Night Vigil

Tonight's Easter Vigil starts with that fabulous ceremony of the "new fire" that will light the Paschal Candle. The Deacon will sing three times, "Lumen Christi" ("the light of Christ") and we will respond, "Deo Gratias!" ("thanks be to God").
The fire and the candle represent many things; my favorite is in the Exsultet, explaining that the candle is "a pillar of fire that dispels the darkness of this night," because it makes the Exodus-Easter connection so explicit. (Remember that the people were guided on their way out of Egypt by a cloud during the day, and a pillar of fire by night.) We will light our own candles with that fire to renew our baptismal promises (and the candles will be lit tonight for the newly baptized). Later in the evening, we will again invoke the fire, this time the fire of the Holy Spirit upon those who will be anointed in Confirmation. Jesus said, "I have come to cast fire upon the earth!" It is we who hold the torch.