Homily Points

Vigil of Holy Saturday

General. The liturgy of the Easter Vigil commences with the Blessing of the Paschal Candle, which is a symbol of Jesus Christ, light of the world. The wax of the Candle reminds us of his body given up for us, the wick reminds us of his soul and the flaming fire of his divinity. This contrast between Light and Darkmess used to be attributed great significance in the early Church. We enter the place where the liturgy is about to take place so that we might remember our internal bareness and the disgust of our own selves which sin causes within us. Yet soon enough we will see the flaming light rising out of a burning wick, all so symbolic of Jesus Christ who arose from among the dead like the rising sun at dawn, entering our lives and opening our eyes to the true light.

1^st Reading – Genesis 1. This Reading is the Beginning of the Book of Genesis. From the very beginning God created man in his own image and wanted him to be so even during his life. By falling in sin, man lost this resemblance to his Creator, amd since God always willed good things for man, He sent His only Son as Saviour to obtain man’s freedom from the snares of death which surround him.

2^nd Reading – Genesis 22. Abraham obeys a bidding coming from God and climbs a mount in the land of Moriah so that there he might sagrifice his son Isaac who was so belated in coming into the world. This was yet another leap in faith for Abraham, and since he showed that he again willed fulfilling God’s will, God responded by raising his son from near death and restored him to his father. So do we also die with Christ in Baptism and rise again with him back to the real life which only the Father knows how to give.

3^rd Reading – Exodus. The Jews who had escaped from under the clutches of the Pharoah were a prefigurement of the Christians who find Jesus Christ as their Moses. God takes out the Jews from the land of Egypt with a raised arm (a sign of strength) in the same manner as He acts with the man whom He takes out from under the clutch of sin and evil and passes him through the waters which give abundant salvific grace in Baptism.

4^th Reading – Isaiah 54. Notwithstanding the exile of the Jews into Babel, God was still faithful and loving towards them until they converted to Him. For whosoever receives the Spirit of Jesus Christ inside him, he will always harbour the hope that God will not be leaving him alone but that He will draw him back into His Church, Jerusalem built anew.

5^th Reading – Isaiah 55. God wants to make a new Pact with humanity if only man listens and submits himself to Him. The invitation is always present for the eschatological feast which we celebrate in the Eucharist as a memorial of the Pact which God made with us when we were sinners and which He sealed with His own blood.

6^th Reading – Baruch. The Wisdom of God here appears to be teaching us the true values of life, the greatness of God and of His Commandments. This Wisdom has appeared to us in His Son Jesus, the Light of the Father, that whosoever keeps will live unto life everlasting.

7^th Reading – Ezechiel. Ezechiel foretells that although man has turned against God’s Will for him and denied His Holy Name in the midst of a pagan world with his lack of faith, God is constantly calling him back so that he might be purified from the idolatory which took over the world’s mind. This purification man can achieve through the sacrament of Baptism.

St Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. This is a shortened but full catechesis of the true meaning of Baptism for the Christian. It means absolute death to sin and our raising to life with Christ. It is for this reason that in our victory with Jesus Christ through his raising from the dead, we shall now consider ourselves as dead once for all to sin and open to a new and everlasting life in Christ.

Gospel – St Mark. The oil and myrrh-bearing women who were on their way to anoint Jesus in full burial rites were entertaining doubts as to who was to roll aside the rock covering the tomb’s entrance. Each one of us has a huge rock of sin sealing one’s tomb of death and it is only Jesus who is able to move it aside for anyone who seeks him through the sacraments and asks him for the glory of resurrection with him.

Homilies Index Page - Liturgy of the Hours - Home