Homily for the Easter Vigil

This is the most blessed and most joyful night

of the year as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.
We are so accustomed to hearing of Jesus risen
from the dead that we could say, “Oh yea…we
know all about it” and miss the grace of entering
fully into this celebration. But think about it,
Jesus rose from the dead! Death is not the end. It
is only the door to beyond. We do not want the
resurrection of Jesus to have to fight for room in
our lives; may Jesus’ death and resurrection be
the center of our lives. We began our celebration
tonight with a service of light, which symbolized
Jesus rising from the dead, and bringing light to
all of us. The light of Christ has shone in the
world scattering darkness forever. We had been
waiting for this moment for thousands of years.
We heard in the readings tonight an account of
the creation of man and woman (first reading)
and the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt
(third reading). This was in God’s plan for
mankind, but the highpoint in God’s plan for us
was the resurrection which is why tonight is the
greatest celebration of the Church. This night is
the most blessed of all as we heard in the
Exsultet, the Easter Proclamation. Jesus’
resurrection reminds us that there is life beyond
the grave. Jesus’ resurrection reminds us that
there is more to each of us than meets the eye,
that we have an immortal soul. We will live
forever with God.
 What is the purpose of life? What is your goal
in life? Where is your heart in life? Life has only
one ultimate goal, to prepare for the next life,
and if you are not preparing for your own
resurrection, you are like a train that has
become derailed. What happens to a train that
gets derailed? It goes nowhere. Can you take
your house to heaven with you? Can you take
your car to heaven with you? Can you take your
bank account to heaven with you? It would be
good to use some of your money for the spread
of the Gospel. Do you pray to God every day? I
cannot understand anyone who says they believe
in God but do not pray every day. It is a
contradiction to say that you believe in God if
you do not pray.
Think of the glorious future that awaits each of
us. In the letter to the Romans which we heard
tonight Paul wrote that we will imitate Christ in
his resurrection (Rom 6:5). Paul wrote to the
Philippians, “For us, our homeland is in heaven,
and from heaven comes the Savior we are
waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will
transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into
copies of his glorious body.” (Phil 3:20) Just think
of it, your body will be transformed to become a
glorious body like that of Jesus. Do we live like
someone who believes in such a glorious future?
When we do, everything in this world takes on a
new perspective, so that we do not become
possessed by our possessions. And since we are
promised to be transfigured like the risen Jesus,
it is natural to pray for a substantial amount of
time every day. It would be a contradiction to say
that we believe in God but not pray. The reason
we have so many problems is because we don’t
pray enough. Pray, pray, pray. Again, what is life
all about? “Our homeland is in heaven, and from
heaven comes the Savior we are waiting for, the
Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these
wretched bodies of ours into copies of his
glorious body.” John, in his first letter, says
something similar, “My dear people, we are
already children of God, but what we are to be in
the future has not yet been revealed; all we know
is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.” (1 John
3:2) Our second reading at Mass tomorrow
concludes, “But when Christ is revealed—and he
is your life—you too will be revealed in all your
glory with him.” (Col 3:4)
Why can we expect such a glorious future?
Because we are baptized. That is why baptism is
so important. When we are baptized, we are
adopted by God as his very own sons and
daughters. In the same letter John says, “Think
of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by
letting us be called God’s children; and that is
what we are.” (1 John 3:1) You were adopted by
God as his son or daughter on the day you were
baptized. So, it would be crazy to get so caught
up in the things of this world and not have time
to pray? On the day you were baptized you were
born again and became a son or daughter of
God.
In our New Testament reading tonight, we
heard Paul tell the Romans that when we were
baptized, we left behind our old life. We entered
the tomb with Jesus and rose again to new life.
(Rom 6:3-4) When we were baptized, we took on
a new life with Christ because we became sons
and daughters of God.
The three women in the Gospel came to the
tomb wondering who would roll away the stone
for them (Year B, Mark 16:1-3). Perhaps they
hoped the soldiers keeping guard would roll it
away for them to allow them anoint Jesus’ body.
But when they got there, the stone was already
rolled away. Have you allowed a stone to prevent
you from meeting the risen Jesus? Have you
allowed the stone of becoming engrossed in what
you have and own and what others have and own
to be a stone to block your way to Jesus? You
were adopted as God’s son or daughter on the
day you were baptized. If you are not living like a
son or daughter of God roll away the stone. If
you are not happy, that is a sure sign that the
stone needs to be rolled away in your life. If we
knew the risen Jesus, we would have such joy in
our hearts that nothing else could give us. Think
of the total change that occurred in Paul’s life
after he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. We
must roll away the stone for that. Once again,
this is the beautiful invitation from God in the
fifth Old Testament reading tonight,
 Thus says the Lord:
Oh, come to the water all you who are
thirsty;
Though you have no money, come!
Buy corn without money, and eat,
And, at no cost, wine and milk.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
Your wages on what fails to satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and you will have good
things to eat
And rich food to enjoy;
Pay attention, come to me;
Listen, and your soul will live. (Isa 55:1-3)
God has adopted you as his son or daughter.
Thank God for this most wonderful privilege. Roll
away the stone to accept God’s invitation in our
fifth Old Testament reading tonight, and meet
Jesus:
Thus says the Lord:
Oh, come to the water all you who are
thirsty;
Though you have no money, come!
Buy corn without money, and eat,
And, at no cost, wine and milk.
Why spend money on what is not bread,
Your wages on what fails to satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and you will have good
things to eat
And rich food to enjoy;
Pay attention, come to me;
Listen, and your soul will live. (Isa 55:1-3)
 Homily for the Easter Vigil

