March 30, 2013

Holy Saturday – Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter

Reading 1 Gn 1:1—2:2

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss,
while a mighty wind swept over the waters.

Then God said,
“Let there be light,” and there was light.
God saw how good the light was.
God then separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”
Thus evening came, and morning followed—the first day.

Then God said,
“Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters,
to separate one body of water from the other.”
And so it happened:
God made the dome,
and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it.
God called the dome “the sky.”
Evening came, and morning followed—the second day.

Then God said,
“Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin,
so that the dry land may appear.”
And so it happened:
the water under the sky was gathered into its basin,
and the dry land appeared.
God called the dry land “the earth, “
and the basin of the water he called “the sea.”
God saw how good it was.
Then God said,
“Let the earth bring forth vegetation:
every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it.”
And so it happened:
the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed
and every kind of fruit tree on earth
that bears fruit with its seed in it.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the third day.

Then God said:
“Let there be lights in the dome of the sky,
to separate day from night.
Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years,
and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth.”
And so it happened:
God made the two great lights,
the greater one to govern the day,
and the lesser one to govern the night;
and he made the stars.
God set them in the dome of the sky,
to shed light upon the earth,
to govern the day and the night,
and to separate the light from the darkness.
God saw how good it was.
Evening came, and morning followed—the fourth day.

Then God said,
“Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures,
and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.”
And so it happened:
God created the great sea monsters
and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems,
and all kinds of winged birds.
God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying,
“Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas;
and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
Evening came, and morning followed—the fifth day.

Then God said,
“Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures:
cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.”
And so it happened:
God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle,
and all kinds of creeping things of the earth.
God saw how good it was.
Then God said:
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air, and the cattle,
and over all the wild animals
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.”
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying:
“Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air,
and all the living things that move on the earth.”
God also said:
“See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food;
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air,
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground,
I give all the green plants for food.”
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed.
Since on the seventh day God was finished
with the work he had been doing,
he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.

or Gn 1:1, 26-31a

In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth,
God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, 
the birds of the air, and the cattle, 
and over all the wild animals 
and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.”
God created man in his image;
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, saying: 
“Be fertile and multiply;
fill the earth and subdue it.
Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, 
and all the living things that move on the earth.”
God also said: 
“See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth 
and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; 
and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, 
and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, 
I give all the green plants for food.”
And so it happened.
God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35

R. (30) Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory,
robed in light as with a cloak.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation,
not to be moved forever;
with the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it;
above the mountains the waters stood.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
You send forth springs into the watercourses
that wind among the mountains.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell;
from among the branches they send forth their song.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
You water the mountains from your palace;
the earth is replete with the fruit of your works.
You raise grass for the cattle,
and vegetation for man’s use,
Producing bread from the earth.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
How manifold are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you have wrought them all—the earth is full of your creatures.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! Alleluia.
R. Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.

Or Ps 33:4-5, 6-7, 12-13, 20 and 22

R. (5b) The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made;
by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as in a flask;
in cellars he confines the deep.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down;
he sees all mankind.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2 Gn 22:1-18

God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am, “ he replied.
Then God said:
“Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, 
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust 
on a height that I will point out to you.”
Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey, 
took with him his son Isaac and two of his servants as well, 
and with the wood that he had cut for the holocaust, 
set out for the place of which God had told him.

On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar.
Then he said to his servants:
“Both of you stay here with the donkey, 
while the boy and I go on over yonder.
We will worship and then come back to you.”
Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust 
and laid it on his son Isaac’s shoulders, 
while he himself carried the fire and the knife.
As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham: 
“Father!” Isaac said.
“Yes, son, “ he replied.
Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood, 
but where is the sheep for the holocaust?”
“Son,” Abraham answered, 
“God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust.”
Then the two continued going forward.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, 
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Next he tied up his son Isaac, 
and put him on top of the wood on the altar.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham!”
“Here I am!” he answered.
“Do not lay your hand on the boy,” said the messenger.
“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God, 
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
As Abraham looked about, 
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram 
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.
Abraham named the site Yahweh-yireh; 
hence people now say, AOn the mountain the LORD will see.”

Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said: 
“I swear by myself, declares the LORD, 
that because you acted as you did 
in not withholding from me your beloved son, 
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; 
your descendants shall take possession 
of the gates of their enemies, 
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessingC
all this because you obeyed my command.”

or GN 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

God put Abraham to the test.
He called to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am, “ he replied.
Then God said:
“Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, 
and go to the land of Moriah.
There you shall offer him up as a holocaust 
on a height that I will point out to you.” 

When they came to the place of which God had told him, 
Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it.
Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
But the LORD’s messenger called to him from heaven,
“Abraham, Abraham!”
“Here I am, “ he answered.
“Do not lay your hand on the boy, “ said the messenger.
“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God, 
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
As Abraham looked about, 
he spied a ram caught by its horns in the thicket.
So he went and took the ram 
and offered it up as a holocaust in place of his son.

