Bishop Michael Mulvey celebrated the Easter Vigil at Corpus Christi Cathedral on April 16. The Service of Light began outside at sunset with the Blessing of a new Fire. The Paschal Candle for the year was blessed, prepared and lit with the new fire. As the Paschal Candle was being processed inside the darkened church, small candles held by parishioners were lit, producing a brighter light. This “Light of Christ” began to spread throughout the cathedral.
The Litany of Saints was sung, and catechumens were baptized and confirmed as they prepared to receive first Communion, supported by the congregation and their Godparents and sponsors. The entire congregation renewed their baptismal promises and received a blessing with the baptismal water. Then the new Catholics received the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist for the very first time.
Bishop Mulvey described the Paschal Mystery as dying and rising during his homily.
“He is not here. Sometimes when we listen to the gospel, we take just the overall scene of what happened, but we need to listen to the words, ‘He’s not here.’ The women were the first to rush to the tomb, looked in, and saw that the cloths were lying on the sides of the tomb and the angels said, ‘Who are you looking for?’ And when they told him, ‘Jesus,’ they said, ‘He’s not here, He’s risen from the dead. That, sisters and brothers, is the answer to our questions. Whatever they are, He’s not here."
“He’s risen from the dead. And for that reason, St. Paul begins this beautiful epistle reading of chapter six in Romans by saying, ‘Are you unaware? Are you unaware that you who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?’"
We have to die first, die to our old ways, to our sinful life, to our judgments, to our gossiping, to our twittering and everything else that we do to hurt people,” Bishop Mulvey said. “We have to go into the tomb first to be raised.”
“It’s not about saving ourselves about our way of doing things, our wants and desires. But it’s about giving ourselves that’s resurrection. That’s when the joy of the Holy Spirit fills us when we have given ourselves, especially when it’s inconvenient. That’s resurrection. We don’t have to wait until the end. But if we live that way, we’re preparing ourselves for the great resurrection.”
“I had two funerals for two wonderful religious sisters of our dioceses. One of the pink sisters spent 50 years and contemplative life and prayer for us and a sister from the Incarnate Word who had taught many, many people in the dioceses in schools they gave their lives and to see them in their last place in the coffin and their convents. To me, it felt like liberation. They were prepared. They did what God wanted. They were little shining lights where they were,” he said.
“That’s our destiny. Let’s not fear death. Let’s not fear tomorrow. Let’s live tomorrow. Live in the love of God and love of our neighbor through action. Through simple things. Jesus Christ died for us, and he rose from the dead. He wants us to follow that same pattern and be with him forever. Happy Easter to all of you.”
Photos of the Blessing of the Fire, preparation of the Paschal Candle, lighting of the Paschal Candle and procession into the cathedral are shown in the photos below.