Sermon for the Great Vigil 2008
“The words of the Exultet mean exactly what they say. This is the night when we have passed over from death to life, and bondage to sin has been broken. This is the night that the past and the present and the future have come together and there is no time. It’s not a metaphor. It’s not poetry. The churches believe that on this night we are living in heaven, in the fullness of the kingdom of God; that everything that will be, is; and everything that has been, has been redeemed. We are in the midst of the Paschal Mystery.”
From the Exultet:
Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!
Of this night scripture says:
“The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy.”
The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!