A Prayer for Easter Light

This is the night
of which it is written:
The night shall be as bright as day,
dazzling is the night for me,
and full of gladness.

The sanctifying power of this night
dispels wickedness, washes faults away,
restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners,
drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.
On this, your night of grace, O holy Father,
accept this candle, a solemn offering,
the work of bees and of your servants’ hands,
an evening sacrifice of praise,
this gift from your most holy Church.

—Excerpt from The Exsultet: The Proclamation of Easter

As we begin our Easter celebration, let us look to the Paschal candle, the Light of Christ, and be reminded that the light we share is never diminished.

The world teaches us that if we give ourselves away in support of another or in caring for those in need, the less we’ll have for our own needs. The Easter story, the story of pure love, sheds light onto a different understanding.

In sharing of the Easter light among so many candles, we do not see a diminishment of the light; rather we see the light grow and multiply. The more we share or pass on the light, the brighter it grows. Let us carry that reminder into the Easter season and become people willing to make our world a brighter place.