The Glory of Easter: Easter Vigil (Mark 16:1-7)
Alleluia. The stone is rolled away!
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Alleluia. Blessed Easter and happy Easter to all God’s children as we celebrate the Holy night of our salvation. I’m grateful to celebrate for the first time this sacred night with you. I would like to greet those who are connected with us and who are watching online and all our visitors, Alleluia. I greet those who are going to come to full communion with the Holy Catholic Church tonight. Alleluia. Those who are going to be baptized and confirmed, then receive the first Holy Communion with the song of Easter, alleluia. To the children and the youth, we greet you with the great song of Easter, Halleluiah… It is a great joy to the whole Church and us, tonight to celebrate our God’s story of infinite love for us. We celebrate tonight the victory of love over hatred; victory of life over and light over the darkness.
After all the long readings of tonight, the bottom line is that, in spite of the chaos, and the disobedience of man, God does not give up on us; He does not abandon us. He redeems, restores, and makes whole whatever is broken in us. We celebrate God’s persistent love for us. It is the God who rolls away the stones.
Rolling away the stone!
As a true man, Jesus truly died.
“Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37)
and he was buried in a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid (John 41-42). Jesus' death was real and he was indeed buried as the custom of that time, they rolled a stone of 4000 pounds at the entrance of his tomb which was sealed with the Roman imperial seals of the procurator himself. We understand now that for the Pharisees and the chief priests, the stones were not only part of the ritual, they wanted to be sure that Jesus would remain there in the tomb. Henceforth, besides the stones they also added 30 of their best Roman guards (Mt. 27:65) to prevent Jesus from coming out of the tomb. They wanted him to remain dead even though they knew, He prophesied that on the third day, he will rise again. There are things that you may want to die. There are situations that keep you captive or in bondage. With Christ. your stone has been rolled away! But Jesus is absent!
Jesus is absent!
Brothers and sisters, the discovery of the physical absence of Jesus in the tomb (Empty tomb) (Luke 24:1-9 is proof that Jesus' resurrection is a historical reality. The women Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome while they were on their way to anoint the body of Jesus, found that the large stone was rolled away. Jesus was absent from the tomb but they only saw a young man, dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, a sign that Jesus had conquered death. Jesus is no more to be found in the tomb. The one Alive is no more among the death. No stone, no guard, no power, no amount of darkness of the tomb, no hatred of his enemies, could stop him.
Who will roll the stones of my life?
The women in the Gospel were asking the same question, but the answer was just before their eyes. “It is God”, All-powerful and Almighty. He rolls the stone so that the light of Christ may come into our existence and be our life and guide.
Paul understands this when exclaims:
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1 Cor. 15:55-57).
Death is swallowed in Christ’s victory
With the resurrection of Christ, our deaths have been swallowed into Christ victory. The power of this world has been defeated (John 16:33) the stones of discouragement and hopelessness have been defeated by the Savior. No addiction, no oppression, no disease, and no sickness shall threaten us anymore. Satan and his angels are now under Christ’s dominion. They may attack you, but he will not overcome you. The early morning is indeed a sign of a new day; of a new beginning, where every stone that has been put in your way, has been taken away! This night is the mark of the dawning of a new life in our families, in our parishes, and our world!
Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is coming out of the tomb for you and for our world, let’s not block his way. But let’s go out and meet him; he is our life, our light. Do not be afraid, he is the Rock of our salvation and no rock can block his coming; no rock can block God’s plan for humanity!
Happy Easter, Christ is risen, Alleluia!
Fr. Georges Roger BIDZOGO sac.