Homilies and Addresses 2007
Easter Vigil

Celebrated By Archbishop Denis Hart
at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
on Saturday, 7th April, 2007 at 8.00m

Homily

“This is the night when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin and freed
from all defilement, are restored to grace and grow together in holiness. 
This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.”
(Roman Missal, The Easter Vigil, The Exsultet)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this night of all nights we come in vigil to watch with our Risen Lord so that his light will overtake us.

The two women at the tomb, at first terrified, meet with the unbelievable news that Jesus is alive; he is not here, he has risen.  Death and sin have been overcome.

The purpose of our liturgy tonight as we came into the darkened cathedral led by the light of Christ, which we then took as our own, and after the Easter Praise reflected on the power of God’s word and the many deeds which our God has done to bring us Christ the Redeemer and to offer each of us in the twentieth century the power of baptism.

Tonight Vincent Ku will be baptised and confirmed.  As we see him make the baptismal promises common to all Christians, which we renew also, and as we see the water of baptism and the oil of confirmation flow over him we know that in these sacramental signs we have clearly indicated the transforming power of Christ for human life.

In baptism that life begins again.  In confirmation it becomes adult and strengthened and in the Eucharist, again and again and again, it is nourished.  On this Easter night when we congratulate Vincent for his baptism, we too remember that baptism gives a life, but demands a life; a life of response. 

Christ my hope is risen, he goes before you into Galilee to live and work and walk always with Christ as our light and our hope, to know that this will mean constant conversion and refocus of our life and its deeds on Christ, but to know also that Christ’s triumph over death is our triumph also over sin and evil in our lives.  The power of Christ freely accepted by us is the pledge of everlasting glory. 

May this hope be an actual force in our lives as we continue our journey along the way of Jesus Christ, bearing our candle of a light received from him and given for others. 

May we be his instruments, tell of his truth, rejoice in his life, communicate his light.  That is my prayer for you this Easter.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.