Lumen Christi
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Lumen Christi ( Latin ; "the light of Christ") is a call from the liturgy of the Easter vigil . The German version reads: Christ the Light .
Easter night
The call belongs to the light celebration at the beginning of the vigil of the Easter vigil . After the Easter fire has been blessed and the Easter candle has been prepared, the Easter candle is lit by the priest on the fire. Then the head of the service and the liturgical services move into the dark church with the Easter candle. During the procession to the chancel, the deacon , priest or cantor call Lumen Christi three times to raise the candle , which is answered by the community with Deo gratias (thank God!). The call is intoned one tone higher with each repetition. At the same time the church is illuminated by first lighting the altar candles with the fire of the Easter candle and then the liturgical services distribute the light to all the faithful who hold candles.
origin
The change call is rooted in the customs that accompanied the lighting of lights every evening in pre-Christian antiquity. Archaeological finds suggest that it appeared in Christian families during the time of the Old Church . An early medieval manuscript attests to it as an evening custom in Benedictine monasteries , when the light was brought in at nightfall. Thus, following on from the prologue of the Gospel of John ( John 1 : 1–18 EU ) and the light word of Jesus ( John 8:12 EU ), it is thanks for the redemption and confession of hope for the second coming of the Lord.
Web links
- Benjamin Leven: Easter Vigil: Where Does the Call Lumen Christi Come From ? (praxis-gottesdienst.net)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Odendall: The True Beauty of Religion in its Outward Constitution, or thorough explanation of the most noble ceremonies of the Catholic Church, both in and outside of worship. Odendall, 1799, p. 83 ( limited preview in Google book search).
- ↑ after B. Leven