First Reading (Genesis 1.1–2.2)
Reading of the Book of Genesis.
In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was desolate and empty, darkness covered the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. God said, “Let there be light!” And the light came. God saw that the light was good and separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” There was an afternoon and a morning: the first day. God said, “Let a firmament be made between the waters, separating them one from another.” And God made the expanse, and separated the waters that were below from those that were above the expanse. And so it was done. God called the firmament “heaven”. There was an afternoon and a morning: second day. God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together in one place, and let the dry ground appear!” And so it was done. The dry ground God called “earth” and the gathering of waters, “sea”. And God saw that it was good. God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation and seed-bearing plants, and fruit trees bearing fruit according to their kind, which have their seed in it upon the earth.” And so it was done. And the earth produced vegetation and plants bearing seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit having in it the seed of their kind. And God saw that it was good. There was an afternoon and a morning: the third day. God said: “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the festivals, the days and the years, and let them shine in the expanse of the sky and give light on the earth.” And so it was done. God made the two great lights: the greater light to preside over the day, and the lesser light to preside over the night, and the stars. God placed them in the expanse of heaven to give light to the earth, to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was an evening and a morning: the fourth day. God said: “Let the waters teem with living beings, and let birds fly over the earth, under the expanse of the sky.” God created the great sea monsters and all the living beings that swim in multitudes in the waters, according to their kinds, and all the birds, according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the sea, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” There was an afternoon and a morning: fifth day. God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds, domestic animals, reptiles and wild animals according to their kinds.” And so it was done. God made wild animals according to their kinds, domestic animals according to their kinds, and all the creeping things of the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. God said, “Let us make man in our image and in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the beasts of all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. And God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living creature that moves on the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I give to you every seed-bearing plant on the earth, and every tree that bears fruit with its seed, to be food for you. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that moves on the earth and that has life, I give every plant for food.” And so it was done. And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was an evening and a morning: sixth day. 2,And thus heaven and earth were completed with all their host. On the seventh day, God considered all the work he had done to be finished; and on the seventh day he rested from all the work he had done.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Second Reading (Genesis 22,1-18)
Reading of the Book of Genesis.
In those days, God put Abraham to the test. Calling him, he said: “Abraham!” And he replied, “Here I am.” And God said, “Take your only son Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will show you.” Abraham got up very early, saddled the donkey, took two of his servants and his son Isaac with him. After chopping wood for the burnt offering, he set out on his way to the place God had commanded him. On the third day, Abraham, looking up, saw the place from afar. Then he said to his servants, “Wait here with the donkey, while the boy and I go there. After we have worshiped God, we will return to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac’s back, while he carried the fire and the knife. And the two continued walking together. Isaac said to Abraham, “My father.” – “What do you want, my son?”, he replied. And the boy said, “We have the fire and the wood, but where is the victim for the burnt offering?” Abraham replied, “God will provide the victim for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two continued walking together. Arriving at the place indicated by God, Abraham built an altar, placed the wood on top, tied his son and placed him on the wood on top of the altar. Then, he stretched out his hand, wielding the knife to sacrifice his son. And behold, the angel of the Lord cried out from heaven, saying, “Abraham! Abraham!” He replied: “Here I am!” And the angel said to him: “Do not reach out against your son and do him no harm! Now I know that you fear God, for you did not refuse me your only son.” Abraham, looking up, saw a ram caught in a thorn bush by its horns; He went to get him and offered him as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham began to call that place: “The Lord will provide.” Hence to this day it is said: “The mountain where the Lord will provide.” The angel of the Lord called Abraham, a second time, from heaven, and said to him: “I swear by myself – declares the Lord -, since you acted in this way and did not refuse me your only son, I will bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sands on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of your enemies. Through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
— Word of the Lord.
– Thank God!
Third Reading (Exodus 14,15-15,1)
Reading of the Book of Exodus.
