Today we relive the glorious events of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior was crucified between two condemned, died and - after three days - rose again. How thankful are we to have such a great Messiah. This last year has been a tomb of darkness and sorrow due to the coronavirus. Yet - despite our sufferings and bereavements - all is not lost. God is ultimately in control despite all the difficulties we may face. The Almighty turned the devastating death of Jesus Christ into glorious triumph. The Savior was resurrected back to life after three days. So our trust must always be in the Lord. After all our difficulties and life challenges we too will be resurrected. So let us keep our faith strong and our love aglow.
Jesus Christ has conquered death.
The Savior has routed sin.
The Messiah has defeated satan.
Christ the Anointed has emptied hell.
The Rabbi has overcome chaos.
The Son of God loves us and works untiringly to bring each one safely into heaven.
Let us pray for all who have ever gone before, for all peoples now, and for all who will ever exist in the future until the Last Day: that they may attain everlasting life with our resurrected Savior forever.
Priest: "The Easter Vigil begins in darkness. The darkness of the tomb is split open as the Light of the world resurrects and pours life-giving light to the whole world.
O God, grant that our hearts may be purified by your beloved Son Jesus Christ.
We offer You our love and praise in honor of so glorious a gift to our world,
Amen."
EASTER VIGIL READING
Mark 16
The Resurrection
16 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
Jesus Appears to Two Disciples
12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
The Great Commission
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
BAPTISM
If you have been baptized, here quietly renew your promises to Jesus to continue practising holiness in your life, and to be faithful to Him.
If you have been baptized, and fallen away from your faith, why then, just renew your baptismal promises and start all over again.
If you have never been baptized, why not accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?
He truly is the Son of God, and is waiting for you. Invite joy into your life and accept Him. Seek baptism.
Here is a chapel for accepting Jesus Christ into your life:
LITANY OF THE SAINTS
Priest: "Let us thank God for the holy men and women who have gone before us, showing that it is possible to reach the holiness God desires for us. Let us remember our holy ones."
Congregation: "We remember you, our holy family in heaven."
BLESSING OF THE WATER
If you do not have holy water, pour some water into a bowl. Sprinkle a little salt in it if you have some. Ask the Lord to bless the water and make it holy. Now you have your own holy water!
The priest blesses the water, and sprinkles the congregation with it.
We remember that Jesus is the Water of Life and brings us to holiness through baptism.
WE NOW REJECT OUR ANCIENT ENEMY SATAN
Priest: "Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God's children?'
Congregation: "I do."
Priest: "Do you reject the glamour of evil, and refuse to be mastered by sin?"
Congregation: "I do."
Priest: "Do you reject satan, father of sin and prince of darkness?"
Congregation: "I do."
WORDS OF COMFORT
"The last year has been a test of faith and hope in God. There is scarcely a household - if, indeed, any - who has not suffered the loss of a loved one to the coronavirus. Many have undergone the pains and illness of the virus.
"The last year has been a test of faith and hope in God. There is scarcely a household - if, indeed, any - who has not suffered the loss of a loved one to the coronavirus. Many have undergone the pains and illness of the virus.
Yet it is at times like these that faith in God sustains us. Jesus Himself told us: "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it," (Matthew 7:24-27).
Do not lose faith. Do not despair. Do not worry unduly. Pray and put all your problems into the nail pierced Hands of the Savior. Then do your duty as best you can. God will ask no more than that. Also, if you sometimes make a mis-step, remember that God is Mercy and Compassion. He knows we are made from dust, and that to dust we shall return. The Almighty knows, too, that we are struggling from the dust towards the divine. Our eternal destiny is to win our crown in heaven, far from our humble origins in the sand of Paradise. Be confident and place your eternal destiny in the resurrected Savior's Hands. Do what you can as best you can with the facts as you know them at the time. And then: TRUST.
We must trust in Christ. He knows what He is about: the task of your eternal sancification. Trust in Him. Trust His Words in the gospels. Trust His teachings. And then go about your daily tasks quietly.
Our faith has been tested over this past year in many ways. As we emerge from the darkness of the lockdown tomb into the sunlight of the resurrected Christ, let us rebuild our faith. We are the children of God. This means that we have access to all the graces we can ever ask for, IF WE ASK FOR THEM. So ask God for the special graces you need in your life to become a saint. Ask for the graces for your nearest and dearest. Ask for the graces for all in society. Plead for graces from God for sinners who are most in need of His Mercy.
Do you wish to turn to God to bring areas of your life to be washed in the precious Blood of the Savior? If so, perhaps you will find peace and comfort from visiting the Chapel of Repentance.
If you wish to accept Jesus Christ in your life, visit the following prayer chapel,
As we mourn the loss of so many lives during the pandemic, we draw comfort from the fact that we will meet again in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus won for us the way to eternal life. This Easter let us turn to the Christ of the Resurrection to pray for all our brothers and sisters who have left this world due to the coronavirus. May they rest in peace, Amen."
THE EUCHARIST
Priest; "As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke it. He gave it to His disciples, saying; "Take all you, and eat. This is My Body, which is broken for you."
Congregation; "Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life."
Priest; "At the end of supper, Jesus took the cup. He gave thanks, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take, all of you, and drink; this is My Blood of the new covenant, Which is shed for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of Me." '
Congregation; "Lord Jesus, You are the cup of life, the wine blessed for our salvation."
[Receive communion. If you are unable to attend Holy Mass, receive Jesus spiritually within your heart and soul now. Spend some time in prayer. Let us pray for all affected by the Coronavirus].
LORD'S PRAYER
Priest; "Let us now pray the Lord's prayer in the words Jesus gave us."
Priest and Congregation;
'Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come
Thy Will be done
One earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
Our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who sin against us,
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen."
PRAYER AND BLESSING
Priest; "Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for sending us Your only Son, Jesus Christ.
We rejoice in His Resurrection. This Easter the tomb is robbed of death, and is empty!
There is Light in the midst of our darkness!
We have been fed by the Word and given new life in the waters of baptism.
We have been given renewed life in the Eucharist, and receive life from Jesus our Lord.
We ask for Your blessing as we go forth to witness to the world the truth that JESUS CHRIST IS THE RISEN SON OF GOD!"
Congregation; "Amen. ALLELUIA!"
Priest; "As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke it. He gave it to His disciples, saying; "Take all you, and eat. This is My Body, which is broken for you."
Congregation; "Lord Jesus, You are the Bread of Life."
Priest; "At the end of supper, Jesus took the cup. He gave thanks, and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Take, all of you, and drink; this is My Blood of the new covenant, Which is shed for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of Me." '
Congregation; "Lord Jesus, You are the cup of life, the wine blessed for our salvation."
[Receive communion. If you are unable to attend Holy Mass, receive Jesus spiritually within your heart and soul now. Spend some time in prayer. Let us pray for all affected by the Coronavirus].
LORD'S PRAYER
Priest; "Let us now pray the Lord's prayer in the words Jesus gave us."
Priest and Congregation;
'Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come
Thy Will be done
One earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
Our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who sin against us,
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen."
PRAYER AND BLESSING
Priest; "Heavenly Father, we praise and thank You for sending us Your only Son, Jesus Christ.
We rejoice in His Resurrection. This Easter the tomb is robbed of death, and is empty!
There is Light in the midst of our darkness!
We have been fed by the Word and given new life in the waters of baptism.
We have been given renewed life in the Eucharist, and receive life from Jesus our Lord.
We ask for Your blessing as we go forth to witness to the world the truth that JESUS CHRIST IS THE RISEN SON OF GOD!"
Congregation; "Amen. ALLELUIA!"
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