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Easter Vigil                                                                                  

           If there is one word that we could use to sum up the celebration tonight, the word would be LIFE. It is life that makes all things possible. In death, possibilities stop. We know that death for us can bring darkness, fear and despair. There is nothing to look forward to.  Everything we are doing tonight speaks of LIFE. Blessing the Easter fire, we recognize the gift that fire is which makes life possible. Fire purifies, warms and brightens. It is that light which we carried into Church tonight. It is that light which has illumines for us the beautiful flowers and vestments. It makes it possible for us to sing hymns that bring beauty into the air. When Christ died, the world became dark, but tonight, with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the world is flooded with life and light.                

          In the readings from Sacred Scripture, we hear that God speaks and things happen. Every word from God is a blessing, not a curse. Every Word of God brings LIFE. We believe that the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ, who died on Good Friday is now alive. HE is real, true, living, loving and saving. We do not say that Jesus was, rather we affirm with faith that Jesus IS ALIVE.              

           We human beings are by nature seekers. We do not look for ends, but beginnings; we do not want to give up, but try again. We do not seek death, we seek life. Several men and women here tonight have growing on knowing and living their faith in Jesus Christ. It is true that we are mortals and that we will suffer. It is true that our lives will have crosses and it will seem unfair at times. We can never deny the cross, but we come in faith to fully proclaim that if we face our crosses with courage and are led with the love that God desires to pour into our hearts through prayer, we will truly live.                  

          Dear Elect and Candidates, the life which you enter into tonight through the living waters of baptism and your profession of faith offer you more hope than you can ever imagine. Jesus Christ conquered sin and death through the power of his self-giving love on the cross. He held nothing back for us so that we will know that we do not have to hold anything back from him. When we give everything to him, then we receive graces beyond measure. The light of faith which is consecrated in Baptism produces in us the courage to hope and ultimately leads to the fire of love present in the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life.                      Jesus Christ still teaches us today that life is about living. It is about being present ad paying attention to the presence of God in the world and in the hearts of each other. That is why the two men at the tomb asked the women that question: Why do you seek the living among the dead?             The resurrected and glorified life that Christ offers us is too much for the world to handle or even imagine. That is why much of the world today does not believe in Christ or his resurrection. Tonight, we celebrate in faith that the Resurrection is not only possible, it is historically and  truly real. It is all that we have and it is truly all that we need.                      I congratulate all of you who are entering this new life in Christ tonight and I give thanks to God for his goodness that still moves in the world. As our Risen Lord once said, “You have chosen the better part and you will not be denied it.” You have chosen Jesus Christ, who is life. May the Lord who has begun this good work in you bring it to completion in the joy of Heaven.