Again the LORD’s messenger called to Abraham from heaven and said: 
“I swear by myself, declares the LORD, 
that because you acted as you did 
in not withholding from me your beloved son, 
I will bless you abundantly
and make your descendants as countless
as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore; 
your descendants shall take possession 
of the gates of their enemies, 
and in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessingC
all this because you obeyed my command.”

Responsorial Psalm PS 16:5, 8, 9-10, 11

R. (1) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;
because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.

Reading 3 Ex 14:15—15:1

The LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the Israelites to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,
that the Israelites may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate
that they will go in after them.
Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army, 
his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, 
when I receive glory through Pharaoh 
and his chariots and charioteers.”

The angel of God, who had been leading Israel’s camp, 
now moved and went around behind them.
The column of cloud also, leaving the front,
took up its place behind them,
so that it came between the camp of the Egyptians
and that of Israel.
But the cloud now became dark, and thus the night passed 
without the rival camps coming any closer together
all night long.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, 
and the LORD swept the sea
with a strong east wind throughout the night
and so turned it into dry land.
When the water was thus divided, 
the Israelites marched into the midst of the sea on dry land, 
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.

The Egyptians followed in pursuit; 
all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and charioteers went after them 
right into the midst of the sea.
In the night watch just before dawn 
the LORD cast through the column of the fiery cloud
upon the Egyptian force a glance that threw it into a panic; 
and he so clogged their chariot wheels
that they could hardly drive.
With that the Egyptians sounded the retreat before Israel, 
because the LORD was fighting for them against the Egyptians.

Then the LORD told Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, 
that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians,
upon their chariots and their charioteers.”
So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, 
and at dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth.
The Egyptians were fleeing head on toward the sea, 
when the LORD hurled them into its midst.
As the water flowed back, 
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army
which had followed the Israelites into the sea.
Not a single one of them escaped.
But the Israelites had marched on dry land
through the midst of the sea, 
with the water like a wall to their right and to their left.
Thus the LORD saved Israel on that day
from the power of the Egyptians.
When Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore 
and beheld the great power that the LORD
had shown against the Egyptians, 
they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD:
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.

Responsorial Psalm Ex 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18

R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
You brought in the people you redeemed
and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O LORD,
the sanctuary, LORD, which your hands established.
The LORD shall reign forever and ever.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

Reading 4 Is 54:5-14

The One who has become your husband is your Maker;
his name is the LORD of hosts;
your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
called God of all the earth.
The LORD calls you back,
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
a wife married in youth and then cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great tenderness I will take you back. 
In an outburst of wrath, for a moment
I hid my face from you;
but with enduring love I take pity on you,
says the LORD, your redeemer.
This is for me like the days of Noah,
when I swore that the waters of Noah
should never again deluge the earth;
so I have sworn not to be angry with you,
or to rebuke you.
Though the mountains leave their place
and the hills be shaken,
my love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.
O afflicted one, storm-battered and unconsoled,
I lay your pavements in carnelians,
and your foundations in sapphires;
I will make your battlements of rubies,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
In justice shall you be established,
far from the fear of oppression,
where destruction cannot come near you.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13

R. (2a) I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear
and did not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld;
you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger lasts but a moment;
a lifetime, his good will.
At nightfall, weeping enters in,
but with the dawn, rejoicing.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me;
O LORD, be my helper.
You changed my mourning into dancing;
O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
R. I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Reading 5 Is 55:1-11

Thus says the LORD:
All you who are thirsty,
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, receive grain and eat;
come, without paying and without cost,
drink wine and milk!
Why spend your money for what is not bread,
your wages for what fails to satisfy?
Heed me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
Come to me heedfully,
listen, that you may have life.
I will renew with you the everlasting covenant,
the benefits assured to David.
As I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander of nations,
so shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and nations that knew you not shall run to you,
because of the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.

Seek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked man his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

For just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4, 5-6

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

Reading 6 Bar 3:9-15, 32-4:4

Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life:
listen, and know prudence!
How is it, Israel,
that you are in the land of your foes,
grown old in a foreign land,
defiled with the dead,
accounted with those destined for the netherworld?
You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom!
Had you walked in the way of God,
you would have dwelt in enduring peace.
Learn where prudence is,
where strength, where understanding;
that you may know also
where are length of days, and life,
where light of the eyes, and peace.
Who has found the place of wisdom,
who has entered into her treasuries?

The One who knows all things knows her;
he has probed her by his knowledge—
The One who established the earth for all time,
and filled it with four-footed beasts;
he who dismisses the light, and it departs,
calls it, and it obeys him trembling;
before whom the stars at their posts
shine and rejoice;
when he calls them, they answer, “Here we are!”
shining with joy for their Maker.
Such is our God;
no other is to be compared to him:
He has traced out the whole way of understanding,
and has given her to Jacob, his servant,
to Israel, his beloved son.

