invoke many of the saints by name and implore their intercession. It is also sung at ordinations and at the consecration of a church. Each petition is sung twice, first by the cantors, and then by the whole choir, to represent our welcoming the newly baptized Christians into the church.





During the singing of the litanies, all is prepared for the Mass. At the petition, “Peccatores / Te rogamus audi nos,” the servers and ministers return to the sacristy to vest in white vestments for Mass. The altar is vested in a white frontal and adorned with flowers, as is fitting for the greatest feast of the year. If necessary, the petitions may be repeated beginning with,be repeated. The priest ascends to the altar, kisses it, and incenses it, as always, before saying the Kyrie with the ministers.





The priest now intones the Gloria (pages 58-59) . This great hymn of praise is based on the hymn of the angels at our Lord's Incarnation (Luke 2:14). The glory of the Lord's Incarnation was completed by our Lord's Resurrection. While the priest and ministers are saying the Gloria for themselves, the organ is played and all the bells of the church are rung. They have been silent since Maundy Thursday, but now they sound joyfully to proclaim our Lord's Resurrection. The choir then sings the rest of the Gloria as usual. During the singing of the Gloria , all of the statues and sacred images in