Easter Vigil , March 22, 2008

Scripture: Selections from a total of nine readings are given that are the
same each year except for the Gospel. This year, the year of Matthew, the
Resurrection of Matthew is our Gospel: Matthew 28;1-10. Lectionary # 42.

The lectionary prefaces the readings for this evening with the following: "
Nine readings are assigned to the Easter Vigil: seven from the Old
Testament and two from the New." These readings enable us to travel
through the salvation history of all humankind and lead us to the Person of
Jesus Christ who is considered for us Christians the Redeemer and
Resurrected Lord, the Son of God. He is at the center of time and his life
is able to look back to the beginning of human life and point also to the
end of that life in individuals and for the ultimate endtime of human
history. We focus in the Gospel on the greatest of events in this sacred
Person's life, his resurrection. A beautiful Paschal Candle is the symbol
for this evening and Jesus is proclaimed as the Light of the world whose
brightness no darknes can extinguish. The new year of redemption is
inscribed on this candle and all other candles are lit from this symbol for
Christ the Risen Lord. The procession then begins and leads into the
celebration of the Eucharist and the initiation through Baptism of this
year's candidates. The great melodious hymn called the Exsultet rings out
the message of the readings by retelling our salvation story in song.
Adam's failure is called a "Happy Fault" for it lead to the Incarnation and
the Redemption. This evening will be recalled through the fifty days of
unbounded joy of the Easter Season. St. John Chyrsostom will tell us that
no Christian should be sad or discouraged during this season of joy, peace,
and hope because Jesus is risen from the dead. In Romans Paul tells us
that we were baptized into Christ into his death, but through his
resurrection we now live a new life. "In the same way, you must consider
yourselves dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:11).
Matthew's narrative shows us the two Mary's ( Magdalene and the other Mary)
astonished by the appearance of the Resurrected Jesus who greets them with
peace! They become the proclaimers of the Good News that Jesus is risen
and will appear in Galilee. He tells them, "Do not be afraid! Go and carry
the news to my brothers that they are to go to Galilee, where they will see
me." (Matthew 28:10). Benedict T. Viviano has this to say about the witness
of these two Marys: "The women become apostles to the apostles, and their
testimony precisely because discountable in rabbinic law, becomes
historically credible." ( New Jerome Biblical Commentary, p.673). Amen.