Easter Vigil Homily by Father Joseph Tedesco
Easter Vigil Homily of 19th April 2019
John 24: 1 – 12
Christ is Risen, He is truly Risen. Happy Easter Everyone!
Well, how we all need Easter. We need this experience again and again of the new life Jesus our Christ, brings us. This eternal hope that happens to us and deepens in us in Christ, and gives us our life back. Our life that feels lost in the darkness of our world today. Wars, violence, hatred, the lack of civility in the country and among nations. All kinds of unrest in all parts of society.
It all sounds just like that first Easter morning. A time of confusion, the women arrived at an empty tomb, the disciples didn’t believe them. Confusion seems to reign right now in our world. And in truth the story of God with us in darkness and death, in joy and light is the truth we need to hold on too. To move us from the confusion around values we hold dear, into the truth of God in Christ and the new life he shows us to live. We need Jesus, we need hope and Easter tells us load and clear, that Jesus’ way is the way to life and eternal life and to the hope that exists in God.
The Risen Christ gives us meaning, dignity of all life, hope, and love, even in the midst of the challenges we face. We can take a deep breath now and know there is something more. Because here we are, touching the greatest event of all history, that changed everything. We only need to bring the life of Jesus to our world and we can celebrate and live the transformation of all humanity back to our original state – life with God in the Garden. That place of harmony and love, that place of acceptance for who we are, peace and fulfillment as God walks with us.
It’s really all we ever wanted. But humankind just looked in all the wrong places to find it, we looked to ourselves and not to God. We need Jesus, because we haven’t been able to get there without him. Jesus has given our life back to us and has shown how to hold onto it.
Always act out of love, God’s love manifested in being for others. Always asking ourselves, what can I do for others today? How can my life make a difference?
St. Paul, so eloquently tell us, we live for God in Christ Jesus. And the words of the angel to the women at the tomb, “Why are you seeking the living among the dead, he has been raised.” So, we are confronted with all the words that seem to be taking precedence in our world today that drown out the values of life and love, of generosity and openness, of compassion for all in need.
Tonight, we choose life, we choose values that proclaim life, the values of Jesus.
So, we ask ourselves how is God calling me now to new life and to embrace the Good News of Jesus Christ. In a moment we will touch again our baptismal life, the key reality of the Christian life journey. The initiation into Christ’s life. Our baptismal promises remind us of our true identity. Where death ultimately has no power over us. We have been raised up with Christ to the newness of life. Our whole life now is lived in the Risen Christ and his Spirit.
Let this truth deepen in our consciousness, in our very bones so that maybe we can really begin to live out of this sacred space all the time.
The story of Salvation continues in us. It did not stop with Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Christ event touches our lives and tells us who we are. And what our life is about, how we live.
Tonight gives us another glimpse into the whole truth of God. It means love always wins out in the end, trust in God always wins, Truth always wins with God. Because God is always with us.
We are a New Creation. We have a new vision, a renewed hope, we can bring this new life to our world longing for it, a world waiting for us, waiting for all those who belong to God to act.
Why, because Christ is Risen, He is truly Risen, He has Risen indeed.