Since then she has appeared on earth,
and moved among people.
She is the book of the precepts of God,
the law that endures forever;
all who cling to her will live,
but those will die who forsake her.
Turn, O Jacob, and receive her:
walk by her light toward splendor.
Give not your glory to another,
your privileges to an alien race.
Blessed are we, O Israel;
for what pleases God is known to us!

Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (John 6:68c) Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.

Reading 7 Ez 36:16-17a, 18-28

The word of the LORD came to me, saying: 
Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their land, 
they defiled it by their conduct and deeds.
Therefore I poured out my fury upon them 
because of the blood that they poured out on the ground, 
and because they defiled it with idols.
I scattered them among the nations, 
dispersing them over foreign lands; 
according to their conduct and deeds I judged them.
But when they came among the nations wherever they came, 
they served to profane my holy name, 
because it was said of them: “These are the people of the LORD,
yet they had to leave their land.”
So I have relented because of my holy name 
which the house of Israel profaned 
among the nations where they came.
Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord GOD: 
Not for your sakes do I act, house of Israel, 
but for the sake of my holy name, 
which you profaned among the nations to which you came.
I will prove the holiness of my great name, profaned among the nations, 
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, 
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations, 
gather you from all the foreign lands, 
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities, 
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, 
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, 
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; 
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3, 4

When baptism is celebrated.

R. (42:2) Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God? 
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
I went with the throng
and led them in procession to the house of God,
Amid loud cries of joy and thanksgiving,
with the multitude keeping festival.
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.

Responsorial Psalm Is 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

When baptism is not celebrated.

R. (3) You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the LORD, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
R. You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.

or Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

When baptism is not celebrated.

R. (12a) Create a clean heart in me, O God.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a holocaust, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. Create a clean heart in me, O God.

Epistle Rom 6:3-11

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus 
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, 
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead 
by the glory of the Father, 
we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, 
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him, 
so that our sinful body might be done away with, 
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.
As to his death, he died to sin once and for all;
as to his life, he lives for God.
Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin
and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23

R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”
R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The right hand of the LORD has struck with power;
the right hand of the LORD is exalted.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the LORD.
R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The stone the builders rejected 
has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
R. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 24:1-12

At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners
and be crucified, and rise on the third day.”
And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven
and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb,
bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone;
then he went home amazed at what had happened.

From: Genesis 1:1-2:2
(The shorter reading is Genesis 1:1, 26-31a.)

The Creation Account

[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was
without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the
Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.

[3] And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. [4] And God saw that
the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called
the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there
was morning, one day.

[6] And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let
it separate the waters from the waters.” [7] And God made the firmament and se-
parated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were
above the firmament. And it was so. [8] And God called the firmament Heaven.
And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

[9] And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into
one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. [10] God called the dry
land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And
God saw that it was good. [11] And God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation,
plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each ac-
cording to its kind, upon the earth.” And it was so. [12] The earth brought forth
vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing
fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was
good. [13] And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.

[14] And God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to sepa-
rate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for
days and years, [15] and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to
give light upon the earth.” And it was so. [16] And God made the two great lights,
the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made
the stars also. [17] And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give
light upon the earth, [18] to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate
the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. [19] And there was
evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

[20] And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let
birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.” [21] So God crea-
ted the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the
waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its
kind. And God saw that it was good. [22] And God blessed them, saying, “Be
fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the
earth.” [23] And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

[24] And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their
kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their
kinds” And it was so. [25] And God made the beasts of the earth according to
their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps
upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let
them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps
upon the earth.” [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
he created him; male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them,
and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;
and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over
every living thing that moves upon the earth.” [29] And God said, “Behold, I have
given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and
every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. [30] And to every
beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on
the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for
food.” And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and be-
hold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth
day.

[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2]
And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he res-
ted on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. [3] So God blessed
the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work
which he had done in creation.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1:1-2:4a. Creation is the beginning of salvation history and the foundation on
which are built God’s salvific plans, which reach their climax in Jesus Christ.
The biblical accounts of creation focus on the action of God; it is he who sets
the scene and he is the creator, too, of those who will act out the drama and
with whom he will enter into dialogue.

The sacred text incorporates ancient traditions about the origin of the world;
scholars identify two separate accounts in the early chapters of Genesis. The
first of these emphasizes God’s transcendence over all created things, and is
written in a very schematic style; this account (1:1-2:4a) is attributed to the
“Priestly” tradition. The second, which also covers the fall and the expulsion
from paradise, speaks of God in an anthropomorphic way; this more vivid, more
popular account (2:4b-4:26) is considered to belong to the “Yahwistic” tradition.
Here we have two different ways in which the Word of God (not intending to pro-
vide a scientific explanation of the origin of the world and of man) expounds the
basic facts and truths on the subject in a way people can readily understand,
inviting us to see the greatness and love of God manifested first in creation and
then in the history of mankind. “Our faith teaches us,” St. Josemaria Escriva
writes, “that all creation, the movement of the earth and the other heavenly bo-
dies, the good actions of creatures and all the good that has been achieved in
history, in short everything, comes from God and directed toward him” (”Christ
Is Passing By”, 130).

