livingtheword

Reflection Guide Easter Vigil Year C

Reading 1-  Gn 1:1—2:2 or 1:1, 26-31a, Epistle Rom 6:3-11  Gospel: Lk 24:1-12

(The Discussion Guide for Easter Sunday Year C is available here )

Easter Vigil Discussion Questions

• St Augustine has famously called the Easter Vigil ‘The Mother of All Feasts’. This special night gives us signs, symbols, words, gestures which are at the heart of our Catholic Christian faith and identity. Every Sunday celebration flows from this Easter Celebration.

• We gather in the dark of night. Darkness symbolising an absence of light, an unclear path to walk. Gathering around the light of a fire. Like people of ancient times have gathered and talked. We remember the pillar of fire that led God’s family through the desert journey. From this fire we light the Easter Candle the symbol of Christ. Our true ‘light’. It is normal to turn a light-switch and ‘see’. Can you locate an experience of darkness, feeling lost, uncertain of where and how to walk? And the joy of a ‘light’ to guide you? This dark / light reality is important to let enter your religious imagination this night.

• The foundational story of our beginnings and the divine statement 6 times of creation being ‘very good’ is deeply important. Despite the chaos of history, pollution, violence, can you look deeply into life and see ‘goodness’ and the ‘beauty of men and women in the ‘image of God’? How might this foundational attitude of goodness and thank-full-ness toward life cause you to live?

•St Paul teaches us about baptism and the renewal of our baptismal promises made at the Easter Vigil. Our baptism actually entered us into Jesus’ death. We were in a spiritual sense ‘buried’. Our baptism calls us into ‘a death like his’. Our ‘old self’ of selfishness and sin has and is being crucified and ‘put to death’. Christ’s rising is also our future rising. Consider Paul’s words personally: ‘you must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ’. What do these words teach you about your baptism?

•The three women mentioned were disciples of Jesus since his ministry in the Galilee and went to the tomb to complete his burial rituals. They found the stone was already rolled away. When have you anticipated a major obstacle only to discover it has been ‘rolled away’? Were you able to recognize the hand of God in that?

•The Resurrection of Jesus was foretold to the disciples, but they had not understood. Now the full meaning of Christ’s words is unfolding. Women were not valued as witnesses and yet three women were given the first experience and news of the Resurrection. Notice that it was women; Mary and Elizabeth who were responded at the Annunciation, announced the Incarnation and Mary was instrumental at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry at Cana. Why do you think that detail about women is highlighted in the Gospel? If the story was made up it would be laughable to have women as key characters and witnesses. What does that say to you about the original equality of man and woman in Genesis and about the truth of the Gospel account?

• The apostles did not believe the women. Only Peter reacted and went to see what had happened. He sees only burial clothes and is
amazed at what had happened. At every Eucharist we are invited to ‘remember’ like the women and be ‘amazed’ like Peter. Ask God for what you need to experience the fullness of the Resurrection in your life today and go with courage to share the news?

• Lights turn on and bells ring at the reading of the Gospel in the Easter Vigil. Why? No matter how Lent went, ENJOY EASTER!

• What is one action that you will do to ‘livetheword’ this week?

web: www.livingtheword.org.nz   Email: nzlivingtheword@gmail.com   Livingtheword weekly download and resources are created by Fr Frank Bird sm, a Priest of the Society of Mary and Mrs Bev McDonald, Lay Marist (ACSD), distributed by Marist Laity Auckland, NZ. www.maristlaitynz.org