A World Transformed By The Resurrection Of Jesus

 

 There is no celebration like the liturgy we celebrate at the Easter Vigil. 

The Church pulls out all the stops- fire, candles, water, incense, extra readings, special songs. All of it is meant to capture the grandeur, the might and the joy of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

The evening starts with a darkened church. It is meant to symbolize the ignorance of sin and the hopelessness of a world without God. 

One candle enters the church giving a small glimmer of hope. And, finally, as we light our individual candles from the Easter candle, the whole church is flooded with light. Christ's resurrection has scattered the darkness of ignorance, of fear and of sin. We no longer have to grope around in the darkness not knowing where to find meaning or truth or love. 

There is now no doubt. In the light of His resurrection, we have found our meaning, our truth and our love in Christ.

 How do we tap into the power of Jesus' resurrection so that His new life can be real and active in our lives?

 It is already ours through our baptism. 

Our baptism seals us with the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise of the gift of faith.

 Like most elements of our faith, baptism has its roots in the experience of the people of Israel. To escape slavery in Egypt, God parted the Red Sea for his People. And, after forty years in the desert, the people of Israel crossed the Jordan River to enter the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey. The waters, then, came to symbolize the passage from enslavement to new life in the promised land. John the Baptist chose the Jordan River and the symbol of baptism as a means of preparing the way for the coming of Jesus. Jesus himself chose to undergo John's baptism and commanded his disciples to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

The faith, the new life and the power of Jesus' resurrection are ours 2000 years later because of baptism.

Most of us were babies when we were baptized. Our parents and godparents made a profession of faith on our behalf and committed themselves to raising us to know and love Jesus. 

But, at the Easter Vigil, we have an opportunity to renew the promises of our baptism. We reject sin and embrace the new life offered to us through faith in the resurrection of Jesus. We make our own the promises made for us at our baptism so that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ can be the driving force of our lives.