For the past two days, we have seen and experienced Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, the giving of himself in the Eucharist and his death on the cross. Today we come to the moment where the foundation of our faith lies – the empty tomb. The empty tomb is the fulfilment of all that Jesus has taught. If there wasn’t an empty tomb, there would be no Christian faith. If the reason for Jesus’ death had been love, in the resurrection of Jesus, love has been shown to be stronger than death, stronger than evil. Love made Christ descend, and love is also the power by which he ascends.
Today we use two powerful symbols – fire & water. In the Bible, both there symbols have been associated with the act of purification. In our celebration, we received the light and we will be sprinkled with holy water. They remind us of the constant need for us to be transformed and purified.
We now end the season of Lent. Our sacrifices, fasting, come to an “official” end. Some may think that with the end of the season of Lent, it is also the end of the Church’s call to change. We will not hear songs of repentance and death until the next season of Lent. But this does not mean that change stops here.
The fire and water symbolically reminds us that we need to continually change so that we can be examples of Christian faith in the world. In our midst today, we welcome new members into the Catholic faith. Not just here in our parish but throughout the world thousands of people will accept Christ to be their Saviour.
Our mission is to be living examples of Christian faith. The light and water not only reminds us that we need to be continually purified but light reminds us that we are to shine brightly in the world for all to see and experience its warmth. Water also reminds us that the Church will continue to quench our thirst through the Eucharist and the Word of God so that we may in turn go and quench the thirst of others.
Let our celebration tonight empower us to be living examples of the new life that Jesus gives us through His resurrection.