HOLY SATURDAY AT THE EASTER VIGIL IN THE HOLY NIGHT OF EASTER - Gospel (Luke 24:1-12)
- NHA CHUA CHA
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
FIRST READING - Heb 4, 1-16
A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’ "although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - 27:60-66
From the Gospel according to Matthew
And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
HOLY SATURDAY AT THE EASTER VIGIL IN THE HOLY NIGHT OF EASTER
Gospel (Luke 24:1-12)
Dear People of God,
The Word of God for today, God the Father, invites all of His children to gather in His holy place to glorify and praise Him. For He is Holy, Most Holy, and Holy Forever! All things in heaven and earth, creatures, this world, and the universe are created by God the Father. He has authority over all things; no creature is outside the loving arms, providence, and care of God the Father!
On the occasion of Easter, God the Father wants to send a message to His children, reminding them that He has authority over life and death, complete authority over people, and full authority over all things and all species. All things must be under the authority of God the Father. God the Father can do all things; whatever He desires is created. He speaks a word, and it is done!
Therefore, all creatures, the little children of God the Father, must bow down before His Majesty. Do not be arrogant and think that we can control the universe, create science, create humans, create life, create breath, or create all material wealth. Do not think we can do this or that in the universe. Humans should not be proud that they have created weapons capable of destroying humanity—the most sophisticated and advanced weapons that can serve human while leaving God out. Humans should not be foolishly arrogant, thinking that they can cause a world war with destructive power, destroy the human world, and then re-establish a new world in human style. Humans are very wrong! Everything is under the powerful hand of God the Father; everything is under His command. He sees everything in everyone.
As the reading from Exodus in today's Easter Vigil shows, people know God the Father's authority over mankind and nature! No matter how powerful or talented Pharaoh was, he was only under the guidance of God the Father. If He gives life, Pharaoh lives; if He imparts death, Pharaoh must die; if He grants freedom to act in this world, Pharaoh can act freely. Everything is under the eyes of God the Father, under His providence.
Therefore, God the Father wants to call all His children to fear God the Father, who is powerful, infinite, and boundless. No force can oppose Him; nothing can hide from Him! He opens the sea, parting it to create a dry path beneath, or makes the sea overflow—only God's powerful hand can do this. Only God can harden the human heart, and He will make people beautiful and holy before God the Father. There is nothing He cannot do!
Therefore, God the Father calls all His children to fear Him at all times and in all places, to avoid all occasions of sin, to abandon the sinful path of the world, abandon Satan, to run to God the Father, to hide under His mighty hand, under His greatness, His infinite power. Rely on Him, trust Him, and completely entrust your soul and body to the providence of God the Father and His sacred protection. That is to walk on the path of holiness and the authority of God the Father, to live and act according to what God the Father teaches in the Bible, in the Real Word of God, and through the voice of conscience, as well as through the daily charity of the Holy Spirit acting on humanity. And above all, believe in only one God—believe that God is the master of all things. He gives life, then life; He imparts death, then death.
God the Father wants all His children to believe absolutely that Jesus Christ sacrificed, died, and rose again to save all mankind. That is the truth—He came from God. He is the true God, who came to this world to save and love mankind. That is the truth. He sacrificed His humanity to humble Himself, to become a human being like any other human being, to be with mankind, and to help mankind escape from the dark imprisonment of Satan through His sacrifice, death, and resurrection. That is the truth. What God the Father wants to remind and teach mankind today is to believe absolutely in Jesus Christ as the true God and the true Man. He came to the world to sacrifice, die, and rise again to save mankind. That is the truth. All those who believe in this will be saved. But they must practice according to the teachings of God the Father through Jesus Christ, not just profess with their lips. Practicing according to the example of Jesus Christ—sacrificing, dying, and resurrecting to save humanity—that is the truth. And through the practice of the disciples following Jesus Christ, they truly believed that Jesus was resurrected, and they joyfully went out to preach the Good News about Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected. A Jesus Christ who is God, who came to earth to become a human being to save all humanity. A Jesus Christ sacrificing and dying on the cross to redeem humanity—that is the truth.
If all those who believe in Jesus Christ as God, who sacrificed Himself to death on the cross and rose again, but do not practice their faith, they will not be saved!
What God the Father wants to emphasize for people to know is: To believe in God is to live according to His Word, which is to love and forgive, to believe in God's power. He can do everything—He turns evil into good, He turns from nothing into something, He makes the dead come back to life, and He is the true God who comes to accompany and be with humanity at all times and in all places.
That is why God the Father calls all His children to run to Him at all times and in all places, to open their hearts to welcome Him into their beings, and to live according to what God the Father teaches. That is the belief in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again. As in the Word of God for today, it talks about the image of Mary Magdalene and the other Apostles who believed in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again after three days.
Today's Word of God: God the Father invites all His children to joyfully celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to save humanity. Give thanks to Him in all places, at all times, and in all circumstances of life. Always live in joy and happiness because of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to save you, to redeem your sins, and to live according to the teachings of God the Father. Reject all sins and the ways of this world, follow God the Father, and work for Him. Do everything that God the Father wants, seek the benefit of humanity, know how to obey, fear, and listen to the Word of God the Father in all places and at all times, putting it into practice. Therefore, absolutely do not reject the teachings of God the Father and follow the temptations of Satan. On the contrary, we must resolutely reject what Satan brings to us in order to completely obey the will of God the Father at all times and places. Only then will we be worthy to follow the faith in Jesus who died and was resurrected to save our humanity from the control and restraint of the darkness that Satan brings, and to lead us to enjoy happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven with the resurrected Jesus Christ.
Next, God the Father wants all people in the world today to have absolute faith in Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected, following the example of Magdalene and the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, to go out and preach the Gospel of Salvation joyfully. They must call on everyone to believe in Jesus Christ, who died and was resurrected to save themselves, and to be determined to give up the things of the world to follow God the Father, living in His heart to enjoy eternal happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven, with God the Father.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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