So my dear sisters and brothers in the Lord,
Tonight we gather on this Vigil in the Holy Night to join our voices with those of our fellow believers throughout the world and throughout time, to proclaim to the world that Jesus is risen, that He has truly risen from the dead. And as we heard Deacon Jim sing so beautifully the ancient Hymn of this night – the Exalted – when we heard that this is the night we believe Christ not simply broke the back of death, but also forgave all sins of those who seek forgiveness in Him.
This is the night that the sin of Adam was reversed, the night when creation was recreated and where you and I, and all who believe in Christ, have the hope to share the glory that is His forever in heaven.
Tonight is the great victory, the eternal victory of love. And we are not ashamed or afraid to proclaim it to the world.
And yet, my dear friends, as we do so the world may ask us, ‘where is this Risen Lord that you believe in? Where are the signs of His power in Grace? For you say that He has conquered death and sin and suffering, and yet the world is still filled with it. In fact, with each passing year it seems that the world becomes ever more broken, ever more confused, where war continues to take its tolls on innocent people, perhaps in the millions; where there are more and more who are turning away from God, and more and more who are no longer dedicating their lives to a life of love, in kindness, and respect, and forgiveness.’ The world may tell us tonight, ‘you who believe, where is this Risen Lord?’
And on this Vigil night my friends, we have an answer to give; an answer we need to reflect on deeply. For we can see the presence of the Risen Lord all around us, every day, if only we dare to look. And to look with the eyes of Faith so that we might teach the world how to look and recognize Him.
Recall what happened this night, my friends. Jesus rose from the dead in the middle of the night, in the quiet hours of the night. And there was no one present when He rose. He rose in the middle of a cemetery, which is the last place you would find people walking at night. And He rose on the even passing of Sabbath, where no observant Jew would leave his home for fear of breaking the law. The great triumphant victory that Christ had over sin and death was not come with great trumpet blasts, but came in quiet. It came humbly. But when He came, it broke the very Gates of Hell.
And for those who can see and recognize Him, He continues to dwell in our midst. You may say, ‘Bishop, where?’ well, when our sisters and brothers come in a few moments to the font of life, when the sacred waters wash over your heads, you will die and rise with Christ this very night. And there, my friends, we will glimpse the risen Lord in His power, in grace.
For those of you to be confirmed, the Spirit will come upon you with power and fire and glory, and He will fill your mind and your hearts, in your hands and your feet, in your eyes, with the very grace of God. And there, my friends, when our sisters and brothers leave this church alive in His Spirit, we are glimpsing where the Risen Lord is. And we will come to this altar and under the form of bread and wine, that same Risen Lord will come to us – all of us – so that He might dwell in our hearts. And with our eyes of faith we can recognize the one who left the tomb this night. For He is leading us to heaven.
But there is more. My friends, when a person chooses life over death, you can glimpse the face of the Risen Lord. When you see someone choosing to care for those who are dying and to walk with them with dignity and compassion, you can see the presence of Jesus risen with your own eyes. When you look into the face of a newborn child, it is the face of the Risen Lord you are looking into. When you and I sit with our friends who are in distress or suffering or lonely, or anxious or despairing, there is the Risen Lord in His power coming to heal and set that person free. Every time we see faith, hope and love, but most of all love, we are looking at the presence of the Risen Lord in our midst.
And when you and I consider that, my friends, He is all around us. Every day, in the most ordinary ways, this Risen Lord walks with us, feeds us, consoles us, laughs with us, walks with us to Glory. And you and I, my friends, will leave this church renewed in our faith in this Risen Lord, to be His ambassadors in the world.
And I ask you, when you and I leave in the days and weeks ahead, especially, my friends, those of you to be baptized and those of you to be confirmed, and those who will receive the sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time – never be afraid to love. Never be afraid to have hope and proclaim to all you meet, the Lord who has claimed your heart. And by doing that you are making the presence of the Risen Lord as clear as the day to the world around you.
And if we persevere my friends, we will see the day when all wars will end, all suffering will be healed, and every tear will be wiped away. Because Christ’s victory is already in our midst. Christ’s victory is our victory. And it is for that reason we can raise our voices and proclaim to a world that is waiting to see His face, we can tell that world ‘Christ is Risen! Christ is truly Risen! And come with us so that we may show you His face.’
