Summary of comments of this office by Dom Schuster, in his work L'année liturgique.

The Introït is taken from Psalm 138, which celebrates in general the knowledge and the presence of God penetrating the most intimate recesses of our being. Nonetheless, the antiphon was adapted to the Easter solemnity: "I arose, and am still with Thee, alleluia: Thou hast laid Thine hand upon me, alleluia; Thy knowledge is become wonderful, alleluia, alleluia." The versicle is from Psalm 138: "Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me: Thou knowest my sitting down and my rising up."

The Gradual-respond is taken from the paschal Psalm 117: "This is the day which the Lord hath made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. Give praise unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever."

The Alleluia is inspired by the words of the Apostle Paul:

"Christ our Pasch is sacrificed." Jesus is said to be "our Pasch" because He has given Himself entirely to us.

The origin of the Sequence should probably be sought in Byzantium, where, by the intermediary of Greek monks, it came to the abbey of St. Gall in Switzerland. The very long neumes on the Alleluia, which are very difficult to execute, perturbed the Latin cantors; hence the monk Notker decided to replace all the vocalizations following the Alleluia by rhythmic texts to which the notes of the iubilus of the Alleluia could be adapted. Such is the origin of the sequence.

The Sequence for Easter is attributed to Wipon (d. 1050), chaplain at the court of the German emperors Conrad II and Henry III. The text given in the Missal is incomplete, because the entire fifth stanza has been omitted, leaving the very last one which should be paired with it alone. In Latin, the fifth strophe reads:

Credendum est magis soli, Mariae veraci; Quam iudeorum, Turbae fallaci. Scimus Christum surrexisse, a mortuis vere: Tu nobis victor Rex miserere.

Besides, the words præcedet suos of the original text were changed into præcedet vos, when the missal was revised at the time of Saint Pius V, probably because of a mistake in the transcription. The Amen and the Alleluia were added later on.

1. Forth to the paschal Victim, Christians bring Your sacrifice of praise:

2. The Lamb redeems the sheep; And Christ the sinless One

Hath to the Father sinners reconciled.

2a. Together, death and life

In a strange conflict strove.

The Prince of life, who died, now lives and reigns.

3. What thou sawest, Mary, say

As thou wentest on the way.

3a. Napkin and linen cloths,

And angels twain:

4. I saw the tomb wherein the living one had lain;

I saw His glory as He rose again;

4a. Yea, Christ is risen, my hope and He will go before you into Galilee.

5. ‘Tis better to believe only

In Mary's sincerity

Than in the lying toungues

Of Israel's mob.

5a. We know that Christ indeed

Has risen from the grave:

Hail, Thou King of Victory

Have mercy, Lord, and save.

The Sequence, like the hymnody of the Divine Office, introduces into the liturgy an extra-biblical poetical element of private inspiration, which is why Rome only admitted it rather late into its official books. In the ceremonial of the papal court of the 12th century, the sequence held an extra-liturgical place; it was executed during the clergy's meal in the triclinium.

The Easter sequence especially, introduced into the course of the Mass as a hymn before the Gospel, has lost much of its ancient, dramatic character, which endeared it to the people. In France, on Easter morning, it was sung in parts by groups representing the Apostles and Mary Magdalene, and the choir.

The verse of the Offertory is taken from Psalm 75: "The earth trembled and was still when God arose in judgment, alleluia."

The antiphon for the Communion comes from the text of St. Paul, already read in the Epistle of the day: "Christ our Pasch is immolated; therefore, let us feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."