In those days: The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me for help? Tell the children of Israel to set out. As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your arm over the sea and divide it, so that the children of Israel may walk on dry land through the middle of the sea. For my part, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, so that they will follow after them, and I will be glorified at the expense of Pharaoh, and of all his army, of his chariots and of his horsemen. And The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am glorified at the expense of Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.” Then the angel of the Lord, who was walking in front of the camp of the children of Israel, changed his position and went behind them; and with him, at the same time, the pillar of cloud, which was in front, moved behind, inserting itself between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of the children of Israel. For those, the cloud was dark, for these, it illuminated the night. Thus, throughout the night, some could not approach each other. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all night long the Lord caused a strong east wind to blow over the sea; and the waters were divided. Then the children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on dry ground, while the waters formed a wall on the right and on the left. The Egyptians gave chase, and all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and horsemen followed them into the sea. Now early in the morning the Lord cast a glance from the pillar of fire and cloud upon the Egyptian troops and put them in a panic. He blocked the wheels of their cars, so that they could only move forward with great difficulty. Then the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel! For the Lord fights for them against us.” The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may turn against the Egyptians, their chariots and their horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and, at dawn, the sea returned to its normal bed, while the fleeing Egyptians ran towards the waters, and the Lord plunged them into the middle of the waves. The waters returned and covered chariots, horsemen and all of Pharaoh’s army, which had entered the sea in pursuit of Israel. Not a single one escaped. The children of Israel, on the other hand, had walked on dry ground through the middle of the sea, whose waters formed a wall on their right and left. On that day the Lord delivered Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shores of the sea, and the mighty hand of the Lord acting against them. The people feared the Lord, and had faith in the Lord and in Moses his servant. Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord.
— Word of the Lord.
– Thank God!
Fourth Reading (Isaiah 54, 5-14)
Reading of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah.
Your husband is he who created you, his name is Lord of hosts; your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, is called the God of all the earth. The Lord called you, like the abandoned woman with an afflicted soul; as a wife repudiated in her youth, your God has spoken. For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with immense compassion I welcome you back. In a moment of indignation, for a little while I hid my face from you, but with eternal mercy I had compassion on you, says your Savior, the Lord. As I did in the days of Noah, to whom I swore never to flood the earth again, so I swear that I will not be angry with you nor threaten you. The mountains may retreat and the hills shake, but my mercy will not depart from you, nothing will change the covenant of my peace, says your merciful Lord. Poor thing, beaten by windstorms, without any comfort, behold, I will set your stones on rubies, and your foundations on sapphires; I will clothe your fortifications with jasper, your gates with precious stones, and all your walls with choice stone. All your children will be disciples of the Lord, your children will have much peace; you will have justice as your foundation. Far from oppression, you will have nothing to fear; you will be free from terror, because it will not come near you.
— Word of the Lord
– Thank God!
Fifth Reading (Isaiah 55,1-11)
Reading of the Book of the prophet Isaiah.
Thus says the Lord: “O all of you who are thirsty, come to the water; you who have no money, make haste, come and eat, come and buy without money, drink wine and milk without payment. Why spend money on anything other than bread; waste your wages, except with complete satisfaction? Listen to me attentively and feed yourselves well, to the delight and refreshment of your body. Incline your ear and come to me, listen and you will make you a eternal pact with you, I will faithfully hold the graces granted to David. Here I made a witness to the peoples, chief and master. while he is close. wicked his way, and the unjust man his schemes; return to the Lord, who will have mercy on him, return to our God, who is generous in forgiveness. My thoughts are not like your thoughts, and your ways are not like my ways, says the Lord. My ways are as high above your ways, and my thoughts as above your thoughts, as the heavens are above the earth. Just as rain and snow come down from the sky and never return there, but come to irrigate and fertilize the earth, and make it germinate and give seed, for planting and for food, so the word that comes out of my mouth: will not return to me empty; rather, it will accomplish everything I want and produce the effects I intended when I sent it.”
— Word of the Lord
– Thank God!
Sixth Reading (Baruch 3,9-15.32–4,4)
Reading of the Book of the Prophet Baruch.
Hear, Israel, the precepts of life; pay attention, to learn wisdom. What’s going on, Israel? How do you find yourself in enemy land? You grew old in a foreign country, and defiled yourself with the dead, you were numbered among those who descend to the mansion of the dead. You have abandoned the source of wisdom! If you had continued on God’s path, you would have lived in peace forever. Learn where wisdom is, where strength is and where intelligence is, and you will also learn where longevity and life are, where the brightness of the eyes and peace are. Who discovered where wisdom lies? Who penetrated its treasures? He who knows everything, knows it, discovered it with his intelligence; he who created the earth forever and filled it with animals and four-legged animals; he who sends the light, and it goes, calls it back, and it obeys tremblingly. The stars twinkle at their guard posts and rejoice; he calls them, and they respond: “Here we are”; and they illuminate with joy the one who made them. This is our God, and no other can compare with him. He revealed the whole way of wisdom to Jacob his servant and to Israel his beloved. Afterwards she was seen on the earth and dwelt among men. Wisdom is the book of God’s commandments, it is the law that remains forever. All who follow it have life, and those who abandon it have death. Turn, Jacob, and embrace her; march towards splendor, in its light. Do not give your glory to another nor give up your privileges to a foreign nation. O Israel, happy are we, because it has been given to us to know what pleases God.
