My dear catechumens, candidates, and beloved friends, this night is unlike any other. Tonight is the heart of our faith, where everything we have known and hoped for comes together: “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised.”
These words spoken to the women at the tomb ring in our hearts tonight. They capture the extraordinary truth that transforms everything. Jesus Christ, who has always been with us, who existed before the world began and who will remain after all things pass away, has conquered death itself. Christ, our Alpha and Omega, has shattered the darkness of sin and death by rising victorious.
All the stories we have recounted tonight—the creation of the world from chaos, the calling of Abraham, the liberation from Egypt, the prophetic assurances of God’s unfailing love—lead directly to this moment. These are not just distant memories or mere historical facts. They are your story, our story. They tell us of a God whose love pursues us relentlessly, even when we turn away. A God who did not abandon humanity when we rejected him in the garden, nor when we crucified his Son. Instead, in the face of rejection, God chose love, and love has won.
Tonight, we stand at the empty tomb, invited to see life through the resurrection. The tomb is empty—not because of theft or confusion—but because death itself could not hold the author of life. Christ’s resurrection means death is defeated, not only for him but also for you and for me. Tonight, dear catechumens, as you enter the waters of baptism, you too will die and rise with Christ. In baptism, your old selves, weighed down by sin and fear, will be buried with Christ. And as you emerge from the waters, you will rise with him, a new creation, made radiant with his life.
And you, candidates, sealed with the sacred chrism, will share more fully in this victorious life. The same oil once poured over prophets, priests, and kings, tonight is poured upon you. You are set apart, marked permanently as Christ’s own, receiving the Holy Spirit to empower you as living witnesses of his resurrection. You are no longer ordinary. Tonight, you become bearers of extraordinary grace.
Yet this victory is not merely personal—it compels us outward. As surely as the Paschal candle illuminates this night, so now you are the light of Christ sent forth to a world still shadowed in darkness. You are to shine with compassion in the face of hatred, to bring peace where there is division, and hope where despair lingers.
My friends, this resurrected life is not reserved just for tonight—it is yours forever. As you leave this church, remember that you carry within you the promise of a new creation. Death does not have the final word. Sin holds no permanent power. Christ lives, and because he lives, you too live, not merely existing, but thriving, full of grace and purpose.
Go forth tonight, carrying the light of the risen Christ within you. Illuminate every corner of your life, every place you touch, every heart you encounter. Let the world see clearly through your joy and peace that Christ is indeed risen, and darkness has forever lost its hold.