In the first account the Bible offers profound teaching about God, about man and
about the world. About God, who is the only God, creator of all things and man
in particular; he transcends the created world and is its supreme master. About
man, who is the image and likeness of God, above all other created beings and
placed in the world to rule all creation. About the world, which is something good
and is at the service of man.

1.1. “Three things are affirmed in these first words of Scripture: the eternal God
gave a beginning to all that exists outside of himself; he alone is Creator (the verb
‘create’—Hebrew “bara”—always has God for its subject). The totality of what ex-
ists (expressed by the formula ‘the heavens and the earth’) depends on the One
who gives it being” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 290).

“In the beginning” means that creation marks the start of time and the course of
history. Time and history have a beginning and they are headed towards a final
goal, which the Bible will tell us more about, especially in its last book, Revela-
tion. At the end, we are told: ‘Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the
first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more”
(Rev 21:1).

God the Creator is the same God as will manifest himself to the patriarchs, to
Moses and to the prophets and make himself known to as through Jesus Christ.
In the light of the New Testament we know that God created all things through
his eternal Word, his beloved Son (cf. Jn 1:1; Col 1:16-17). God the Creator is
Father and Son and (the relationship of love between them) the Holy Spirit.
Creation is the work of the Blessed Trinity, and all of creation (particularly man,
created in the image and likeness of God) in some way bears their seal. Some
Fathers of the Church (Augustine, Ambrose and Basil, for example), in the light
of the New Testament, saw the words “in the beginning” as having a deeper
meaning — namely, “in the Son”.

The “action of creating” belongs exclusively to God; man cannot create; he
can only “change” or “develop” something that already exists. In the creation
accounts of other Near East religions the world and gods developed out of pre-
existent matter. The Bible, however, records gradual revelation of the mystery
of creation interpreted in the light of God’s choice of Israel and his covenant with
mankind; it roundly asserts that everything was made by God. Later on it will
draw the conclusion that everything was created out of nothing: “I beseech you,
my child, to look at the heavens and the earth and see everything that is in them,
and to recognize that God did not make them out of things that existed” (2 Mac
7:28). This creative power of God is also able to give sinful man a pure heart (cf.
Ps 51:12), to restore the dead to life and to give the light of faith to those who
do not know him (cf. 2 Cor 4:6).

It was God’s love and wisdom that moved him to create the world, thereby com-
municating his goodness and making his glory manifest. The world, therefore,
“is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind, fate or chance. We
believe that it proceeds from God’s free will; he wanted to make his creatures
share in his being, wisdom and goodness” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”,
295).

The expression “the heavens and the earth” means everything that exists. The
earth is the world of men; the sky (or the heavens) can mean the firmament or
the divine world, God’s own “place”, his glory and all spiritual (non-material)
creatures — the angels.

1:2. The Bible teaches not just that God created all things, but also that the se-
paration and ordering of the elements of nature is something established by God
once and for all. The presence of the loving power of God, symbolized by a gen-
tle breeze or a breath (the text refers to it as a spirit; “ruah” in Hebrew) which ho-
vers and keeps watch over the world when it is still in chaos, shows that, as the
text will go on to say, the Word of God and his Breath are present in the origin
of being and in the origin of every creature’s life. That is why many Fathers of the
Church (Jerome and Athanasius, for example) saw this passage as reflecting
the presence of the Holy Spirit as a divine Person who, along with the Father and
the Son, is at work in the creation of the world, “This biblical concept of creation”,
Bl. John Paul II explains, “includes not only the call to existence of the very being
of the cosmos, that is to say, “the giving of existence”, but also the presence of
the Spirit of God in creation, that is to say, the beginning of God’s salvific self-
communication to the things he creates. This is true “first of all concerning man”,
who has been created in the image and likeness of God” (”Dominum Et Vivifican-
tem”, 12).

1:3-5. At this point strictly speaking begins the description of the creation, which,
according to the literary plan of this account, is going to take place over six days.
These six days are meant to indicate the orderliness with which God went about
his work, and to show a rhythm of work and rest: the Jewish Law laid down Satur-
day, the sabbath, as a day of rest and a day dedicated to the Lord. In the Chris-
tian Church this day was shifted to Sunday, because Sunday was the day on
which our Lord rose from the dead, thereby inaugurating the new Creation: Sun-
day, the “dies dominica” (Latin), the Lord’s day.

On the first day God creates light and separates light from darkness (the latter,
being something negative—the absence of light—cannot be created). Light is seen
here as being a thing in its own right (without reference to the fact that daylight
comes from the sun, which will not be created until the fourth day). The fact that
God puts names on things (or in this case on situations caused by some ele-
ments being separated from others) indicates that he wields absolute power over
them. God is in authority, whether it be day or night.

