Homily for Easter Vigil

Dear brothers and sisters, on this most sacred night, we keep vigil in anticipation of the glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.” (Exsultet)
St. Pope John Paul II, described this night in this way, “A singular Vigil of a singular night. A vigil, the mother of all vigils, during which the whole Church waits at the tomb of the Messiah, sacrificed on the Cross. The Church waits and prays, listening again to Scriptures that retrace the whole of salvation history. But on this night, it is not night that dominates but the blinding brightness of a sudden light that breaks through with stalling news of the Lord’s Resurrection. Our waiting and prayer then become a song of joy.”
As Pope John Paul reminded us, on this night we listen again to Scriptures that retrace the whole of history. In our first reading, we hear the wonderful account of creation of the world and how God saw that everything was good. The good creation of God was to be soon distorted by the mystery of sin symbolized by darkness.
In our reading from Exodus, God with his powerful hands protected and brought out his chosen, the people of Israel safely from Egypt on their way to the promised land. God through his servant Isaiah invites us all to come to the water. Come, without paying and without cost…listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant. This prophecy is fulfilled in Christ, our living water, life and covenantal savior. The promise of the Lord God in the book of the prophet Ezekiel is to cleanse and give a new heart and place a new spirit within us is fulfilled through the resurrection of Christ. When they pierced his side, water and blood came out. St. Paul reminds us the whole truth of our faith: “We were indeed buried with him through baptism into his death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” (Rm 6:3-11)
That Christ is Risen is the Good News shared with the wonderful and privileged women who went to the tomb of Jesus. “I know that you are seeking for Jesus the Crucified, He is not here for he has been raised.” By his Resurrection, our Lord has destroyed sin and death and set us free. He has cast away the darkness of evil and filled us with his divine light symbolized by, (blessing of light and the Paschal candle).
Ours is a joyful waiting, “…sound aloud our mighty king’s triumph! Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal king, let all corners of the earth be glad, … Rejoice, let Mother Church also rejoice…” (The Easter Proclamation, Exsultet)