The word Great is scattered in spots through the Prayer Book. It occurs more than once, but not often. And it always designates something singular, singularly great.
There’s the Great Litany. There are other litanies, but only one Great Litany. The Great Thanksgiving is the climactic prayer of thanksgiving and consecration in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The Great Amen, the only Amen in both italics and capital letters, concludes the Great Thanksgiving. And there’s the Great Vigil of Easter. There is only one Great Vigil. The Great Vigil of Easter.
I got to thinking about the word vigil and what it means. At least in the dictionary it does not mean exactly what I thought. I think of a vigil or keeping vigil as waiting, prayerful waiting, for a definite end. Prayerful waiting, for example, for death or dawn. We keep vigil by a deathbed. We keep vigil this night awaiting the Easter dawn.
But I like the dictionary definitions. There are two: (1) purposeful sleeplessness, or (2) watchful attention.
Purposeful sleeplessness. That fits with the many candlelight vigils that arise in our culture in times of tragedy. Keeping awake at night to remember, to pray, to show support. This meaning fits with religious vigils as well. They are always on the eve of a holy day. Keep awake and prayer and preparation for the day that lies ahead.
The original Great Vigil of Easter was indeed full of purpose. In the early centuries of the Christian Church, the Easter Vigil was an all-night service that included the final acts of preparation for baptism for new converts to Christianity. There were readings and anointings and exorcisms with the purpose of preparing candidates for baptism at dawn.
Watchful attention. We have much to watch for this night. Listen again to the words of the ancient prayer, the Exsultet. It tells us what to watch for.
This is the night when God brought our ancestors, the children of Israel, out of bondage. This is the night! Watch for it!
This is the night when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin and are restored to grace and holiness.
This is the night when Christ broke the bonds of death and hell and rose victorious from the grave.
How blessed is this night, when earth and heave are joined and we are reconciled to God. This night!
We are not the only ones who keep vigil. And as wonderful as this vigil is, on the whole I’m not sure we’re very good at vigils. Purposeful sleeplessness doesn’t come easy. Even the disciples couldn’t keep vigil with Jesus on his last night. Our hopes and intentions outstrip our abilities.
But God does not share our human frailties. And God keeps vigil, too. This night reminds us that God keeps vigil over our lives. God’s eternal purposeful sleeplessness and watchful attention guard our lives. Purposeful sleeplessness and watchful attention on our behalf.
Listen to Psalm 121.
I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let our foot be moved
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
The Lord himself watches over you;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
So that the sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
it is he who shall keep you safe.
The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in,
from this time forth for evermore.
A candlelight vigil. This Paschal candle, the light of Christ that cannot be extinguished, is a symbol of God’s watchful care over all of our lives. A Great Vigil indeed.
