AMAZING NIGHT, GLORIOUS NIGHT.

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March 30, 2024.
Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter – B.

Readings: Gn 1:1—2:2; Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24,35; Gn 22:1-18; Ps 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11; Ex 14:15—15:1; Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6,17-18; Is 54:5-14; Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13; Is 55:1-11; Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6;Bar 3:9-15, 32--4:4; Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11; Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28; Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3,4; Rom 6:3-11; Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23; Mark 16:1-7.

“You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified. He has been raised; he is not here.” Mark 16:6

A Romanian proverb says: “When the night is darkest, the dawn is nearest.” A Cameroonian proverb adds: “The darkness of night cannot stop the light of morning.”

This is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12: 42). This is the day the Lord has made, in it let us rejoice and be glad. This is a night worth thousands of nights. On this very night, the book is open, the greatest of all mysteries is written and read. Christ, the Lord has risen from the dead, Alleluia! The Lord has passed over from death to life.

In the solemn proclamation, this is what we sing: "Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven, exult, let Angel ministers of God exult, let the trumpet of salvation sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph! Be glad, let the earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal King..."

Tonight, trumpets sound. Heaven rejoices and earth is glad, life has won over death. A new light shines forth, announcing a new dawn, the dawn of salvation. God's recreation of the new humanity. The old is gone, destroyed by the Lord who died on the Cross. A new creation has sprung. "This is the night of which it is written: The night shall be as bright as day, dazzling is the night for me, and full of gladness." With St. Paul, we can question our common and greatest enemy: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Cor 15:55. Sister death is forever defeated. She no longer has the power to reign over us. Christ is victorious, Alleluia!

With the liturgy of the word, we travel the longest and most beautiful mystery, the mystery of salvation. We can read that the whole creation is oriented at this aim. God created man from nothing. He made everything through His Word, and all came into being. Sin, however, came along to pervert God's beautiful creation, and with sin came death. But because God did not create man for death, but for life, he long formed the project to save us. From the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the Judges, the Kings, and many more prophets, he wrote a mystery. And that mystery found its fullness in Christ, born in our likeness, died for our sins, and now risen for our salvation.

Here is the day for us to rediscover our inner beauty and goodness. In Jesus, we are recreated and made new beings. The great challenge is that we should no longer go back to our oldness and evilness.

In the Gospel, the greatest joy of the Resurrection, the solemn mystery is brought to all through the mandate to women headed by Mary Magdalene.

Someone made a comedy that the Resurrection was first announced to women so that it may be spread without secrecy and faster. A joke as women are known for their gossip talent. Like Mary Magdalene, let us also become messengers of this Good News. Let us spread it around and farther and faster. Jesus is risen, Alleluia! Let's all go to the Galilee of our lives and there, encounter him.

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