Here we meet for the first time a phrase which is going to be used seven times
over the course of the narrative: “And God saw that it was good.” This means
that everything that God creates is good because in some way it bears his seal
and shares in his own goodness, for it has come from divine goodness. The good-
ness of the world proclaimed here by Holy Scripture has important consequences
for the Christian: “We must love the world and work and all human things. For the
world is good. Adam’s sin destroyed the divine balance of creation; but God the
Father sent his only Son to re-establish peace, so that we, his children by adop-
tion, might free creation from disorder and reconcile all things to God” (St. J. Es-
criva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 112).

1:6-8. In line with the culture of their time, the early Hebrews thought that rain
came from huge containers of water in the vault of heaven; when trapdoors were
opened, the rain poured down. When it says here that God separated the water
which were above the firmament from those below, what is really being taught is
that God imposed order on the natural world and is responsible for the phenome-
non of rain. It is also making it clear from the outset that the firmament must not
be thought to involve any divinity (as was believed in the nations roundabout
Israel); the firmament is part of the created world.

1:11. As the inspired author depicts here, a distinction is made between God’s
action in separating and ordering the elements (creating the vast spaces of sky,
sea and land) and his action of filling or adorning these spaces with different
kinds of creatures. These creatures introduced in an increasing order of dignity
(in line with the thinking of the time)—first the vegetable kingdom, then the stel-
lar kingdom, and, lastly, the animal kingdom. Everything is perfectly arranged;
the world of Creation invites to contemplate the Creator.

1:14-17. Against the neighboring religions, which regarded the heavenly bodies
as divinities exerting influence over human life, the biblical author, enlightened
by inspiration, teaches that the sun, moon and stars are simply created things;
their purpose is to serve man by giving him light by day and night, and to be a
way of measuring time. Put in their proper, natural place heavenly bodies (like
all the rest of creation) lead man to appreciate the greatness of God, and to
praise him for his awesome works: “The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork...” (Ps 19:1; cf. Ps 104). It follows
that all forms of divination are to be rejected—consulting horoscopes, astrology,
clairvoyance etc. (cf. “Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 2116).

1:26. The sacred text emphasizes the special significance of this moment: God
seems to stop to reflect and plan every detail of his next creation—man. Ancient
Jewish interpretation (followed also by some Christian writers) saw the use of
the plural “Let us make...” as meaning that God deliberated with his heavenly
court, that is, with the angels (implying that God had created them at the very
start, when he “created the heavens and the earth”). But the use of the plural
should rather be taken as reflecting the greatness and power of God. A consi-
derable part of Christian tradition has seen the “Let us make” as reflecting the
Holy Trinity, for New Testament revelation has made the Christian reader more
aware of the unfathomable greatness of the divine mystery.

“Man” here has a collective meaning: every human being, by his or her very na-
ture, is in the image and likeness of God. The human being is intelligible not by
reference to other created beings in the universe but by reference to God. The
likeness between God and man is not a physical one, for God has no body; it
is a spiritual likeness, lying in the human being’s capacity for interiority. The Se-
cond Vatican Council teaches that man is not deceived when he regards himself
as superior to bodily things and as more than just a speck of nature or a name-
less unit in the city of man. For by his power to know himself in the depths of his
being he rises above the whole universe of mere objects. When he is drawn to
think about his real self, he turns to those deep recesses of his being where God
who probes the heart (1 Kings 16:7; Jer 17:10) awaits him, and where he himself
decides his own destiny in the sight of God. So when he recognizes in himself a
spiritual and immortal soul, he is not being led astray by false imaginings that
are due to merely physical or social causes. On the contrary, he grasps what is
profoundly true in this matter” (”Gaudium Et Spes”, 14).

The fact that God creates man in own image and likeness “means not only ratio-
nality and freedom as constitutive properties of human nature, but also from the
very beginning, the capacity of having a “personal relationship” with God as ‘I’
and ‘you’ and therefore the capacity “of having a covenant”, which will take place
in God’s salvific communication with man” (Bl. John Paul II, “Dominum Et Vivifi-
cantem”, 34). In the light of this communication, brought about in all its fullness
by Jesus Christ, the Fathers of the Church read the words “image and likeness”
as meaning, on the one hand man’s spiritual condition, and, on the other, his
sharing in the divine nature through sanctifying grace. Even after the fall, man is
still in the “image” of God; through sin, however, he lost his “likeness” but this
was restored through Christ’s redemption.

It is part of God’s design that human beings should have dominion over other crea-
ted things (represented here by the animals). This dominion makes man God’s re-
presentative (everything really belongs to God) in the created world. Therefore, al-
though man is going to be the lord of creation, he needs to recognize that God
alone is the Creator; man has to respect and look after creation; he is responsible
for it.

These words of Scripture show that “man is the only creature that God has loved
for itself alone, because all others were created to be at the service of man. Here
we can see, too, the basic equality of all human beings. For the Church, this
equality, which has its roots in man’s very being, takes on the very special dimen-
sion of brotherhood through the Incarnation of the Son of God. [...] Therefore, dis-
crimination of any type [...] is absolutely unacceptable” (Bl. John Paul II, Address,
7 July 1984).

