Easter Vigil 30 March 2024

It is wonderful to be here to celebrate this vigil. As you know easter vigil is the vigil of all
vigils, the "Queen of Vigils,". It is the pre-eminent celebration of the entire Christian year.
We began this celebration outside, plunged in the darkness of the night. We came in with
the magnificent easter candle, and all of us holding our own candles, dispelling the darkness
of this night and Priest/ Deacon singing, Lumen Christi’ – the light of Christ.
It is a beautiful liturgy when those coming into the Catholic faith are baptized and
confirmed. The Alleluia and the singing of the Gloria return to the liturgy, and church bells
that have been silent through Lent ring joyfully.
There are very many symbolisms, gestures and postures, that are particularly special to this
day, and we get to do it only on this day, and on this night.
The dominant one is the easter candle which proclaims solemnly the risen Christ, bringing
new hope, new life and new energy, which will brighten the sanctuary and the church
coming fifty days until Pentecost, and which will also take central place during baptisms and
funerals.
Three times the priest/ deacon acclaimed Christ as our Light, each time more intense and
higher in pitch, to which we responded, "Thanks be to God!" The highpoint of the Service of
Light at the beginning of the Vigil was the Easter Proclamation.
We had new fire lit, new water blessed, new incense was used. This incense will be used to
honor the Paschal candle, the Book of Gospels, the altar and gifts, the cross, the celebrant
and people, and the Eucharist itself.
All these symbolisms, gestures, postures, songs, rituals and rubrics have no other purpose
than to express the atmosphere, sights and sounds of this great night. This night is great,
because this night alone was worthy to know the hour, time, and moment when Christ rose
from the underworld and from the dead. And you are here to experience that night, the
wonder of that moment, and the beauty of that hour. How privileged are we.

To give us the first hand experience and knowledge of that moment, hour, night or dawn, we
have three women, Mary of Magdala, Joanna and Mother of James in the Gospel.
They were we know distraught, downcast and devoid of all hope after the death of their
master. They walked with uncertain and weary steps. Their biggest challenge and question
was, ‘Who will roll away that big stone that covered the tomb of Jeuss”. But did we know
that these women did not run away like the disciples. They remained steadfast and resolute,
brave and unwavering. They were ready to face life and all challenges from the roman
soldiers, and beat all odds to come and anoint the dead body of Jesus.
Rightly so, they are here given the privilege of being the first witnesses of the resurrection as
other Gospel writers note. They are indeed apostles of the apostles. They become the first
evangelists. The stone which was a big challenge for them is gently rolled away.
In John, we have Jesus calling Mary of Magdala by name. How beautiful to think that the
first appearance of the Risen One took place in such a personal way!
It is indeed an assurance for all of us. If we seek the Lord sincerely, we will find him. We will
find him calling us by name, knowing us personally, walking along like a friend. How
beautiful to know that there is someone who knows us, someone who sees our suffering
and delusion, someone who is moved by us, and someone who calls us by name
This night therefore calls us to proclaim: the heartbeat of the Risen Lord, the fact that Christ
is alive! Christ is Risen.
Resurrection of Christ is what quickened the pace of Mary Magdalene and the other women.
That is what made them return in haste to tell the news (Mt 28:8). That is what made them
lay aside their mournful gait and sad looks. That is what made them to return to the city to
meet up with the others.
Now that, like the women in the Gospel, we have visited the tomb, we have seen the Lord,
the risen Lord, I ask you to go back with them to the city, to your homes. Let us all retrace
our steps and change the look on our faces. Let us go back with them to tell the news in all
those places where the grave seems to have the final word, where death seems the only
way. Let us go back to proclaim, to share, to reveal that it is true: the Lord is alive! He is living
and he wants to rise again in all those faces that have buried hope, buried dreams, buried
dignity.
Let us go, then. Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by this new dawn and by the newness
that Christ alone can give. May we allow his tenderness and his love to guide our steps. May
we allow the beating of his heart to quicken our faintness of heart.