— Word of the Lord
– Thank God!
Seventh Reading (Ezekiel 36,16-17a.18-28)
Reading of Ezekiel’s Prophecy.
The Word of the Lord was addressed to me in these terms: “Son of man, those of the house of Israel were living in their land. They defiled it with their conduct and their evil deeds. Then I will pour out my wrath on them because of the blood they shed in the land and the idols with which they defiled it. I scattered them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and their evil deeds. When they came to the nations where they went, they have profaned my holy name; for it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord; but they have gone out of their country!’ Then I felt sorry for my holy name, which the house of Israel was profaning among the nations where they went. Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sakes that I am going to do this, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. holiness of my great name, which you profaned among the nations. The nations will know that I am the Lord – declares the Lord God – when I manifest my holiness in their sight through you. I will take you from among the nations, I will gather you from all countries, and I will bring you to your own land. I will pour pure water on you, and you will be cleansed. I will cleanse you from all impurities and from all idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will tear out your heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh; I will put my spirit within you and cause you to follow my law and be careful to observe my commandments. You will live in the country that I gave to your fathers. You will be my people and I will be your God.”
— Word of the Lord
– Thank God!
Eighth Reading (Romans 6:3-11)
Reading of Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
Brothers: Are you unaware that all of us, baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized in his death? Through baptism into his death, we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might lead a new life. For if we were in a certain way identified with Jesus Christ by a death similar to his, we will be similar to him also by his resurrection. We know that our old man was crucified with Christ, so that the body of sin could be destroyed, so that we would no longer serve sin. Indeed, he who died is free from sin. If, therefore, we die with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, risen from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. For he who died died to sin once for all; but he who lives, he lives for God. Therefore, you also consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Jesus Christ.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Announcement of the Gospel (Luke 24,1-12)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
— Glory to you, Lord.
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women went to Jesus’ tomb, taking the perfumes they had prepared. They found the tomb stone removed. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus and did not know what was happening. Just then, two men in shiny clothes stopped near them. Seized with fear, they looked at the ground, but the two men said: “Why are you looking for the living one among the dead? He is not here. He is risen! Remember what he told you, when he was still in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinners, be crucified and rise again on the third day'”. Then the women remembered Jesus’ words. They returned from the tomb and announced all this to the Eleven and everyone else. They were Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary, mother of James. The other women who were with them also told these things to the apostles. But they thought it was all nonsense, and they didn’t believe it. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. He looked inside and saw only the sheets. Then he returned home, amazed at what had happened.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
On this holy night, we take an extraordinary journey through salvation history. We begin in the first lights of creation and end in the resplendent glory of the resurrection morning. What a magnificent journey we have before us! It is as if we are leafing through humanity’s great family album, watching God’s love unfold page by page, culminating in the most glorious dawn the world has ever known.
In the beginning, as Genesis tells us, “God created the heaven and the earth.” These simple words open the curtain on the great theater of existence. Imagine that first moment – the emptiness, the darkness, and then the voice of God breaking the silence: “Let there be light!” And the light came. Every creative word of God brings order to chaos, beauty to disorder, life where there was none before.
What does this first reading teach us? That our God is a God who creates, who gives life, who brings order and purpose. That our lives, however chaotic they may seem at times, are in the hands of the great Artist who is continually creating something beautiful out of what appears to be disorder. And more deeply, we learn that we are created in the image of this creative God – called to be co-creators with Him, partners in His ongoing work of renewal and restoration.
Our journey continues with Abraham, the father of faith. Here we find an extreme test – God asking Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, the son of promise. What a harrowing moment! We can feel the weight in Abraham’s every step as he climbs the mountain, the burden on his heart as he prepares the altar. And then, at the critical moment, divine intervention: a ram caught by its horns, a substitute provided.
This story foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice in profound ways. God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all. What Abraham was spared from doing, God the Father did out of love for us. And so we learn that our God is a God of provision – Jehovah-Jireh, “The Lord will provide.” In the darkest moments, when it seems like everything is lost, God is already preparing a way forward.