1:27. The creation of man marks the completion of God’s plan. In presenting this
final act of creation, the sacred writer offers us a summary of the things that go
to make up the human being. As well as repeating that God created man in his
image and likeness, he tells us that God created them man and woman, that is
to say, corporeal beings, endowed with sexuality, and designed to live in society.
“Being in the image of God, the human individual possesses the dignity of a per-
son, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge,
of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with
other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator to offer
him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead”
(”Catechism of the Catholic Church”, 357).

“The fact that man ‘created as man and woman’ is the image of God means not
only that each of them individually is like God, as a rational and free being. It al-
so means that man and woman, created as a ‘unity of the two’ in their common
humanity, are called to live in a communion of love, and in this way to mirror in
the world the communion of love that is in God, through which the Three Persons
love each other in the intimate mystery of the one divine life. This ‘unity of the
two’, which is a sign of interpersonal communion, “shows that the creation of
man” is also marked by a certain likeness to the divine communion (”commu-
nio”). This likeness is a quality of the personal being of both man and woman,
and is also a call and a task” (Bl. John Paul II, “Mulieris Dignitatem”, 7).

The fact that the Bible and everyday language speak of God as masculine is a
result of cultural influences and the great care taken in the Bible to avoid any
hint of polytheism (which could arise if the godhead were described as feminine,
opening the way to generations of gods, as in other religions). God transcends
the body and sexuality; therefore, both man (masc.) and woman (fem.) equally
reflect his image and likeness. In these words of Genesis, for the very first time
in history, the fundamental equality in dignity of man and woman is proclaimed
— in marked contrast with the low esteem in which women were held in the an-
cient world.

According to the traditional Jewish and Christian interpretation, this verse is allu-
ding to marriage, as if God had already created the first man and the first woman
as a married couple — forming that human community which is the basis of every
society. In the second Genesis account of the creation of man and woman (cf.
2:18-24), this will emerge even more clearly.

1:28. God has already created animals, endowing them with fruitfulness (v. 22).
He now addresses these two human beings personally: “he said to them...”;
this indicates that the reproductive power of human beings (and therefore their
sexuality) are values for which they must assume responsibility before God, as
a way of co-operating in God’s plans. Thus, God, “wishing to associate them in
a special way with his own creative work, blessed man and woman with the
words: ‘Be fruitful and multiply’ (Gen 1:28). Without intending to underestimate
the other ends of marriage, it must be said that true married love and the whole
structure of family life which results from it is directed to disposing the spouses
to cooperate valiantly with the love of the Creator and Savior, who through them
will increase and enrich his family from day to day” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et
Spes”, 50).

God also commands man to make the earth serve him. Here divine Revelation
is teaching us that human work is regarded as a way by which man operates in
the plan God had when he created the world: “By the work of his hands and with
the aid of technical means man tills the earth to bring fruit and to make it a dwel-
ling place for all mankind; he also consciously plays his part in the life of social
groups; in so doing he is realizing the design, which God revealed at the begin-
ning of time, to subdue the earth and perfect the work of creation, and at the
same time he is improving his own person” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 57).

From this divine disposition we see the importance a person’s work has in his
or her personal life: “Your human vocation is a part—and an important part — of
your divine vocation. That reason why you must strive for holiness, giving a par-
ticular character to your human personality, a style to your life; contributing at
the same time to the sanctification of others, your fellow men; sanctifying your
work and your environment: the profession or job that fills day, your home and
family and the country where you were born and which you love [...]. Work, all
work, bears witness to the dignity of man, to his dominion over creation. It is an
opportunity to develop one’s personality. It is a bond of union with others, the
way to support one’s family, a means of aiding the improvement of the society
in which we live and in the progress of all mankind” (”Christ Is Passing By”,
46-47).

Man is charged by God with mastery over the earth; but he may not do whatever
he likes with it or act despotically: he should respect the universe as being the
work of the Creator. In this regard, Wisdom 9:3 says: “O God, [...] who hast
formed man, to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made, and rule the
world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in uprightness of
soul.” “This holds good also for our daily work. When men and women provide
for themselves and their families in such a way as to be of service to the commu-
nity as well, they can rightly look upon their work as a prolongation of the work
of the creator, a service to their fellow men, and their personal contribution to the
fulfillment in history of the divine plan” (Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 34).

1:31. These words bring to an end this first description of the work of Creation. It
is as if God, after making man, stood back to see what he had done and was very
pleased with the result. Whereas the wording previously used was “And God saw
that it was good,” now we are told that it was “very good”. In this way, the good-
ness of the created world is being stressed, indicating that “this natural goodness
of theirs receives an added dignity from their relation with the human person, for
whose use they have been created” (Vatican II, “Apostolicam Actuositatem”, 7).
From this it follows that the human person and his/her dignity must be valued
above all other created things, and all human endeavor should be geared to foster
and defend these values.

2:1-3. From this point onwards, God will almost never intervene in creation direct-
ly. Now it is up to man to act in the created world through the work he does.

