Today we keep prayerful vigil at the tomb, eagerly awaiting the greatest moment in the history of the world – the resurrection of our Lord. We prepare ourselves for what we will hear in the scripture of tonight’s Easter vigil mass – God’s unconditional love and faithfulness to his people throughout all of salvation history. We reflect on how our loving God has reached out to all of humanity over and over again to free us from those things that separate us from him, to guide us to his truth, to enable us to live faithful to his law, and to achieve the fullness of life that God desires for all of us. We especially contemplate what we have celebrated this past week – God’s passionate love for us made visible in Christ’s selfless sacrifice and decisive victory over sin and death.
In the prayer of the Catholic Church this morning we hear: Thus says the Lord: In their affliction they shall look for me (and say): “Come let us return to the Lord…for he will heal us…he will bind our wounds…he will revive us…and he will raise us up to live in his presence” (Hosea 5:15-16).
Today we wait on our Lord. We wait, aware of the devastating power of sin and our need for salvation. We wait with eager anticipation for Jesus’ resurrection which frees us and restores us to life in God. We wait, with hearts and minds open to the life that flows to us from the risen Christ. We wait, with utmost gratitude for all that Jesus accomplishes for us.