The Easter Vigil and the Sacraments
I am so excited to share in the start of your Christian journey. This is such a special time when you will experience so many blessings. I know you were recently initiated into the Christian faith through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and, most importantly, the Eucharist. Jean Danielou states in “The Bible and the Liturgy,” “In the Christian initiation which took place during Easter Vigil, baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist formed one whole, constituting the introduction of the new Christian into the Church.”1 I wanted to spend time with you today on this sacred occasion of the Easter Vigil to highlight a few points. Your journey to this moment has been filled with prayer, reflection, and preparation. Now, as you emerge from the waters of baptism, infused with the gift of the Holy Spirit through confirmation and welcomed to the incredible blessings at the table of the Lord in the Eucharist, you embark on a new chapter in your Christian life. In reflecting upon the significance of these three sacraments, we must look into their meaning and the transformative power they hold for the rest of your Christian life in this world. We will be using insights and wisdom from Danielou to prepare you for this exploration.
First, let us look at the sacrament of baptism, where you have been cleansed from sin and reborn into a new life in Christ. Danielou reminds us of the biblical imagery associated with baptism, most notably the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites, which symbolizes liberation from bondage and the beginning of a journey toward the Promised Land.2 Similarly, your baptism marks a release from the harshness of sin and the start of a pilgrimage toward Christian hope. Danielou uses this vivid imagery made clear by Gregory of Nyssa, “The soul, in taking off the tunic of skin with which it was clothed after the fall, opens itself to the Word by taking away the veil from its heart, that is to say, the flesh. And by flesh, I mean the old man who must be taken off by those who desire to wash themselves in the bath of the Word.”3 As Danielou makes clear, baptism starts us on a lifelong participation in the paschal mystery, wherein you are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. This baptismal serves as both a tomb and womb.4 Danielou tells us, “These white garments signify at once purity of soul and incorruptibility of body.”5 Therefore, let the waters of baptism be a constant reminder of your identity as a beloved child of God, called to live joyfully according to His Word and be a witness through your life to the transformative power of Christ’s love in you.
Next, let us turn our attention to the sacrament of confirmation, wherein you received the gift of the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower you for this mission in Christ. You have been anointed with the sacred oil that reaches back to the Old Testament. Danielou tells us, “Anointing was, in the Old Testament, the rite by which priests and kings were consecrated.”6 He also reminds us of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles at Pentecost, empowering them to proclaim the Gospel fearlessly and to establish the Church as the body of Christ in the world. Like the kings and priests of old, the sacrament of confirmation equips you with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live boldly as disciples of Christ, bearing witness to his love and truth in a world in which we can endure the darkness and despair that awaits us all because of sin. Moreover, confirmation seals and confirms the grace of baptism, deepening your union with Christ and his Church. Just as the Holy Spirit emboldened the apostles to proclaim the Logos to all nations, so too are you called to be an ambassador for Christ, spreading his message of salvation to the ends of your reach. Therefore, let the blessings of the Holy Spirit, which include wisdom, fortitude, prudence, piety, justice, temperance, and fear of the Lord, guide and sustain you in your faith journey, empowering you to be a tool of God’s mercy, fulfilling your mission to spread grace in the world.
Finally, let us discuss this most important sacrament of the Eucharist, wherein you partake of the actual body and blood of Christ, nourishing your soul and uniting you more closely with the Lord and his mystical body, the Church. I want to touch on the three parts of The Eucharist briefly. We have the preparation, which is now called the offertory. Next, we have the prayer of thanksgiving said over the bread and wine, which is the Eucharistic sacrifice. And third, there is the actual disbursement of the consecrated Host to the faithful at communion.7 Danielou reminds us of the profound significance of the Eucharist as a sacrificial banquet, wherein Christ gives himself as the Paschal Lamb, whose flesh is divine food and whose blood is divine drink. This is where the world will challenge you, including other Christian faiths; do not let yourself be deceived, as the Eucharist is the real presence of Christ. I urge you to cling to this truth; by receiving the Eucharist, you will enter into communion with Christ and one another, becoming living members of His body, the Church. Furthermore, the Eucharist is a sample of the heavenly banquet, wherein all the faithful will be united in perfect communion with God for all eternity. Therefore, let the receiving of the Eucharist be the source and peak of your Christian life now, nourishing you with the grace and strength you need to persevere in faith and fulfill Christ’s mission for you.
In conclusion, as you reflect upon these gifts brought to us through the sacraments in your Christian life, may you be grateful for the abundant grace and mercy bestowed upon you by our Trinitarian God. May these sacraments serve as a constant reminder of your role as a beloved child of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world. May the partaking of the Eucharist nourish you on your faith journey, leading you to feel ever closer to the life everlasting that is Christian hope prepared for all the faithful in the kingdom of heaven.
- Danielou, Jean, The Bible and the Liturgy (127) ↩︎
- Danielou, Jean, The Bible and the Liturgy (86) ↩︎
- Danielou, Jean, The Bible and the Liturgy (39) ↩︎
- Danielou, Jean, The Bible and the Liturgy (47) (49) ↩︎
- Danielou, Jean, The Bible and the Liturgy (49) ↩︎
- Danielou, Jean, The Bible and the Liturgy (114) ↩︎
- Danielou, Jean, The Bible and the Liturgy (127) Summary of the Eucharistic rite by Danielou ↩︎