EASTER VIGIL
30 MARCH 2024
Very early
when the sun had risen on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and Salome come to the tomb to complete the anointing of the
dead body of Jesus. Those same three
women had stood at the foot of the cross on that dark day before the Sabbath
and witnessed the death of the one they loved.
But when they arrive at the tomb, they find that the stone had been
moved away. The tomb is empty. A man dressed in white announces that the one
whose crucifixion they had witnessed has been raised from the dead. They are to go to Galilee to tell the
disciples and Peter. The risen Lord will
go before them.
This is the
eighth day of a new creation. In their
journey to Galilee, they will encounter the risen Lord. In that encounter, they will become convinced
that he had been raised from the dead. Their
lives and the life of the entire world has been changed. We are here tonight, because these women and
the other disciples were credible witnesses.
Death is not the end for Jesus Christ.
They told the truth. It was not
fake news.
Gathered
here in this Great Vigil, we are about to encounter his risen presence in the
Sacramental life of the Church. The Lord
has just spoken to us in his Word (actually in lots of words!). We now call forward the Elect. They will encounter the risen Lord when they
enter into the watery tomb. They will be
raised completely one with him in the Sacrament of Baptism. Along with those who will be received into
full Communion, they will be sealed by
the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation. Then they and all of us will encounter his
real presence in the Eucharist – in bread transformed into his Body and Wine
transformed into his blood.
Those
earliest witnesses were correct. Death
is not the end. He’s been raised from
the dead and promises that we will share in his rising every time we share in
his dying!
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