Let now the heavenly troop of angels rejoice; let the divine mysteries be joyfully celebrated; and let a sacred trumpet proclaim the victory of so great a king. Let the earth also be filled with joy, being illuminated with such resplendent rays; and let it see the darkness, which overspread the whole world, chased away by the splendor of our eternal king. Let our mother the Church also rejoice, being adorned by the rays of so great a light; and let this temple resound with the joyful acclamations of the people. Wherefore, beloved brethren, you who are now present at the admirable brightness of this holy light, I beseech you to invoke with me the name of the Almighty God. That he, who hath been pleased above my desert to admit me into the number of the Levites, will, by an effusion of his light upon me, enable me to celebrate the praises of this emblematic taper: through our Lord Jesus Christ, his Son: who with him and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God for ever and ever. R. Amen. V. The Lord be with you. R. And with thy spirit. V. Lift up your hearts. R. We have them lifted up to the Lord. V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. R. It is meet and just. It is truly meet and just to proclaim with all the affection of our heart and soul, and with the sound of our voice, the invisible God, the Father Almighty, and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Who paid for us to his eternal Father the debt of Adam; and by his sacred blood cancelled the guilt contracted by original sin. For this is the Paschal solemnity, in which the true Lamb was slain, by whose blood the doors of the faithful are consecrated. This is the night in which thou formerly broughtest forth our forefathers the children of Israel out of Egypt, leading them dry-foot through the Red Sea. This then is the night which dissipated the darkness of sin, by the light of the pillar. This is the night which now delivers all over the world those that believe in Christ from the vices of the world and darkness of sin, restores them to grace, and clothes with sanctity. This is the night in which Christ broke the chains of death, and ascended conqueror from hell. O how admirable! is thy goodness towards us! O how inestimable is thy love! Thou hast delivered up thy Son to redeem a slave. O truly necessary sin of Adam, which the death of Christ has blotted out! O happy fault that merited such and so great a Redeemer! O truly blessed night! which alone deserved to know the time and hour when Christ rose again from hell. This is the night of which it is written: And the night shall be as light as day; and the night shineth upon me in my pleasures. Therefore the sanctification of this night blots out crimes, washes away sins, and restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to the sorrowful. It banishes enmities, produces concord, and humbles empires. Therefore, on this sacred night, receive, O holy Father! the evening sacrifice of this incense, which thy holy Church, by the hands of her ministers, presents to thee in this solemn oblation of this wax candle, made out of the labor of bees. And now we know the excellence of this pillar, which the sparkling fire lights for the honor of God. Which fire, though now divided, suffers no loss from the communication of its light. Because it is fed by the melted wax, produced by the bee, to make this taper. O truly blessed night! which plundered the Egyptians, and enriched the Hebrews. A night in which heaven is united to earth, and God to man. We beseech thee, therefore, O Lord! that this candle, consecrated to the honor of thy name, may continue burning to dissipate the darkness of this night; and being accepted as a sweet odor, may be united with the celestial lights. Let the morning-star find it burning. That morning-star, I mean, which never sets. Which, being returned from hell, shone with brightness on mankind. We beseech thee, therefore, O Lord! to grant us peace during this paschal solemnity, and with thy constant protection to rule, govern, and preserve us, thy servants, all the Clergy, and the devout Laity, together with our Holy Father, Pope N.; and our Bishop, N.; through the same Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God, for ever and ever. R. Amen.