Apr 13 2023
Easter Vigil (Year A)
8 Apr 2023
Theme: The Risen Lord is our Light & Life
A. A Blessed and Grace-Filled Easter to all of you! We greet each other ‘Blessed Easter’ because we acknowledge that God has done (marvellous) wonderful things for us tonight or today, it is the Greatest Thing or Gift that you have ever received in life that is Eternal Life. The Church has chosen the readings tonight and tomorrow to tell us ‘All the wonderful things’ God has done for us, and He would continue to do for us now in His Words, the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist.
1. The first Reading (Genesis) tells us that God created man and woman in His own image and gave them dominion over the (whole world) earth, masters of the fish of the sea, birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth. But instead of living in the image of God, man rebelled against God – had chosen to move away from God.
i. (Men) They put their faith, hope and love upon themselves instead of trusting in God.
ii. They followed and worshipped false gods, abandoned the command of the God who created them.
iii. But Scripture tells us that the Second Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ did not rebel against God. Instead, He turned back to God, and put His faith and trust in the word of God.”
Note: Are we behaving like the first Adam or the second Adam? We find that, due to our human weaknesses, we often rebel against God, and turn away from Him like the first Adam, but God has given us especially tonight the second Adam to bring us back to Him, hence, we need to have a strong faith in God and Jesus Christ.
2. Second Reading (Genesis) tells us of the ‘Sacrifice of Abraham- our Father in Faith’. Why God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son since God had given this son to him in his old age? And Abraham obeyed and trusted in the plan of God. (The story of Abraham and Sarah…)
i. God said: ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac whom you love…’ It seems that God is asking Abraham: Who do you love more – I or your son Isaac?
ii. Abraham was a God-fearing man, but since the coming of his son Isaac, he had turned his focus or attention from God to his son Isaac. He was being tempted to love his only son Isaac more than God.
iii. God demands us to Love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and love others as you love yourself.
iv. Do we capable of loving God above all others? The Greatest Commandment.
Why? Because the way we love one another is not the way of God. We love each other conditionally but God loves unconditionally.
Note: And again, we find that, due to our human weaknesses, we often fail to live out the commandment of God. We are constantly being tempted; we fail to trust in God totally.
3. Today, the Church has given us the 3rd Reading (Exodus) to tell us that the Holy Spirit will destroy all our sins in the water of Baptism just as God destroyed the Egyptians in the water of the Red Sea! The Israelites were no match for the Egyptians – Pharaoh and his armies. But God would help them to destroy the Egyptians and save the Israelites. We are also no match for the Satan, devil; no match for sins and death, but God through His Holy Spirit will destroy our sins and death.
i. The Sacrament of Baptism: God washes away all our sins and gives us new life;
ii. The Sacrament of Reconciliation: God forgives all our sins.
iv. So, in the 4th Reading tonight: from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans to tell us that in the Sacrament of Baptism, the Holy Spirit will destroy all our sins and give us new life.
Open our heart to the Holy Spirit to conquer temptation.
1. After the Homily, our catechumen brothers & sisters will profess their Baptismal Faith, and they will be baptized and the Holy Spirit will descend upon them to forgive all their sins and give. them new life.
2. And for all of us who have been baptized, we will renew our Baptismal Promises, then we will be sprinkled with the Holy Water, and the Hymn – ‘Vidi aquam’ will be sang. ‘I saw water flowing from the Temple, from Its right-side, alleluia, and all to whom this water came were saved and shall say: Alleluia, alleluia.”
→This is because God has done wonderful things in our lives and He will continue to do it for us (even Now)
→Blessed and Wonderful Easter to all. Amen.
