In so many ways, the anticipation of Easter Vigil, this Holy Saturday, is like Advent. We are in waiting for the light of Christ to burst forth from the darkness. Jesus is in the tomb, but as the fire of the Easter candle is lit around us tonight, and the bells ring with the singing of the ‘Gloria’, we will greet our Saviour.
But not just yet.
Soon.
Soon.
He will arise from the depths of the tomb.
And He will have vanquished death forever.
I love the Easter Vigil the most because as we stand in the darkness of the church, we gradually see the little candles lit before us, and they get brighter across the congregation, like a wave of life overtaking us. Like the birth of something new. Something amazing is coming.
Likewise in our lives, each person is a light, and we must long to follow the Source of this light – Jesus Christ.
Whatever suffering, darkness, sin, and hopelessness we may have been through in these last few weeks of Lent and throughout the Triduum, it all vanishes when we turn to Christ tonight. We have no reason to fear anything because of Him.
Christ. Conquers. Everything.
We put our trust in Him completely because He loves us so much and He is alive forever.
Tomorrow morning the sun will rise, and we will celebrate a glorious Easter Day. We will feast upon the Lord in the fullness of His light.
But tonight our priests will recite the solemn prayer before the blessing of the fire:
“…on this most sacred night, in which our Lord Jesus Christ passed over from death to life, the Church calls upon her sons and daughters, scattered throughout the world, to come together to watch and pray.
If we keep the memorial of the Lord’s paschal solemnity in this way, listening to his word and celebrating his mysteries, then we shall have the sure hope of sharing his triumph over death and living with him in God” – St Paul’s Sunday Missal, p. 266
We are waiting with the world as we watch Christ ‘pass over from death to life’. No matter where we are, we ‘watch and pray’, we ‘listen to his word’ and we have ‘hope of sharing his triumph’. We set aside all of our worries, pains, regrets, hurts, and sorrows, because His resurrection is a foretaste of what will happen to those who have gone before us, and to us.
Jesus is powerful tonight and forever.
Jesus displays His great promise of eternal love tonight and forever.
Let us allow Jesus to truly touch our hearts, minds, and souls tonight and forever.
His light is upon you now, and forever.
Amen.
Image Credit: turnbacktogod.com
Daughters of Divine Zeal Vocations 