EASTER VIGIL – YEAR C
(Romans 6:3-11; Psalm 118; Luke 24:1-12)
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Two symbols speak powerfully to us tonight: the Easter candle and the linen cloth.
The Easter, or Paschal candle, is a symbol of faith in the Risen Lord. It is a symbol of hope that darkness cannot overcome. It is also a symbol of love, giving of itself, as are the five wounds of Jesus.
The Paschal candle is also a symbol of a new creation (light) and a new Exodus (the pillar of fire). It will be used throughout the year for the sacraments of initiation, marriages, funerals, maybe someday for the ordination of a young man from our archdiocese to the priesthood.
The Gospel suggests to us a new creation (on the first day of the week, at the first sight of dawn, the women made their way to the tomb of Jesus). It is a new creation especially for the poor, the marginalized and the powerless, represented by the women who in another Gospel account, are wondering who would move the stone for them.
They arrive at the tomb only to find that the stone has been moved, so they can enter right into the tomb. They discover that the body of Jesus is not there. They see only two angels who tell them that Jesus is risen and remind them of what Jesus himself had predicted.
After they returned to tell the others, we are told that Peter ran to the tomb, went in and saw only the binding cloth but nothing else. His response was simply to be amazed at this sight of the empty tomb. He had not yet arrived at belief. He did not yet understand that the empty tomb, and the appearances of Jesus, meant new life through letting go of our sin and sinfulness, believing in the resurrection of Jesus, and rising ourselves with him to new life.
We are left to ponder what is our linen cloth that we should also leave in the empty tomb? We leave it in the tomb so that we also can rise to new life with Christ. Is it an addiction to a chemical, person or event like gambling? Could it be a common-law relationship that could be changed by marriage? Is it neglect of children due to inordinate time and energy spent on some secondary interest? Could it be extra-marital sex or watching pornography? Could it be gossip, or resentment, envy? We are invited to be humble and honest, to go into our empty tombs, and leave there, whatever our sin or sinfulness is, so as to rise to a new life of peace, joy, purpose and fulfilment in Christ.
As we renew our baptismal vows tonight – let us do so sincerely, with conviction, responding to God’s love for us in Christ Jesus, resolving to confess, to heal, to let go, to love as he loved us, to live in the reign of God that Jesus came to begin among us.
The Eucharist that we celebrate on this the greatest of all nights for us as Catholic Christians, is a sharing in the death of Christ on the Cross through receiving is Body and Blood, so that we can rise with him to a new life of peace, joy and inner freedom.
So tonight, let us allow those powerful Easter symbols of the Paschal Candle and the Linen Cloth lead us into a renewal process of forgiveness, conversion and new life in Christ, for he is truly risen indeed. Alleluia – alleluia. Amen.
