deliver s the people of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the Promised Land (pages 24-25). On that day, God saved his people. When the Israelites had passed through the Red Sea on dry land, God let the waters loose and drowned Pharaoh and his army, who persecuted and enslaved the Israelites. In this event, God showed his immeasurable love for his people and his promise to bring them to salvation if they keep his Word. It is the strongest precursor to our redemption in the Old Testament, and thus it is arguably the most important of the twelve prophecies. It has been included in every form of the Easter Vigil since the time of the apostles. Moses began a long lineof prophets, ending with St. John the Baptist, who foretold the coming of the Messiah and prepared the people of Israel for his coming.





After this reading, the choir sings the Canticle of Moses, the song of praise that Moses sang to God after their deliverance. The melody is the same for all three of the canticles sung during the prophecies, as well as the chant Sicut cervus sung later and the Tract of the Mass of the Easter Vigil. This is also the melody of the Tract Absolve Domine at Masses for the dead. It originates in the old Mozarabic Rite. After the canticle, the priest sings the collect for this reading.





In the fifth prophecy, we hear from the prophet Isaiah about the salvation that God has prepared