Christ is Risen! What joy we have tonight as

celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection. This is the most
blessed night of the year and the most blessed
celebration of the year. The joy of this night is
captured by the Exsultet, the Easter
Proclamation sung just after we took our places
following processing in from the Easter fire. It
keeps reminding us of the blessedness of the
night when Christ rose.
This is the night when Christians
everywhere…are restored to grace…
This is the night when Jesus Christ broke
the chains of death…
Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God
to see Christ rising from the dead.
The Hebrews were spared when the blood of the
Passover lamb was sprinkled on their homes but
that was only preparing for Christ the true
Passover Lamb who ransomed us with his blood
and whose blood consecrates our homes. The sin
of Adam was a happy fault because it gained for
us Christ our redeemer,
O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a redeemer…
Of this night Scripture says:
 The night will be as clear as day.
We heard a selection of beautiful readings from
the Old Testament highlighting God’s saving
work for our Jewish spiritual ancestors. In the
first reading (Gen 1:1-2:2), we heard of God
creating the world and creating everything in it
good, and creating mankind as the climax of all
his creation because only mankind was made in
the image of God. Genesis says God began
creating on the first day of the week. That was
preparing for a still more wonderful new
creation also on the first day of the week when
the women went to Jesus’ tomb and were told by
the angel that Jesus had risen. God creating the
world and everything in it was a wonder, but
recreating us again or redeeming us on the first
day of the week through Christ is even more
wonderful.
We heard an account of the Hebrews escaping
from slavery in Egypt (Ex 14:15-15:1). God saved
them from slavery and oppression, and brought
them to a new land. That was preparing for an
even greater work of salvation which God did for
us in Christ and which we gain through baptism.
The exodus through the sea and escape from
slavery prepared for our exodus from original sin
through baptism. The Hebrews wandered for
forty years in the desert and finally entered
Canaan. We wander in this life for many years
and then hope to enter the Promised Land of
Heaven. What God did for the Hebrews was
wonderful but what God does for us in Christ
which we gain by baptism is still more
wonderful.
We heard from the prophet Isaiah that God
offered good things free of charge and promised
to renew the covenant made with David (Isa
55:1-11). Jesus is the Son of David who made the
New Covenant with us which was promised a
number of times by the later prophets of the Old
Testament. With joy we draw the waters of grace
and salvation from the Jesus’ well in baptism and
all the sacraments.
The New Testament reading from St. Paul’s
letter to the Romans explains the grace we
receive in baptism. We are completely changed.
Paul says when we were baptized, we went into
the tomb with Jesus joining him in death and
rose out of the tomb with him. In other words,
when we were baptized we live a new life with
Jesus. Paul urges that we consider ourselves
dead to sin but alive for Christ. Therefore, on
this most blessed night, we will resolve once
more to leave sin behind and live in the grace of
Christ as we will renew our baptismal promises
soon. We will renew our baptismal promises
holding our candles lit from the Paschal Candle
which in turn was lit from the Easter fire, a
symbol of Christ risen. You heard me tracing the
first and last letters of the Greek alphabet on the
Paschal Candle, Alpha and Omega. That is a way
of saying that Christ is the first and last and
everything in between in our lives. Christ is
everything for us. You also heard me praying
while inserting the five grains of incense in the
candle symbolizing the five wounds of Jesus.
When you were baptized, the Paschal Candle was
lighting beside you symbolizing Christ standing
beside you, and tonight once again we will renew
our baptismal promises with our candles lit from
the Paschal Candle.
Our last reading tonight was the Gospel. The
women went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body
since they did not have enough time to do it
properly on Friday evening before the Sabbath
began at sundown. The angel instructed the
women to give a message to the disciples: Jesus
has risen. The apostles and disciples saw Christ
risen many times after this. Beginning tomorrow
Easter Sunday, the first reading for every
Sunday and daily Mass until Pentecost will be
taken from the Acts of the Apostles. That book
makes it clear that after Jesus rose and ascended
to heaven he was still with the Church. Jesus
continued to be with the Church and to guide it
from heaven. When you suffer, remember that
Christ is present. Christ is just as present with us
tonight as he was in the early Church. The two
disciples on the road to Emmaus learned that
Christ is present when the Scriptures are read
and proclaimed and when bread is broken and
shared. During the Last Supper Jesus said, “Do
this in memory of me.” Christ continues to be
present with us when we gather to listen to the
Scriptures and break and share bread as he
commanded during the Last Supper. When you
want to meet Jesus now, he is present with us
during every Mass as on the road to Emmaus
when the Scriptures are proclaimed and
explained, and bread is broken and shared.
When you feel like you are on the cross with
Christ, remember that since his resurrection
Christ is present everywhere. Christ is Risen!
This is the night when Christians
everywhere…are restored to grace…
This is the night when Jesus Christ broke
the chains of death…
Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God
to see Christ rising from the dead…
O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
Which gained for us so great a redeemer…
Of this night Scripture says:
The night will be as clear as day.

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