One of my favourite services of the year is the midnight communion service on Christmas Eve. There is something magical about welcoming in Christmas in the hushed quiet of the vigil.
I’ve only been to an Easter vigil once, though I watched a livestream of another during the lockdown. I’ve never been to, or even heard of, one in an Evangelical context. It appears to be something we just don’t do.
Nonetheless, there is a collect for Easter Eve in the BCP and it’s reference to baptism seems most appropriate to the vigil, at which, traditionally, converts are baptised.
GRANT, O Lord, that as we are baptized into the death of thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, so by continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with him; and that, through the grave, and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful resurrection; for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here we identify ourselves with the baptisands. Tonight, we remember the fact that we all share in the identity of the baptised. And that is, fundamentally, an identity shaped by the paschal mystery.
In baptism, we have entered into Jesus’ death on Good Friday. We have been buried with him and passed through Holy Saturday in Easter Day’s resurrection.
Lent has for centuries been a time of preparation for baptism. And the penitential journey we have been on began in accompanying the candidates. Tonight, we are all penitents, but our repentance is premised on the new life into which we are baptised.
Easter Day is yet to dawn and yet the light and life it represents have already begun to shine in the depths of night.
Christ and Calendar 