DAILY- HOMILY

April 15, 2017 - HOLY SATURDAY

Vigil of Easter Sunday

White

Gn 1: 1 - 2: 2 / Gn 22:1 - 18 / Ex 14: 15 - 15: 1 / Rom 6: 3- 11 / Mt 28:1 - 10

FROM THE VIGIL READINGS:     Gn 1:1 -2, 31; 2:1

     In the beginning, when God began to create the heavens and the earth, the earth had no form and was void; darkness was over the deep and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters...

     God saw all he had made, and it was very good. There was evening and there was morning: the sixth day. That was the way the sky and earth were created and all their vast array.

FROM THE VIGIL READINGS:     Ex 14: 30 - 31

   On that day Yahweh delivered Israel from the power of the Egyptians and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore. They understood what wonders Yahweh had done for them against Egypt, and the people feared Yahweh.

FROM THE 1ST READING AT MASS:     Rom 6: 3- 5

     You know that in baptism which unites us to Christ we are all baptized and plunged into his death. By this baptism in his death, we were buried with Christ and, as Christ was raised from among the dead by the Glory of the Father, so we begin walking in a new life. It was an image of his death when we were grafted in him and so we will also share in his resurrection.

FROM THE GOSPEL READING:     Mt 28: 1 - 10

     After the sabbath, at the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a violent earthquake: an angel of the Lord descending from heaven, came to the stone, rolled it from the entrance of the tomb, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his garment white as snow. The guards trembled in fear and became like dead men when they saw the angel.

     The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him; then go at once and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee. You wlil see him there. This is my message for you."

     They left the tomb at once in holy fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news of the disciples.

REFLECTION

     In his commentary on today's reading from Exodus, the Scripture scholar Jean Louis Ska focuses on the directional orientation the Israelites take when they crossed the Red Sea. Twice the text mentions that "the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, with the water like a wall to their right and to their left." In Hebrew "right" also means "south," and "left" means "north." So the Israelites were travelling from west to east.

     Ska also notes that it was during the "night watch" when the Israelites shoved into the sea in darkness. By the time the water flowed back, the Israelites could SEE all of Pharaoh's army, chariots and charioteers, vanquished and dead. By that time we assume they had also reached the other side of the sea, the east. There was light!

     Ska also points to the fact that the Israelites walked on "dry land." In Genesis, God gathered the waters into one place so that the dry land appeared. Dry land is the place of life, the seas the place of death. To summarize, the story of salvation involved the Israelites travelling from west to east, from darkness into light, while walking on dry land, the place of the living and not of death.

     Churches of old were usually oriented from west to east. In tonight's Easter vigil, the ceremonies start outside the church in darkness, in the west where the new fire is blessed. Then the assembly enters the darkened church through the center aisle, with light coming as the candles are lit in stages. The assembly travels from west to east. By the time they reach the sanctuary, at the east, the whole church is fully lit. The liturgy has re-enacted the redemption of the Israelites from Pharaoh. It has also re­enacted Jesus own exodus, from death to life.

     May our own experience of being shoved into darkness also lead us into God's marvelous light. A blessed Easter to all!

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     BABY EDEN J. BOBADILLA

     SR. MA. EULALIA BANAWIS RVM

IN MEMORIAM (†)

     PATRICIA Y. ONG

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

**************************************************

These reflections are distributed free and are for personal use only. Feel free to send the Daily Prayer reflections to your friends, colleagues and relatives; however, if you do, please include the following: 

  +================================================+

   |  The Daily Prayer, a service and an apostolate of the

   |  priests, laity and friends of Mary the Queen Parish

   |  distributed free and for personal use only.  

  +================================================+