ANAPHORA for the PASCHAL VIGIL LlTURGY

Il is meet and just, equitable and right, to praise Thee, here and everywhere, to hymn Thee, to bless Thee, to worship Thee, to give thanks unto Thee, to confess Thy mercies, ô Lord, Holy Father, God All-Mighty and eternal. For Thou art great, Thou Who accomplisheth admirable works and Thou art the only God. Thou art the Creator of the heavens. Thou hast built the foundations of the earth upon the waters. Thou art the Creator of the great luminaries, of the sun which regulatest the days, of the moon which regulatest the nights. The night is Thine for it is during the day that Thou hath sent Thy mercy, but by night that Thou hath manifested that mercy which we celebrate by holy vigils on this day when we celebrate that Light. Il is this night which belongs to Thy salvific mysteries, this night during which Thou bestoweth pardon to the simers and, after having transformed the old men into new, the aged into mature, Thou makest of them little children, those who are born anew, Thou introduceth in the new creation, thanks to that sacred Source. This night, those who are born anew into the eternal day are born in great numbers before all Thy people, the doors of the Kingdom are opened and, by the effect of this blessed decree, all that is human is transformed by the grace of a divine exchange. Il is this ineffable night which was given for our delight, this night which, by Thy work, Thou hast come with the great bounty of Thy love for us. During this night, the gates of Hades were opened, this night Adam was absolved, this night was found the long lost drachma, this night the Devil was cast down, the Sun of Justice, Christ, came forth, the multitudinous bodies of the Saints - "once untied the knots of Hell and broken the locks" - burst out of the tombs and entered into the Holy City. Oh truly blessed night, which alone has been worthy to know the time and hour of Christ's Resurrection, the hour already prophesied in the Psalms; for this night will be as bright as day. During this night Resurrection has been set up for all eternity; Thou, God All-Mighty, Whom the multitude of celestial creatures, and the choirs of innumerable angels acclaim without cease, saying: "Holy, Holy, Holy...