Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

The Deacon's Bench

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Homily for April 23, 2011: Easter Vigil

Homily for April 23, 2011: Easter Vigil

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 5:28 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Homily for April 23, 2011: Easter Vigil 2015-03-13T17:28:10-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Several years ago, the PBS series “American Masters” decided to profile a true American master, Don Hewitt, the creator and executive producer of 60 MINUTES. And the reporter asked him, what is the secret of the show’s success? How has it endured for four decades as one of the top rated shows in America?

And Don replied: “It’s very simple. It comes down to four little words. Four words that every child knows: ‘Tell me a story.’”

I think he was getting at something fundamental. We are storytelling people. It is woven into our DNA. We need to hear stories – and we need to tell them. We need to share what we know, what we have experienced, what we believe.

Well tonight, we tell our story. A story that began in darkness and ends in blazing, brilliant light.

It is the story of how Christ conquered sin and death. It is the story of how we were saved.

And it has been passed on, person to person, across the centuries, like that one great fire that tonight spread throughout this church and lit a thousand flickering candles. Tonight, it fills every heart here with something so incandescent, so luminous, it can only be called joy.

In this gospel, we hear how it all began: on a morning in Jerusalem, when two women saw something incredible – and an angel told them to “go then quickly and tell his disciples” what has happened. And with that, the gospel began to spread. The light was passed on.

And here, tonight, it blazes anew. We continue to tell what happened.

Don Hewitt said the success of 60 MINUTES all boiled down to four little words. Well, here are four more, four little words that have sustained us across two thousand years: “Do not be afraid.”

We hear that twice in this gospel – first from the angel, but then from Jesus. They are his first words after his resurrection, his message to an anxious world. Across two millennia, those words have uplifted a world torn apart by war, persecution and terror. They have inspired martyrs and missionaries. And they uplift us even today. Some here will remember they were the first words spoken by Pope John Paul – soon to be Blessed John Paul — in his first homily as pope. He was a man who had witnessed and experienced first hand some of the horrors of the last century. And yet, still he proclaimed to our own age, again and again: “Do not be afraid.”

It is a message that offers inspiration to so many – and should speak in a special way, I think, to those who are joining the church this evening: men, women and children who are walking their own journey of faith, often defying extraordinary odds.

They are people like Abby Johnson – who used to work as an administrator at Planned Parenthood, helping to facilitate abortions, until she saw, for the first time, an image of an unborn child on an ultrasound monitor. She is joining the church tonight in Austin, Texas.

They are people like Ahdija Baker, who was raised Muslim, and survived the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, and went searching for a church where she could give thanks to God. She is joining the church tonight in New Orleans.

And they are people Tom Leopold, a Jewish comedy writer who wrote for “Seinfeld” and “Cheers” and tonight will become a Catholic comedy writer, joining us in the Archdiocese of New York.

They are people like the 15 men and women here tonight who are joining us through the RCIA process.

This is how the church continues to be reborn. This celebration of Christ’s resurrection – his new life — is also a celebration of new life in the church, the Body of Christ. As these new Catholic Christians become a part of that body, they become a part of our story. And we become a part of theirs.

“Tell me a story,” Don Hewitt said. I think now, more than ever, the world is hungry to hear what we have to say. It is desperate to know the Good News. And the gospel for this vigil compels us: tell this story. Bear witness, like the women at the tomb, and let others know. Pray it. Sing it. Live it.

And be assured: we do not walk this road alone. After the women set out to tell the disciples, as Matthew puts it, “Jesus met them on the way.” He meets us on our journey, as well. He walks with us. He welcomes us. He encourages us and guides us.

So do not be afraid. Tell this great story of this extraordinary night and all that it represents. It is a love story…an adventure story…a story full of miracles and mystery and, best of all, hope.

Tell the world: he has been raised!

It really is the greatest story ever told.

Homilies

Easter Vigil

Homilies

Previous Post

April 23, 2011

Homily for April 23, 2011: Easter Vigil

Next Post

April 23, 2011 My Holy Saturday

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In Jude, what did the Lord do to the people he saved from Egypt who did not believe?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Let them wander forty years Punished them Cast them into the wilderness Destroyed them

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »