1. A Most Holy Night Begins in Darkness
As we gather on this most holy night,
we begin in darkness—but we will not end in darkness. Look around you now.
Notice the silence. Notice the emptiness of light. This darkness is not meant
to frighten us; rather, it is meant to prepare our hearts for the greatest
miracle of all.
For centuries, the Church has
gathered in darkness on this sacred night to remember a simple truth: before
resurrection comes the tomb. Before light comes the darkness. Before hope comes
the despair of the cross. We do not shy away from this darkness, my dear
friends. We embrace it, because we know what comes next.
2. Let There Be Light
And now, watch what happens. From one
small splinter of wood, a flame is born. From that single flame, our Pascal
candle is lit. And from that one candle, each of your candles now burns bright,
filling this sacred space with warm, golden light.
What does this teach us?
·
One small spark drove
away all the darkness
·
One flame gave us the courage
to face reality
·
One light reminded us
that hope is never lost
Look at the wonder of it! This light
that now surrounds us comes from something beautiful and natural—beeswax
gathered from countless flowers, collected by God's tiny creatures, the bees.
Even our light tonight speaks of God's creation working together for something
beautiful. The bees pollinate the flowers; the flowers give their nectar; the
bees make the wax; and together, they give us this sacred light. This is how
God works—through cooperation, through unity, through love.
3. A Story of Transformation: Augustine's
Journey
But tonight, I want to share with you
the story of a man who understood the power of light in darkness. His name was
Augustine, and he lived many centuries ago. In his youth, Augustine walked in
great darkness. He wandered far from God, lost in sin and confusion.
But one day, Augustine encountered
Jesus Christ. His heart was changed. He became a great saint of the Church. And
one day, walking through a city square where he used to spend his time in his
old ways, a woman called out to him: “Augustine! Augustine!”
He did not turn around. When she
called again, he finally responded: “I am not that same Augustine. I am a
different Augustine.”
My dear friends, this is what Easter
means for each of us. We can become different people. The old order has passed
away. Death no longer has the final word. Jesus is risen, and there will be no
more permanent darkness in our lives. Just as Augustine was transformed from a
man of darkness into a child of light, so too can you be transformed tonight.
4. God Works Even When We Cannot See
But I know that not all of you feel
this joy tonight. Some of you carry heavy burdens. Some of you wonder: “Where
is God? I don't see Him working in my life. I don't see Him working in my
family. I don't see Him working in our village.”
Listen to what the Church teaches us
through the example of St. John of the Cross. Even he—a saint, a holy
man—experienced what he called the “dark night of the soul.” There were times
when he could not feel God's presence. Times when he could not see God moving.
Times when the darkness seemed absolute.
But remember these eternal truths:
·
God says “Let there be
light,” and there IS light—even when you cannot see it
·
St. John of the Cross
experienced the “dark night of the soul”
·
When you cannot see God,
He has not abandoned you—He is still at work
Trust, my friends. Trust in the God
who moves in darkness. Trust in the God whose love does not depend on whether
you can feel it. Trust in the resurrection.
5. Where Darkness Lives in Our World Today
Let us be honest with ourselves. We
live in a world where real darkness exists. This darkness is not imaginary. It
is not abstract. It is real, and it lives among us.
·
In violence: Where hands
are soaked in blood, there cannot be light or peace
·
In war: Where innocents
are killed, darkness reigns
·
In hardened hearts: Where
people hold onto revenge, hatred, and wrong directions
·
In addictions: Where
substance abuse and alcohol enslave our neighbours
·
In lies: Where false news
and wrong companionship lead people astray
We see this darkness in our families.
We see it in our villages. We see it in ourselves. And this is why Easter is
not a comfortable message. Easter is a revolutionary message. It declares that
this darkness—real as it is—does not have the final word.
