Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

Do Not Be Afraid… Come and See… Go

Tonight is not just another Mass.

This is the night. The night when everything changes. The night when darkness gives way to light, when death gives way to life, when silence is broken by the voice of God.

We began outside in the dark. A fire was lit. A candle was raised. And slowly, that light spread—one flame shared again and again until this whole church was filled with light.

That’s not just a ritual. That’s what God is doing. That’s what He has always been doing—taking what seems small, taking what seems lost, and filling the world with His light.

And tonight, we heard the story. Not just a story—our story. From the very beginning: creation, the promise to Abraham, the crossing of the Red Sea. Again and again, God shows us the same thing: He makes a way where there is no way.

And then we come to the Gospel. The women go to the tomb. They are not expecting resurrection. They are filled with grief, confusion, and loss. They go looking for Jesus—but they go looking for Him among the dead.

And the angel says something that changes everything: “Do not be afraid… He is not here… He has been raised.”

And then: “Come and see… and go.”

Come and see. Go. That’s the whole Christian life right there. Come and see what God has done—and then go and live it. Go and tell it. Go and become it.

And then Jesus Himself appears. And what does He say? “Do not be afraid… Go tell my brothers…” That’s not just for them. That’s for us.

Do not be afraid—not of death, not of sin, not of the past, not of what still feels unfinished in your life. Because Christ is risen. And if He is risen, then nothing is final except His victory.

And tonight, we see that victory in a powerful way. Because in just a few moments, we will witness something extraordinary: new life.

Those who are about to be baptized are not just joining a church. They are being united to Christ. As St. Paul tells us, we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too might live in newness of life.

That means something real happens. This is not symbolic. This is not just a welcome. This is death and resurrection.

The old life—sin, everything that separates us from God—is left behind. And a new life begins: God’s life.

But here’s the important part—this is not just their night. This is our night. Because every one of us here has been given that same life. Maybe years ago. Maybe decades ago. But tonight, we are reminded of who we are.

We are not people defined by our past. We are not people defined by our failures. We are people who have been raised with Christ.

And maybe some of us are thinking: How? How do I actually live that?

It’s not complicated. But it is real.

It means you stop letting your past define you. Not because it didn’t happen, but because it’s not who you are anymore.

It means when you fall into sin, you don’t stay there. You get up. You go to confession. You begin again—because Christ has already won.

It means in your home, you choose patience instead of holding onto frustration. You choose forgiveness instead of holding onto resentment. Because death does not win there.

It means in your work, you act with integrity even when no one notices. You treat people with dignity even when it costs you something—because you know who you belong to.

And in your relationships, it means you love even when it’s difficult. You reach out even when it feels easier to withdraw. You don’t give up on people—because God has not given up on you.

That’s what it looks like. Not something dramatic, but something faithful, something steady, something real.

Living every day as someone who knows the tomb is empty.

“Do not be afraid. Come and see. Go.”

Come and see what God has done tonight—and then go. Go into your homes. Go into your work. Go into your schools. Go into your relationships.

And live as people who know: death does not win. Sin does not win. Christ has already won.

And now, this becomes real. Not just something we hear, but something we will see.

Those who will be baptized tonight—listen now as your names are called.

Let’s watch what God does.