vested in purple, but now the Deacon puts on a white dalmatic, and takes into his hand a triple branched candle resting on a rod. The rod signifies Our Lord's passion, while the three branched candle signifies the Blessed Trinity. The procession returns to the Church, and the Deacon lights at the entrance one of the candles; then kneeling, as do also the clergy and people, he sings "Lumin Christi" The Light of Christ, and all answer Deo Gratias, Thanks be to God. This represents the revelation made to us by Jesus of the Divinity of the Father. Midway up the Church the deacon lights a second candle and the same ceremonies are observed. This second lighting signifies the reception of the knowledge of the Divinity of the Son. At the Altar steps the third candle is lighted and the same ceremonies observed signifying the revelation of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost.
The first use of the new fire then is to proclaim the Holy Trinity. It is next to publish the glory of the Incarnate Word by lighting its glorious symbol.
II.— The Paschal Candle.
The blessing of the Paschal Candle is the principal feature of this ceremonial. The Deacon after begging the blessing of the celebrant proceeds to the Gospel side of the Altar, and from the book of the Gospels sings the beautiful prayer in which the blessing takes place, a Chant attributed with some degree of probability to the great Saint Augustin. This Exultet beautifully joins the two-fold object of the ceremony, for while it prays that this candle may continue burning through the night to dispel its darkness, it speaks of it as a symbol of the Fiery Pillar, which led the Israelites from Egypt, and of Christ, ever true and never failing Light. The fourth Council of Toledo says, that this ceremony is a symbol of the re-animation of the body of Jesus, and five holes made in the candle in the figure of a Cross, represent the five principal wounds inflicted on our Victim.
