Word to the Wise
Saturday, March 22, 2008 - Holy Saturday - The Easter Vigil
[Readings from Genesis Exodus Isaiah Ezekiel Baruch; Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10]Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that , just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
The two most solemn celebrations of the liturgical year are Christmas and Easter. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. Easter is about our birth in Jesus! Baptism as a re-birth is an idea that has been with the Christian community since the early days. St. Paul speaks of it in that way in the epistle for this Easter Vigil. We might recall Jesus speaking of it in that way in the gospel of John (John 3) in the conversation with Nicodemus! The development of the RCIA program in parishes around the country has placed Baptism at the center of the Easter Vigil so that the resurrection of Christ becomes not simply an event in the life of Jesus but an event in the life of every Christian, especially those received into the Church at the Easter Vigil ceremony. The sad thing is that many avoid going to this ceremony because the rich symbolism of the many scriptures and the ceremonies of baptism/confirmation do make for a long evening! The list of scriptures from the Old Testament is a testimony to the incredibly rich history of God's action in the world. Through Genesis and the other Old Testament scriptures, we are reminded of God's action in the creation of the world, in the deliverance of the Chosen People, in the challenge of the prophets to live in God's ways. We become part of that history through baptism just as we become part of Jesus' death and resurrection. If human birth is a complex and wondrous process, the spiritual birth of baptism is equally rich and filled with meaning. The gospel scripture from Matthew is a reminder that it is not enough to simply know about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We must proclaim that Good News. Through baptism we are called to PERSONIFY that Good News. St. Augustine rather dramatically asks the Christian to become "heat to toe a living Alleluia!" For many of us that may be a bit too much, but Mary Magdalen and the other Mary are commissioned to "go and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead...'" We receive that same commission in our baptism. The Easter Vigil reminds us of the great "scheme of things" that we are part of. Let the world know! Alleluia! AMEN
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