Easter Sunday Vigil - April 23, 2011: He Is Risen!

Click Here for the Mass Readings for the Easter Vigil - April 23, 2011:
Click Here for the Mass Readings for Easter Sunday - April 24, 2011:

"Then the angel said to the women in reply, 'Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.'"  (Mt 28:5-6)

The Easter Vigil is known as the "mother of all vigils", and stands as "the greatest and most noble of all solemnities" in the Church.  On this holy night the Church embraces all of salvation history, past, present, and future: she recalls the great salvific works and promises of God in the Old Testament; she celebrates the resurrection of Christ who is now present with us in the sacraments; and, looking to the future, she keeps vigil for the return of her Risen Lord.  This is important for us as disciples, because often times we forget that we are intimately involved in the drama of salvation history and that our salvation is still being worked out (Philippians 2:12).

In this evening's post, I would like to connect, ever so briefly, the six Old Testament readings proclaimed during the Easter Vigil to the resurrection of Christ.  Within each Old Testament reading lies a "quality" or characteristic of Jesus' paschal mystery.  By looking at salvation history through the lens of the Lord's death and resurrection we can see how Jesus' resurrection illumines and transforms our present and our future.

(1) The first reading recounts the creation of the world by God - a world that was created good, but would fall subject to death and suffering due to sin. With Jesus' death and resurrection, however, God recreates and renews all of creation.  (2) In Issac we see Jesus bound and placed on the altar.  And while God preserved Abraham's son, He did not spare His own Son who, as "the sheep for the holocaust," took our place and became our redemption.  (3) In Moses we see a reflection of Jesus guiding His people out of slavery to sin and darkness into freedom and communion with the living God through the new Red Sea of His precious Blood.  (4) In the prophecies of Isaiah we see Jesus swear fidelity to His people as a faithful husband who never abandons His spouse, the Church; (5) and we see an image of Jesus nurturing and satiating His people, preparing for them the eternal banquet where they will feast on the Eucharist - the sign of the New and Everlasting Covenant. (6) Through the Book of Baruch, Jesus calls us to listen to His voice, abandoning the foolishness of the men of this world and learning true wisdom from His teachings. (7) Finally, with the prophecy of Ezechiel we see Jesus reveal His plan to gather all people to Him as the Good Shepherd.  He will purify them with the pure water of baptism, give them a new heart - opened on the cross for all - and place within them a new spirit - the Holy Spirit - so they can live in the freedom of the true children of God.

By looking at these Old Testament readings in the light of Jesus' death and resurrection, we discover the true significance of the salvific actions of God in history, and that Jesus' resurrection can illumine our history, our existence, our "today".  Not only is salvation history illumined by Jesus' resurrection, but we see the above "qualities" or characteristics (in bold) of Jesus' resurrection present in our personal lives.  It is the Risen and Living One who calls us today from the darkness of ignorance, of indifference, of fear, of sin, of shame, into the splendor of the truth that sets us free and leads us into a new life - the life of Jesus Christ Himself.  This is why the Church continues to proclaim with immeasurable joy that Jesus Christ is Risen!!  A happy and joy-filled Easter to you and your families!

(Photo of the "Christ Rising from the Tomb" courtesy of Dcn. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)