EASTER VIGIL: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Christ’s Resurrection: A Promise of Our Final Triumph.

Beloved friends, we have reached that remarkable night when the light triumphed over darkness, the night when the Most High prevented death from celebrating any victory over us. Yet, several questions linger in my thoughts, yearning for answers.

I invite you, dear friends, to ponder these questions and perhaps find responses within your hearts. Have you ever envisioned what our world might have looked like if Christ had not risen from the dead? Have you considered the values that would have dominated our lives if Christ had not resurrected from the dead? It is important to recognize that God the Father spent many years preparing humanity for the arrival of His only Son.

From the moment of humanity's fall in Adam and Eve, God made the choice to restore us to our former glory. To fulfil this purpose, He chose the people of Israel, sending priests and prophets to guide them in obedience and to prepare them for His Son's coming. The readings we reflect on tonight beautifully illustrate this narrative. The entire world awaited the arrival of this Son of God. Sadly, when He finally appeared, the world failed to recognize Him. The devil had blinded the hearts of the Jews to His presence. This same devil, who led to Adam's downfall, sought to lead humanity into another defeat. Instigated by the devil, the Jews captured the Son of God, subjected Him to an unjust trial, and crucified Him. They condemned the very one who came to liberate them from the devil's grasp. What a tragic moment in history, marking the end of the long-anticipated Messiah! In the devil's scheme, the death of Jesus was meant to signify humanity's second defeat, following the first in Adam.

Dear friends, if Christ had not risen from the dead, the plan to free us from the grip of evil would have suffered a significant setback. Without His resurrection, the narratives surrounding Him would merely be trivial anecdotes, easily forgotten amidst the vast tapestry of history. If Jesus had not triumphed over death, the forces of evil would have reigned supreme, and injustice would have become the norm. In such a scenario, darkness would have overshadowed light, and malevolence would have prevailed over goodness.

However, dear friends, death did not claim the final victory in the story of Jesus. God ensured that the narrative of His beloved Son did not conclude with His crucifixion; instead, it unfolded into a new chapter that said, "He defeated death and rose again."

Therefore, beloved ones, we stand victorious through Christ's triumph. With His victory as our foundation, we can face the cross with confidence, knowing that in our personal journeys—amidst struggles, hardships, trials, and tribulations—death and despair will not have the final say. The resurrection of Christ assures us of our own victory over life's challenges.

Today, the Church encourages us to lift our voices, focusing on the cross of Christ, and to confidently declare that our personal struggles will eventually come to an end. Our experiences of childlessness will also come to pass. Joblessness will also be overcome. Hatred will also fade away. Sicknesses will also be healed. Hunger will also be satisfied. The resurrection of Christ serves as our assurance. Easter represents a season of miracles for Christians, because St Paul assured us that if we suffer and die with Him, we shall live and reign with Him in glory.

Happy Easter

Fr Isaac Chima

 

Easter Vigil: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: Christ’s Resurrection: A guarantee of our ultimate victory

Dearest friends, we have arrived at that night when the power of light conquered the power of darkness, that night when the Most High didn’t allow the power of death to rejoice over us. But some questions keep ringing in my mind. They are begging for answers.

Dear friends, I would like you to reflect over these questions and, possibly, answer them in your heart. Have you ever imagined what the world would have looked like if Christ never resurrected from the dead? Have you ever thought of the values that would have been supreme in this world if Christ did not resurrect from the dead? Do you realize that it took God the Father many years to prepare humanity for the coming of His only begotten Son?

Right from the fall of man in Adam and Eve, God took the decision to restore man to his lost glories. To achieve this plan, God adopted the people of Israel, sent priests and prophets to teach them to obey Him and to prepare them for the coming of His Son. The readings of this night give us a beautiful storyline in this regard. The entire world waited in anticipation for the coming of this Son of God. But, unfortunately, when the Son of God finally came, the world did not recognize him. The devil locked the hearts of the Jews from recognizing Him. The same devil, who caused the failure of Adam, wanted to drag humanity to another failure. Instigated by the devil, the Jews seized the Son of God, judged him unjustly and crucified Him. They crucified the one who had come to save them from the power of the devil. What a historic disaster, an end to the long-awaited Messiah! In the plan of the devil, the death of Jesus was to be the second defeat of humanity: the first was in Adam, the second was to be in the elimination of Jesus.

So, dear friends, if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, the plan of saving us from the dominion of the devil would have received a heavy punch. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, all stories about him would have been reduced to mere curiosity, a forgettable footnote in the crowded history of lost courses. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, the values that support evil would have been supreme on earth, injustice would have been the order of the day. If Christ had not risen, darkness would have conquered light, evil would have conquered the good.

However, dear friends, death did not have the last laugh in the story of Jesus. God did not allow the story of His only begotten Son to end with His death on the Cross, rather, His story developed another chapter, the part which says, ‘He conquered death and rose from the dead’.

So, dear ones, we are victorious because of the victory of Christ. Relying on the victory of Christ, we can comfortably look at the cross and affirm that in our individual stories, in our life’s struggles, death, hardship, trials and tribulations will not have the final laugh or the final word. The resurrection of Christ has given us assurance of victory over our own problems.

The church wants us to raise our voices today, with eyes fixed on the cross of Christ, and affirm with faith that our own trials will also come to pass. Our childlessness will also come to pass. Joblessness will also come to pass. Hatred will also come to pass. Sickness will also come to pass. Hunger will also come to pass. The resurrection of Christ is our guarantee. Easter is a time of miracles for Christians, because St Paul assured us that if we suffer and die with Him, we shall live and reign with Him in glory.

Happy Easter.

Fr. Isaac Chima