+ J. M. J. +

Homily Outline for the Easter Vigil

On this most beautiful of nights, our liturgy began with the Paschal Candle which burns beside me, this beautiful image of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. It sheds light into darkness, light that comes from the burning, the sacrifice of the wax and the bees. That light spreads and fills the whole world, even as it fills our eyes and hearts..

Having carried the Paschal Candle ahead of us, Deacon Tom chanted the Exsultet, this most beautiful hymn which proclaims Jesus’ Victory over sin and death. The Exsultet speaks of this night, it says:

This is the night,
when Christ broke the prison-bars of death
and rose victorious from the underworld.
….
O truly necessary sin of Adam,
destroyed completely by the Death of Christ!
O happy fault
that earned so great, so glorious a Redeemer!

These ancient lines speak a great mystery, the mystery which occupies us here tonight, on this night of all nights. One very compact phrase, three words, beautifully captures this mystery: O felix culpa, translated, “O Happy Fault.”

What could possibly be meant by this poetic expression… O happy fault, on truly necessary sin of Adam? We live the brokenness and consequences of this original sin every day in our unruly passions, in temptation and sin, in sickness and death… In our 7-stop journey through the Old Testament, we encountered human failure in many forms, even as we heard of God’s work, and this is just a selection! How could Adam’s sin with all its consequences be happy or necessary? The phrase is poetic, but what can it mean?

We understand this phrase, O Felix Culpa, O Happy Fault, as a paradoxical expression of the great joy of this night! Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, conquering death by death… all that causes us grief, sorrow, and shame has been vanquished… every suffering Christ took upon Himself, and having been laid in the tomb, He rose victorious, the Paschal Lamb!

Jesus did not simply balance the scale or pay the tab… His Infinite Victory has completely overthrown the reign of the Enemy! The beauty and grace of Christ’s victory overwhelms all the sorrow that made it necessary!

Paul summarizes this teaching in our Epistle:

If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

United with Christ in a death like his, we are united with Him in his victory… accepting His mercy and grace poured out for us, choosing Him, death no longer has power over us! We can even say with Paul, “O Death where is your victory? O Death where is your sting?”

Do we believe this? Do we believe that God’s grace poured into the world, that Jesus’ victorious rising from the dead, can overthrow the reign of sin? Do we perhaps often settle for so much less, even as we practice our faith? Do we hope only to survive, to squeak into eternal life? Aware of our weakness, do we seek only forgiveness without also seeking holiness? On this night, of all nights, Jesus invites us to hope for more, to expand our dreams and aspirations such that we can begin to receive what only HE can give… victory, eternal life, eternal joy! And if we struggle to trust and believe this gift… well, then, we ask God for help there, too! Jesus who broke the gates of Hell asunder, who rose victorious from the grave, this same Jesus can give us new hope, new faith, new love.

It is very beautiful that on this night, we accompany Benjamin Alan Hendrick as he enters full communion with the Church! The fullness of all the gifts Christ intended for His Church are found in the Catholic Church, and Ben begins to partake of that fullness in a new way tonight. The graces of his baptism are confirmed by the full gift of the Holy Spirit in Confirmation, and his unity with Christ’s Body is filled with grace as he prepares to receive the Lord’s own Body and Blood. Most of us here received those gifts for the first time as infants, perhaps long ago… may Ben’s reception of these sacraments fill him, and fill us, with new hope, new zeal, new joy!

In our Gospel, taken tonight from Matthew, we hear of the two Mary’s encountering at dawn the earthquake, the empty tomb, and the angel announcing Christ’s rising… In the mystery of that announcement, they responded. We are told:

Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples.

Knowing the presence of divine power, they were fearful; knowing Jesus’ rising, they were overjoyed; and in that fear and joy, they ran to announce the Good News! Encountering Jesus face to face, He told them not to be afraid, and to go and tell… We are offered this Good News, this gift once again tonight. If we realize the depth of joy we are offered, we should be a little afraid! If we realize the depth of the gift, we will be joyful… and as we encounter the Risen Lord, offering us the fruit of His Victory, His Body and Blood, we can be confident that He will send us to serve and announce Him. Jesus is Risen, He has conquered Death, His Victory is so much greater than all human sin, and so we rejoice!


 

+ A. M. D. G. +