At the Vigil Mass during the Holy Night of Easter at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis urges us to “gaze upward” towards Jesus, the divine embodiment of life. He emphasizes that embracing Him ensures that no setback will lead us to desolation.
By Lisa Zengarini
Pope Francis led the customary Easter Vigil during the Holy Night of Easter at Saint Peter’s Basilica on Saturday evening. The ceremony commenced at the Basilica’s entrance with the poignant ritual of fire blessing, followed by a candlelit procession accompanied by the singing of Lumen Christi as the Basilica’s lights illuminated in full splendor. The event encompassed the baptism and confirmation of eight catechumens hailing from Italy (4), South Korea (2), Japan (1), and Albania (1).
“Who will remove the stone from the tomb?”
In his sermon, Pope Francis reflected on the Gospel narrative of the women visiting Jesus’ vacant tomb, highlighting two pivotal moments from that episode.
Pope Francis participated in the Way of the Cross procession at Rome’s Colosseum on Good Friday from his residence at Casa Santa Marta, engaging the faithful in contemplation of our …
Initially, the grieving women were perturbed by a query: “Who will roll away the stone from the tomb?”.
“The stone, a formidable barrier,” remarked the Pope, “symbolized the women’s emotional turmoil. It epitomized the shattering of their aspirations, now crushed by the enigmatic and mournful mystery that terminated their dreams.”
The obstacles akin to tombstones in our existence
At times in our lives, noted the Pope, we also encounter this sensation of being engulfed by grief and hopelessness: “We confront these obstacles resembling tombstones in the void left by the demise of our beloved, in the setbacks and apprehensions that impede us from achieving the good we strive for,” but also “in all manifestations of self-absorption that stifle our inclinations towards generosity and genuine love, in the impenetrable walls of egotism and apathy hindering our endeavors to construct fairer and more compassionate cities and societies, in all our yearnings for peace shattered by brutal animosity and the savagery of warfare.”
The triumph of vitality over demise
Nonetheless, Pope Francis underscored, the same women who harbored this darkness within them relay something truly extraordinary: upon lifting their gaze, they witnessed that the weighty stone had already been rolled away, unveiling God’s might: “the conquest of life over death, the supremacy of light over darkness, the resurgence of hope amidst the wreckage of defeat.”
Directing our focus towards Jesus, our Passover
Hence, Pope Francis encouraged the faithful to “gaze upward” towards Him: “If we permit Jesus to guide us,” he expressed, “no encounter with failure or sorrow, however agonizing, will dictate the final narrative of the purpose and trajectory of our lives.
“If we allow ourselves to be uplifted by the Resurrected Lord, no setback, no anguish, no demise will impede our journey towards the completeness of life.”
By embracing Jesus, “our Passover,” the “Divine Source of life,” into our lives, and affirming our allegiance to Him, the Pope appended, “no obstacle will obstruct the path to our hearts, no tomb will quell the delight of life, no defeat will consign us to despondency.”
“Let us direct our gaze towards Him, the Risen Lord,” he concluded, “and advance with the assurance that, amidst the murky backdrop of our shattered aspirations and our mortalities, the eternal life that he arrived to bestow is presently amidst us.”
“The Man of Sorrows is no longer incarcerated: he has breached the barrier; he is hastening to meet you. Amidst the darkness, let an unforeseen cry of jubilation echo: He lives; he is resurrected!”