The Easter Vigil is one of the most beautiful liturgies of the year. In this liturgy we encounter salvation history which culminates with the coming of the Messiah who dies upon the cross and was raised on the third day. This Mass starts in darkness for we call to mind the death of our Lord and the effects that sin have caused.
When we look to the Fall we see Adam and Eve who chose to rebel against God by eating of the forbidden fruit. From this reality we continue to feel the effects of original sin which can only be overcome through baptism. In the darkness of night a world which has been touched by sin and death comes to encounter a great hope. This hope is the Lord’s Resurrection, which is symbolized for us in the form of a flame. It is this flame that dispels the reality of sin and death from our midst.
Our Gospel presents us with the blind man who was given sight. His blindness is symbolic of the darkness that is brought on through sin. In His mercy the Lord restores this man’s sight. This is precisely what happens within us when we encounter the mercy of God as it is portrayed to us upon the cross. In His mercy that Lord looks upon those who have been touched by sin and desires that we may be made clean. That sight may be brought to that which is blind.
As we continue this Lenten journey we must long for sight. What are those ways in which we have lost sight of Christ through sin? How can we chose to leave sin behind in order that we may better be able to see. As Saint Paul instructs in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
It is our faith that is so often found lacking. We choose to not move towards the Lord. We choose to latch onto sin and not let go. We choose to place our trust in so many things which take place around us, but fail to do so with greater fervor when it pertains to the Lord. It is the virtue of faith which shakes us out of our slumber in order that we can move towards the Lord our God.
Let us long for this great light that shines forth through the reality of the Lord’s Resurrection. Let us continue to prepare for this encounter with Him. One way that we can do so is to return to the sacrament of Confession especially if we have been away from it for some time. Through a good confession we cleanse our soul and choose to live for the Lord with the assistance of God’s grace.
As we approach this most sacred time of Easter let us long for the light of Christ. It is this light alone which dispels darkness from our midst. Let us place our faith in this light and allow the Lord our God to touch all that has been touched by the darkness of sin and death in order that it may be restored to light.
