EASTER VIGIL, CYCLE A

Readings First: Gn 22:1-18; Second: Rm 6:3-11; Gospel: Mt 28:1-10

Theme of the readings

The liturgy as a whole and the texts chosen for the readings, speak of life, new life, born of God’s power itself. The liturgy of light and the renewal of the baptismal promises intone a hymn to the new man, buried and raised with Christ. The narrative of creation speaks of the world and of man as they came from God’s most holy hands. With regard to Isaac, we are told of his "new birth," in that he is no longer only a son of Abraham, but a son of the promise. In the Book of Exodus, we are told of the formation of a new people brought about by Yahweh during the flight from Egypt, etc. The New Testament text is taken from the Letter to the Romans, in which Paul invites them to "live a new life," since Christ has been raised from the dead through the Father’s power. In St. Matthew’s Gospel, the women fall to their knees and adore the new humanity of the risen Christ. With the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God really "makes all things new".

Doctrinal message

In our common understanding and in the Bible, "new" is opposed to "old." On the other hand, the term "new" today means "recent" and fresh, while for the Bible it infers something "different and better" in comparison with the "old." Consequently, "old" does not necessarily mean the past and "new" the present, since both can exist simultaneously. Nor does "old" necessarily mean "bad," and "new" good, at least in the Gospels, since in the Pauline writings this is the ethical sense they seem to have; the relationship is not between good and bad, but between a lesser good and better. Jesus was to say: "Nobody puts new wine into old wineskins.… No! New wine, fresh skins!" (Mk 2:22). In the message of Jesus and of early Christianity, the newness is Jesus himself, his presence in history and his redemptive mission, his revelation of God and his plan for man and the universe. "The old" means all the religious or philosophical systems which seek to explain and give meaning to human life, and in which Christians would see a "praeparatio evangelica," the threshold to the new things of Christ. 

What are these new things of Christ? First of all, his is a person. He is God in a human state. Then, he is present on earth. God among human beings is an absolute novelty, never heard of before. In addition, his message is new: the revelation of God’s mystery, a mystery of ineffable communion and love and our vocation to share in this mystery. It is accomplished in the world, a man who surrendered himself totally for the good of his brothers and sisters. This is certainly the supreme witness of love and self-giving: death on the cross for our salvation. There is the sublime mystery of the resurrection, something utterly original and exclusive. Lastly, the sending of his Spirit as the "soul" of the Church, his dwelling in our history through the Eucharistic presence, and our destiny of eternal, unimaginable but very real bliss.

Our Christian newness is founded on this newness of Christ. This newness flows from Baptism, through which we come to be "children of God," "disciples of Christ," members of the Church united in faith, hope and love. This novelty impels us to imitate Jesus Christ, to reproduce his spiritual and moral features in ourselves, so that we may be other "Christs" for humankind and so that that Father will recognize us as his children, seeing in us the face of his "only begotten Son." This newness leads to a true hierarchy of values in life and to living consistently and continuously in conformity with it.

Pastoral suggestions

Christianity is new. Nevertheless many people think of it as of something antiquated, out of fashion, foreign to and outside the progress of history, having nothing to do with the person of today. Why has this phenomenon occurred? Do we Christians not appear as we are? Is it that in practice being Christian is no different from being Jewish, Muslim or indifferent to religion? These are questions that we priests cannot leave up in the air. They are questions that parish priests must ask themselves and bravely pose to their parishioners.

Here it is not a matter of expressing the dilemma between mass or elitist Christianity. It is a question of having a more lively and joyful awareness of Christian identity, of the novelty of Christianity in society and among the multitude of religions. And above all, it means living coherently within this marvelous novelty that is Christian faith, experiencing Jesus Christ, Son of God and brother of man, Redeemer of the world. As Christians, we will have many things in common with those who are not Christians and these common values must be preserved and promoted, but it is not what we have in common that defines us. In common we are different, and this difference makes us live our common values in a particular way. It also gives them the exclusive features of the Christian family, which we cannot silence but must unfurl like the banner of our identity. To be Christian is a grace we have not deserved. It is also a title that honors us, a task that involves us daily, and a novelty that constantly renews us.

Source: http://www.clerus.org/clerus/dati/2004-05/21-13/CICLOA.html by P. ANTONIO IZQUIERDO L.C. (1948-2013)

[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다].