EASTER VIGIL

EASTER VIGIL, 08 APRIL 2023 INDICATIVE: Light that is radiant and refulgent dispels the darkness that is stagnant and repugnant. Easter Night is the greatest night of victory 1. We heard in the betrayal story of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, it was night and Judas left the company of Jesus at the last supper table. That night symbolised darkness, the reign of Satan. But now the Easter Vigil is a night by contrast. It is no more a night of darkness, but a night where true and full light penetrates 2. Easter night is a night where the faith-people and faithful people “pass over” from slavery to freedom, from fear to assurance, from sorrow to joy, and from death to life. Easter Night celebrates Christ as our Light. Jesus dispelled the dark shadows of sin because he is the “Light of the world” 3. The greatest message and confirmation of Easter is that Jesus our Lord is a living God. He lives. He lives on. He is alive. The Lord who was crucified and died on the cross and was buried was not finished in the tomb, he had not disappeared into the layers of earth, he was not lost in the past, and he was not confined to history as a memory 4. He conquered death, he rose from the grave, he broke the chains of death, and he defeated the forces of Satan and evil. He reigns forever in heaven with power, and glory, as God without end, as eternal God While Easter night celebrates Christ as our Light, it also confirms our vocation as the children of Light. With The Resurrection of Christ, darkness no longer has a hold on us. We are lit, we are enlightened. We walk firmly on the road of Light. We live in the light, we do the works of light So, We are called to always keep the light on – the light of energy against weakness, the light of courage against discouragement, the light of trust against despair, the light of sincerity against falsehood, the light of integrity against hypocrisy, the light of sensitivity against indifference, the light of humility against pride, the light of optimism against pessimism, the light of forgiveness against resentment, the light of reconciliation against retaliation, the light of generosity against avarice, the light of goodness against evil, the light of grace against sin This is what the Word of God in Colossians 5. 8-11 reminds and exhorts us: “You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Behave as children of light; the fruits of light are kindness, justice, and truth in every form. You yourselves search out what pleases the Lord, and take no part in works of darkness that are no benefit; expose them instead” Very clearly we are told to keep away from all evil, which is darkness. We are to please the Lord, behaving as worthy children of God and light. Especially we must bear witness as Easter people by bearing abundant fruits of light in living a kind, just, and truthful life. That will be a real and excellent Easter. IMPERATIVE: The risen Lord will give us new strength. He raises our strength which is often dull and reduced. Let us allow him to ignite our drooping spirits and rejuvenate our fettered lives EASTER SUNDAY, 09 APRIL 2023 INDICATIVE: Our Lord risen is the Fount of Life. Death and evil have no sway over him. He is the conqueror and victor 1. Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ is the greatest testimony of Life. God is life, and our God is a “living” God, the Emmanuel, God-with-us. No power of Satan, no fetters of death, no forces of evil, no closure of tomb, can restrain him from rising, or separate him from living with us 2. He lives with us forever, because he is Life and ever alive. His rising assures and comforts us that sin and death have no power over him. Evil seems to have a loud and mocking laugh over good, but that is only short-lived. The Final smile is of God and of good 3. Thus the Easter Feast is truly a Victory Day. It is not something peripheral or superficial. It is not just God’s victory over Satan, not just Saviour’s victory over the Evil one, not just the Holy Spirit’s over the evil spirit. It is not a “personal score” that is settled between God and Evil. But something fundamental and foundational, crucial and essential 4. The victory of Easter involves the whole creation, the whole of humanity. It touches upon the whole life, the whole person, the whole destiny. It is a comprehensive and holistic victory. It is the victory of all of us. It is the victory of our faith 5. It is the victory of good over evil, of love over hate, of mercy over violence, of benevolence over condemnation, of humility over arrogance, of patience over fury, of altruism over egoism, of generosity over greed, of sharing over accumulation, of giving over grabbing, of detachment over clinging. 6. It is the victory of nobility over fragility, of forgiveness over revenge, of loyalty over disloyalty, of stability over instability, of conviction over compromise, of authenticity over duplicity, of integrity over guile, of truth over falsity, of the spiritual over the unspiritual, of the above over the below, of light over darkness, of life over death 7. Thus, in this victory of God’s life over the death imposed by evil, first of all, we have the greatest comfort and encouragement that God never leaves us. God who rose to life, will not allow any forces, any pressures that stifle and choke life, that diminish and destroy life 8. It is true that many times, in our society, in our times, in our lives, evil seems stronger than good. Wickedness and insincerity seem more advantageous, while goodness and honesty seem to be boring, tiring, and useless 9. In those situations, one can easily feel that entrusting oneself to God and dedicating oneself to good, is useless. One feels that it is better, safe, and advantageous to follow the world, to walk according to the wind, and to compromise with evil and false values 10. Precisely in those moments, we must turn our gaze onto the cross, and to the crucified Lord. The battle he made to the end, in confidence, courage, and perseverance, is never useless. Trust in good, and trust in God is never wasteful. The struggle of the good is only temporary 11. There is no defeat, there is no fall, and there is no loss, for those who trust in God and walk in good. The last victory is always of God, and good. Clouds will not be permanent in the sky but only for a while. The darkness will not be long forever but the light of the Lord shines. Good Friday, darkness, and pain are only for a few hours. But the glory, the joy of the resurrection is forever 12. Jesus asks Mary Magdalene weeping at his tomb, “Woman, why do you weep?” (Jn. 20.15). Yes, the same question is posed to each one of us, especially to those who feel down and let down, those who despair: “My brother, my sister, why do you weep? Why do you lose your heart? Am I not with you? Have I not walked the way of the cross before you and for you? Will I not walk with you now? Will I not wipe away your tears? I died for you and rose for you, to be with you forever. Trust me and live with me. Peace and joy shall be yours” 13. Let the risen Jesus constantly raise our fallen spirits toward heaven, toward what is high and lofty. Therefore we pray that the risen Christ constantly resurrects us, and raises our lowered spirits towards heaven, towards what is high and noble IMPERATIVE: Let us become “living temples” and not “empty tombs”! Let us constantly die to sin and rise up from our fallen state, rise up from our dissipation, and live to grace. Let our daily life be a daily resurrection giving us a foretaste of that final resurrection.