God’s “resting” sets an example for man. By resting, we are acknowledging that
creation in the last analysis depends on and belongs to God, and that God is
watching over it. Here rest is an example set by the Creator; we shall later find it
as one of the Ten Commandments (cf. Ex 20:8-18; Deut 5:42-14). “The institution
of the Lord’s Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their
familial, cultural, social and religious lives” (”Catechism of the Catholic Church”,
2184; cf. also Bl. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter, “Dies Domini”, 31 May 1998).

Apropos of the sabbath, unlike the other days there is no mention of there being
evening and morning. It is as if that rhythm of time were being broken by the sab-
bath — prefiguring the situation in which man, once he has accomplished his mis-
sion of mastering the earth, will enjoy an unending rest, at an eternal feast in
God’s presence (cf. Heb 4:1-10). In the language of the Bible “feast” or “festival”
means three things—a) obligatory rest from everyday work; b) recognition of God
as Lord of creation, and joyful contemplation of the created world; c) a foretaste
of the enduring rest and joy that will be man’s after he leaves this world.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Romans 6:3-11

Baptism (Continuation)

[3] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into His death? [4] We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into
death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we
too might walk in newness of life.

[5] For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be
united with Him in a resurrection like His. [6] We know that our old self was cru-
cified with Him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no lon-
ger be enslaved to sin. [7] For He who has died is freed from sin. [8] But if we
have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. [9] For we know
that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has
dominion over him. [10] The death He died He died to sin once for all, but the life
He lives He lives to God. [11] So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin
and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-11. The universal dominion of sin, which began with the sin of Adam, is not
the only event to be reckoned with. When sin reached its full extent, the grace
brought by Jesus Christ came in superabundance. Through Baptism this grace
reaches each of us and frees us from the control of sin. When we receive this
Sacrament we die: that is to say, our blameworthiness is destroyed, we re-
nounce sin once and for all, and are born again into a new life.

“The Lord”, St. Ambrose tells the newly baptized, “who wanted His benefactions
to endure, the serpent’s plans to be turned to naught, and the harm done to be
put right, delivered a sentence to mankind: ‘You are dust, and to dust you shall
return’ (Genesis 3:19), and made man subject to death [...]. The remedy was gi-
ven him: man would die and rise again [...]. You ask me how? [...] Pay attention.
So that in this world too the devil’s snare would be broken, a rite was instituted
whereby man would die, being alive, and rise again, being alive [...]. Through im-
mersion in water the sentence is blotted out: ‘You are dust, and to dust you
shall return’” (”De Sacramentis”, II, 6).

This passage of the epistle, which reveals the key truths concerning Baptism,
also reminds us of the profound meaning of this rite which Christ established, its
spiritual effects in Christians and its far-reaching effects with respect to the Chris-
tian life. Thus, we can apply to Baptism what St. Thomas Aquinas says about
all the sacraments: “Three aspects of sanctification may be considered — its very
cause, which is Christ’s Passion; its form, which is grace and the virtues; and its
ultimate end, which is eternal life. And all these are signified by the sacraments.
Consequently, a sacrament is a sign which is both a reminder of the past, that is,
of the Passion of Christ, and an indication of what is effected in us by Christ’s
Passion, and a foretelling and pledge of future glory” (”Summa Theologiae”, III,
q. 60, a. 3).

In the specific case of Baptism, the various things which the Sacrament implies
carry a special nuance—a new birth which presupposes a symbolic death. It re-
produces in us not only the Passion, Death and burial of Christ, symbolized by
immersion in water (verses 3-4, 6), but also new life, the life of grace which pours
into the soul, enabling the person to share in the Resurrection of Christ (verses
4-5). This sharing in Christ’s Resurrection to immortal life is a kind of seed which
will ultimately produce the glorious resurrection of our bodies.

The baptized person is, therefore, someone newly created, someone born into a
new life, someone who has moved out of darkness into light. The white garment
used at Baptism symbolizes innocence and grace; the burning candle, the light
of Christ—two symbols the Church uses in the baptismal liturgy to signify what
is happening.

Thus, in Baptism, God “removes every trace of sin, whether original or personal”
(”The Rite of Baptism”, Introduction, 5) and also remits the penalties that these
sins incur. On being baptized in the name of the Three Divine Persons, the Chris-
tian is shown God the Father’s love for him (a love he has not merited), is given
a share in the Paschal Mystery of the Son, and to him is communicated new
life in the Spirit (cf. “Instruction on Infant Baptism”, 20 October 1980, 9). Baptism,
which is also described as “the door of the spiritual life”, unites a person to Christ
and to the Church by means of grace, which makes us children of God and heirs
to Heaven. Finally, in addition to the infused virtues and supernatural gifts, the
person is given “the graces necessary to live in a Christian way, and on his soul
is impressed the sacramental character which makes him a Christian for ever-
more” (”St. Pius X Catechism”, 250).

Baptism, which confers a “character”, that is, a kind of seal confirming our Chris-
tian calling, gives us a share in Christ’s priesthood and makes us capable of re-
ceiving the other sacraments.

