Tag: Holy Saturday

“He has been raised.” | Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

From the responsorial psalm: “The right hand of the LORD has struck with power; the right hand of the LORD is exalted. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”

All of the readings for the Easter Vigil can be found on The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041925.cfm

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Lk 24:1-12).

They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.”

Each of the seven readings of the Easter Vigil recount aspects of salvation history, touching on creation, God’s covenant with Abraham, the Exodus, and the promises of salvation that came from the lips of the prophets. In seven days, God carried out his plan of creation. In the epistle and Gospel reading, we see the fulfillment of God’s plan in the person of Jesus Christ, his Son. The Easter Vigil is the culmination of the Paschal Triduum and the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, we are witnesses to this moment that breaks through all of salvation history into the present moment: the tomb is empty. In dying with Christ through baptism, we rise to new life. “For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,” Saint Paul says, “we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.” According to his Father’s plan, Jesus destroys death forever and reconciles us, his Easter people, to God in his saving love and the hope of the resurrection.

God, help me fully take in the profound meaning of the Easter Vigil. With Mary Magdalene and the first witnesses of the resurrection, let me come to find the empty tomb and stand in awe and holy fear as I puzzle over it. In amazement at the mystery of the risen Christ, with Mary, the other women, and Peter, let me be astonished at what was at first believed to be nonsense, that what you promised is divine truth fulfilled. Throughout all of salvation history that led to his incarnation, your faithful plan was to bring us back to you through your Son’s death and resurrection. “You shall be my people,” you say through Isaiah, “and I will be your God.” Just as you created the world at the beginning of time, in the light of Christ a new creation dawns on Easter morning that breaks through the darkness of the empty tomb. Christ is risen! He is indeed risen!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Holy Saturday—Easter Vigil

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. . . . And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. . . . 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. . . .” Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Today’s Gospel for the Easter Vigil Mass tells how Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb of Jesus on the first day of the week and find that it is empty. An angel tells them that Jesus has risen from the dead, and that they should go and tell his disciples. Fearful yet overjoyed, they run to announce this to his disciples and meet Jesus on the way. In telling them not to be afraid and to go to Galilee, Jesus reveals that he will appear to them there. At this moment, Jesus confirms his divinity to the women and soon will do the same to the disciples. Through his resurrection, Jesus destroys death, offering salvation to all who believe in him. An unending source of joy and hope, the risen Christ brings to everybody as the firstfruits life in the new covenant based love and mercy and salvation for all.

God, just as the women came to see the tomb, I come to you today expecting nothing extraordinary to happen. A life lived in routines—even the best routines—leads to ordinary ends. It leaves little room for awe. Yet, as they arrived, the two Marys experienced an earthquake, an angel descending from heaven, Roman guards paralyzed with fear, a stone rolled back, and the voice of the angel saying, “Do not be afraid. I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.” Your angels, Lord, must know all about ordinary expectations. Rituals sustain us through all of life’s passages. We expect that a man who has died stays dead and that when visiting a tomb, we will find him there. But then the angel then invites them to see the place where Jesus lay, but the dead man is gone. God, help me today to put my well-worn, routine expectations to death in the pitch-black tomb where Jesus lay. Grant me the great gift of faith to expect that from the ordinary, you ignite the world with—wonder of wonders!—the extraordinary hope of life lived in your love.

From the responsorial psalm: “The right hand of the LORD has struck with power; the right hand of the LORD is exalted. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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