Jesus' tomb was different from all
ordinary tombs, you see. Ordinary tombs are dark and full of decay. They are
places of finality and despair. But His tomb tells a different story. The stone
was rolled away. The tomb stands empty. And this emptiness, my friends, is not
truly empty—it is a sign of life that has moved on to something greater. It is
a sign of victory over death itself.
6. Small Light, Infinite Power
Tonight you witnessed something
miraculous: one small flame lit our entire church. From darkness to light. From
one to many. From despair to hope. This simple act teaches us profound truths
about how God works in the world.
Never underestimate the power of
small things done with great love:
·
A small prayer can
strengthen a believer's entire life
·
A small act of help can
save many lives
·
A small sacrifice can
teach great lessons
·
One word—“sorry” or “love”—can change the hardest sinner's heart
You may think you are unimportant.
You may think that you are just a simple village person with little power. But
I tell you this: you do not need to be important in the world's eyes to make a
difference in God's kingdom. One kindness. One prayer. One moment of
forgiveness. These are the things that change the world.
Do you have a family member who is
lost? Do not despair. Your love for them is a small flame that burns in the
darkness. Do you live in a village where sin and suffering seem to reign? Do
not lose hope. Your faithfulness is a candle that lights the way for others.
One small flame. Infinite power. This is the mystery of Easter.
7. Children of Light, Children of
Resurrection
Tonight, Christ calls each of us.
Listen carefully, for He is calling you by name. Jesus speaks to every person
in this church: “Come out of your tomb!”
Tonight, Christ calls each of us to
become:
·
Children of
light—reflecting His brightness in dark places
·
Children of
resurrection—living with hope beyond the grave
·
Children of
Alleluia—carrying joy even in suffering
Come out of the tomb of:
·
Fear that paralyses you
·
Sin that separates you
from God
·
Hopelessness that weighs
down your spirit
Come out and live again! This is not
a gentle invitation, my friends. This is a command from the risen Christ. He
does not ask if you are worthy. He does not ask if you have been good enough.
He simply calls: "Come out!"
There is a resurrection waiting for
you. Not just in heaven—though yes, that too. But a resurrection is happening
right now. A new life. New hope. New purpose. New relationships healed. New
sins forgiven. A new person emerging from the tomb of the old self.
8. The Proof of Resurrection: Ancient
Wisdom Confirms New Life
Some of you may wonder: "How can
I believe in resurrection? I have never seen anyone rise from the dead."
This is a fair question. Let me answer it with ancient wisdom.
The Church has treasured for two
thousand years the testimonies of the disciples who saw the risen Christ. They
did not imagine this. They did not make it up. They were transformed by it. Men
who fled in fear became men who faced torture and death rather than deny what
they had seen. Would they die for a lie? Would they suffer for a delusion? No.
Something real happened. Something that changed everything.
But more than this, we have the
testimony of creation itself. Every spring, the earth rises from winter's
death. Every seed that falls to the ground dies, and from that death comes new
life. Every person who has truly encountered God's love has experienced a kind
of resurrection—a rising from despair to joy, from darkness to light, from
loneliness to belonging.
This is not ancient history. This is
not a story from a distant land. This is your story. This can be your
resurrection—tonight.
9. Go Forth: The Call to New Life
So, as we leave this church tonight,
we do not leave as the same people who entered. We have sat with darkness. We
have seen the light. We have heard the call of the risen Christ. We have been
reminded that we are children of light, children of resurrection, children of
Alleluia.
Take your candles home. Let them burn
as a reminder of your commitment tonight. Burn them before your family. Tell
them: "Christ is risen. Death is defeated. We will live again."
And tomorrow, when you wake in the
dawn of Easter morning, remember this night. Remember the small flame that lit
the entire church. Remember that you, too, are a small flame in the darkness of
this world. You may be just one person, but your light matters. Your prayer
matters. Your love matters.
The Light of Easter has come. From
darkness to dawn. From death to life. From despair to hope. And this light will
never go out.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Alleluia!
Fr. Raju Felix
Crasta
St. Albert's College, Ranchi
