A most blessed Easter to all of you!
On this night we celebrate the Easter Vigil and thus we come to celebrate the fact that Christ has triumphed over the tomb through the event of the Resurrection. We also get to celebrate new life that is brought into the Church through the waters of baptism and through reception into it.
This night is filled with rich symbolism which shows the great triumph over the tomb which takes place through our Lord’s Resurrection. Some might scoff at the length of the readings which are to be used on this night, but they are not made without purpose. These readings show the history of salvation and how it unfolds for us. The first reading began “in the beginning” when God created all that we hold to be dear. These readings work their way up to Jesus Christ and His victory over the tomb. These readings show that despite the darkness which might be present within this world that God has not left us abandoned, but has always been present in our midst despite the darkness of sin and the slavery in which it brings about.
We live in the midst of a world which seems to be filled with so much uncertainty. If we glance at the news we are left to believe that we have been thrust down into a permanent darkness. We see the effects of a world which has rejected the truths which are contained within the Gospels. We see this through actions of terrorism (that which took place in Brussels), people still being martyred for their faith (the Missionaries of Charity slain in Yemen) rejection of the sacrament of Marriage, rejection of the rite that one has to life because it is sacred, and this list goes on and on. Nevertheless, we cannot despair at these realities because we do not live in a world which is uncertain. Instead on this night we can confidently proclaim that Christ the light has triumphed over the darkness of sin and death and thus to the uncertainty that is brought about by it.
For on this night we received a great proclamation to this fact through what is known as “the Exsultet.” The Exsultet is a solemn proclamation that Christ has now triumphed over death and that the Resurrection has indeed taken place. It points towards this candle, known as the Pascal Candle, which represents Christ who is now resurrected. From a homily given by Pope Benedict XVI on this subject: “It reminds us that this object, the candle, has its origin in the work of bees. So the whole of creation plays its part. In the candle, creation becomes a bearer of light. But in the mind of the Fathers, the candle also in some sense contains a silent reference to the Church. The cooperation of the living community of believers in the Church in some way resembles the activity of bees. It builds up the community of light. So the candle serves as a summons to us to become involved in the community of the Church, whose mission is to let the light of Christ shine upon the world.”
