My dear brothers and sisters, we have come to the climax of our Holy Week celebrations! Tonight, the whole Catholic Church, from east to west, from north to south, cries our with one voice: “Allelluia, the Lord is risen, alleluia.” The Easter Vigil is the most beautiful, the most powerful, liturgy we have in the Church. It is a liturgy so rich in symbolisms and meaning, and perhaps it will be good if I will explain a bit the movement, the rhythm of our liturgy this evening.
As announced at the start of tonight’s celebrations, our liturgy is composed of four parts: the service or liturgy of the light, the liturgy of the word, the liturgy of baptism, the liturgy of the Eucharist.
Kanina po we started our celebrations in the midst of total darkness. Then we lighted the Paschal candle, the symbol of the risen Christ who is forever the light of the world. The light emanating from the paschal candle slowly lighted, led and guided our way as we enter the Church. Then, we slowly pass on the light coming from the paschal candle to one another, and as we did, we slowly, yet surely lighted with our individual candles this whole assembly. With the lighted candles we held in our hands, we could see our way in the dark, we could recognize one another and brothers and sisters in the dark. Two things came to my mind: 1) the light of Christ will always bring us to the Church, not away from it; 2) if we all carry the light of Christ in our lives, then we can really enlighten the darkness of this world.
Then we moved on to the liturgy of the word, and we recalled how God, out of love created us in his image and likeness. From the very beginning, we were called to reflect the face of God in our lives. We also recalled how God saved his people Israel from slavery and led them to the promised land. Finally, the readings showed us that what we are celebrating tonight, namely, the Lord’s resurrection and the redemption He won for us, was not just an accident of history. It was patiently planned, prepared by God himself, He who is the Lord of history, for thousands of years. Pinaghandaan ng Diyos itong lahat na ito sa mahabang panahon. Ganyan po tayo kamahal ng Panginoon.
Then in the third part of our liturgy tonight, we will bless the waters of baptism. The waters of baptism wash away our sins. It is in baptism that we participate in the redemption won for us by Jesus and in the promise of eternal life. In baptism, we are crafted into Christ and in the Church, the community of the redeemed. In baptism, we begin to live our new life in Christ, who is the light of the world. And tonight we will witness the baptism and confirmation of a person who has decided to join us in our Catholic faith and to be one of us. Tonight we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. In the baptism of Hazel, we see the fruits of the resurrection at work in, applied to, in a life of a person, whose life has been touched by the Christ who is our light and who has decided to follow that light. Afterwards, we too will renew our baptismal commitments to Jesus.
Then finally, we moved on the liturgy of the eucharist which is living testimony of God’s total self-giving to us and the pledge of the resurrection that awaits all of us who remain faithful to our new life in Christ. The Eucharist that sustains us spiritually as we go though the trials and difficulties of life, the eucharist that enlightens our paths though the darkness of this world, the eucharist – that spiritual food - that sustains married couples in their commitment to one another and their families. Empowered by the eucharist, married couples will later renew their marriage vows to one another.
Brothers and sisters, at the end of our celebration tonight, let us remember to carry the light of Christ always. Let us bring home that light when we go back home tonight, and let the light of Christ truly be the center of our lives.
Happy easter to one and all! May the peace of Jesus truly reign in your hearts. Amen.
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