New Life at Easter

Submitted on April 08, 2004

Send to friendHoly Saturday’s Easter Vigil will welcome new Catholics into the Church amid the profound liturgical celebrations of the Church’s central mysteries and the evocative signs of fire, light and water. The fire purifies and stirs faith, hope and love in the hearts of all believers. The light of the paschal candle — Christ our light — breaks the darkness and shares His light with each baptized member of the Church. The water washes sin away and refreshes us, quenching our deep thirst for living water. The Easter proclamation bids all creation to exult around God’s throne. "Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!" The history of salvation will be recounted in reading after reading that announces hope even in the midst of continuing weight of conflict, sin and darkness in humanity. And finally, finally, the chant of rejoicing, the alleluia that we have longed to hear for these long 40 days wafts up in anticipation of the Gospel announcement, "Do not be afraid! The crucified Jesus is not here. He has been raised from the dead." The stage for these events is humankind tainted by sin and sickness and death: the world called to holiness but sorely in need of a redeemer. Holy Thursday has solemnly recounted the institution of the Eucharist and the commissioning of the first priests in the midst of the sacrificial banquet of the Lord’s last supper. The Good Friday commemoration of Christ’s death offered freely as the ransom for our sins has preceded this vigil of Easter. The news is so relieving and joy-filled, and the victory of Christ so definitive, that we can join with the Church in a most mysterious renaming of our sin — "O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam that warranted for us so great a redeemer!" Into this home, the Church, we welcome our catechumens and candidates. They have studied and prayed. Like us they come with confidence buoyed by a faith which depends completely on God’s mercy. The world around us remains in disarray and torn with conflict, but into this world Jesus Christ came.His passionate love embraces all the foibles of humankind.The passion of Christ is the overriding reality that is the "sermon without words," crowned and confirmed at Easter. Within His wounded and still life-giving Heart we also search for a place of rest, healing, nourishment and a sense of mission. We are all sent forth — imperfect as we are — to carry out the work of Christ. The fact that Christ calls such weak instruments to do great things is another expression of the "scandal of the Incarnation" — God coming among us in human flesh and even allowing Himself to be crucified as the defining action of his eternal priesthood. While we welcome these new Catholics into a marriage with Christ and His people we humbly ask, "Will you take us for better, for worse?" Let us do everything we can to make them welcome as we stand together to be fortified with the sacraments and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We, the Church Militant, must take up our crosses together. Easter gives us the promise of victory that sustains our hope. May our newest members be strengthened and renewed by their full participation in the Church through baptism, confirmation and holy Eucharist. May they help us to be a better, holier Church. May all creation which longs and yearns for redemption in the day of the Lord, rejoice and exult in the lasting and firm promise of new life at Easter.