4. It is easier to grasp the symbolism of burial and resurrection if one remembers
that in earlier times, and particularly in the apostolic period, Baptism was usual-
ly administered by immersion in water—in some cases by total immersion, up
to three times, with one Person of the Blessed Trinity being invoked each time.
“They asked you, ‘Do you believe in God the Father almighty?’ You said, ‘I be-
lieve’, and you were immersed, that is, you were buried. Again they asked you,
‘Do you believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Cross?’ You said, ‘I believe’,
and you were again immersed. This time you have been buried with Christ, and
he who is buried with Christ rises with Christ. For a third time you were asked,
‘Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?’ You said, ‘ I believe’, and for a third time you
were immersed, so that by this three-fold confession you might be loosed of
your many attachments to your past life” (St. Ambrose, “De Sacramentis”, II, 7).

Today Baptism is normally administered by pouring water over the head — a me-
thod also used in apostolic times and which gradually came into general use be-
cause it was found more convenient.

5. Just as the ingraft and the plant form a single thing and make a single princi-
ple of life, Christians by being grafted onto or incorporated into Christ through
Baptism form one single thing with Him and begin to draw on His divine life. We
are also “united with Him in a death like His”: Christ suffered physical death; we,
in Baptism, die spiritually to the life of sin. St. John Chrysostom explains this
as follows: “Baptism is for us what the Cross and burial were for Christ; but with
this difference: the Savior died physically, He was physically buried, whereas we
ought to die spiritually. That is why the Apostle does not say we are ‘united with
Him with His death’, but ‘in a death like his’” (”Hom. on Rom.”, 10).

9-10. Jesus Christ chose to bear all the consequences of sin, even though He
was sinless. His voluntary death on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection
broke the bonds of death, for Himself and for all His own. Death no longer shall
have dominion: “[Christ died] that through death He might destroy him who has
the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of
death were subject to lifelong bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). And as a conse-
quence He won, for His own human nature and for us, a new life.

In all those who have been baptized these same events in Christ’s life are in
some way reproduced. “Our past sins have been wiped out by the action of
grace. Now, so as to stay dead to sin after Baptism, personal effort is called
for, although God’s grace continues to be with us, providing us with great help”
(Chrysostom, “Hom. on Rom.”, 11). This personal effort might be encapsulated
in a resolution: “May we never die through sin; may our spiritual resurrection be
eternal” (St. J. Escriva, “Holy Rosary”, 1st Glorious Mystery).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

There is no Mass on Holy Saturday itself. Here are the readings for the evening Easter Vigil.

EITHER:

First reading	Genesis 1:1-2:2 ©

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God’s spirit hovered over the water.

God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light. God saw that light was good, and God divided light from darkness. God called light ‘day’, and darkness he called ‘night.’ Evening came and morning came: the first day.

God said, ‘Let there be a vault in the waters to divide the waters in two.’ And so it was. God made the vault, and it divided the waters above the vault from the waters under the vault. God called the vault ‘heaven.’ Evening came and morning came: the second day.

God said, ‘Let the waters under heaven come together into a single mass, and let dry land appear.’ And so it was. God called the dry land ‘earth’ and the mass of waters ‘seas’, and God saw that it was good.

God said, ‘Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees bearing fruit with their seed inside, on the earth.’ And so it was. The earth produced vegetation: plants bearing seed in their several kinds, and trees bearing fruit with their seed inside in their several kinds. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the third day.

God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to divide day from night, and let them indicate festivals, days and years. Let them be lights in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth.’ And so it was. God made the two great lights: the greater light to govern the day, the smaller light to govern the night, and the stars. God set them in the vault of heaven to shine on the earth, to govern the day and the night and to divide light from darkness. God saw that it was good. Evening came and morning came: the fourth day.

God said, ‘Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth within the vault of heaven.’ And so it was. God created great sea-serpents and every kind of living creature with which the waters teem, and every kind of winged creature. God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas; and let the birds multiply upon the earth.’ Evening came and morning came: the fifth day.

God said, ‘Let the earth produce every kind of living creature: cattle, reptiles, and every kind of wild beast.’ And so it was. God made every kind of wild beast, every kind of cattle, and every kind of land reptile. God saw that it was good.

God said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’

God created man in the image of himself,

in the image of God he created him,

male and female he created them.

God blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and conquer it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all living animals on the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I give you all the seed-bearing plants that are upon the whole earth, and all the trees with seed-bearing fruit; this shall be your food. To all wild beasts, all birds of heaven and all living reptiles on the earth I give all the foliage of plants for food.’ And so it was. God saw all he had made, and indeed it was very good. Evening came and morning came: the sixth day.

Thus heaven and earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work he had been doing.

OR:

First reading	Genesis 1:1,26-31 ©

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

God created man in the image of himself,

in the image of God he created him,

male and female he created them.

EITHER:

Psalm	Psalm 103:1-2,5-6,10,12-14,24,35 ©