From Mount Moriah we traveled to the shores of the Red Sea. The people of Israel are trapped – the Egyptian army behind them, impassable waters ahead. The situation seems impossible. But it is precisely in human impossibilities that God does His most powerful work. “Why do you cry out to me?” says the Lord to Moses. “Tell the children of Israel to march forward.”
And they march – through walls of water, on dry ground, from slavery to freedom. This powerful exodus becomes the defining event in Israel’s history. And for us, it is a vivid image of baptism – our own passing of the waters, our own deliverance from the bondage of sin and death into the freedom of God’s children.
Moving through the ages, Isaiah presents us with stunning images of restoration and redemption. “Your Creator will be your husband,” he proclaims, painting a picture of divine intimacy that transcends our understanding. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back,” he assures, speaking of a love that never gives up, even when it seems distant.
And then comes the great invitation: “O you, all who thirst, come to the waters!” What a contrast to the dividing waters of the Red Sea! Now the waters are an invitation, a source of life and renewal. Isaiah is calling us to a spiritual feast, a feast of grace where the price has already been paid. “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your hard work on what does not satisfy?”
In fact, why? How often do we seek satisfaction from sources that can never truly quench our spiritual thirst? We seek happiness in material possessions, status, temporary pleasures – but our souls were made for more. It was made for communion with the living God.
Baruch reminds us of the source of true wisdom: “Learn where prudence is, where strength is, where intelligence is…where is the light of the eyes and peace.” It is not in worldly power, it is not in fleeting success. It is in the law of God, in His ways, in His presence.
And then in Ezekiel we hear the transformative promise: “I will pour pure water on you, and you will be cleansed… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you… I will put my spirit within you.” What a promise! Not just external forgiveness, but internal transformation. Not just a change of status, but a change of heart. This is the new covenant – not written on tablets of stone, but inscribed on human hearts by the finger of God.
Coming to the New Testament, Paul reveals to us the deep meaning of baptism. “Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead… so we too might live a new life.” Baptism is not just a ritual; it is a radical identification with Christ in His death and resurrection. It is dying to the old self and rising to new life in Christ.
And finally, we come to the glorious resurrection morning. Women go to the tomb, carrying spices, expecting to find death and decay. Instead, they find an empty tomb and shining angels with a question that echoes through the centuries: “Why do you seek among the dead the one who lives?”
Why, indeed? How many times do we seek life in places of death? How many times do we look for hope in desperate situations? The resurrection changes everything. Transform our search. Reorient our gaze. Lift our eyes from the empty tomb to the living Christ.
Peter rushes to the tomb, sees the linen sheets neatly folded, and “returned home, amazed at what had happened.” The dawn of understanding is just beginning to dawn. The resurrection is so transformative, so revolutionary, that even Jesus’ closest disciples need time to understand its full implications.
My dear brothers and sisters, tonight we are not just remembering distant historical events. We are celebrating living realities that continue to shape our lives today. Creation continues as God makes all things new in and through us. Abraham’s spirit of sacrifice challenges us to trust God even when the path ahead is uncertain. The exodus reminds us that God continues to free people from slavery in all its forms. Isaiah’s promises still resonate with all who thirst for something deeper than this world can offer. And the empty tomb continues to proclaim that death does not have the last word.
This is the night all these stories converge. This is the night when light conquers darkness, life triumphs over death, and love overcomes all fear. This is the night we are invited to renew our baptismal promises – to die again with Christ so that we can live with Him.
If you came tonight carrying heavy burdens, know that the God who parted the Red Sea can make a way for you. If you have come feeling spiritually dry and empty, listen to Isaiah’s invitation to come to the waters that truly satisfy. If you have come struggling with sin and failure, receive Ezekiel’s promise of a new heart and a new spirit. And if you have come looking for hope in an often despairing world, look at the empty tomb and listen to the angels question, “Why do you seek among the dead the one who lives?”
Christ is risen! He has truly risen! And because of His resurrection, we are promised new life—not just in the distant future, but here and now. Let us allow this transformative truth to permeate every aspect of our lives. Let us allow the light of the resurrection to shine in our relationships, in our work, in our struggles, in our joys.
For this is the night of nights. This is the night that love won. This is the night that death was swallowed in victory. This is the night when our long journey through salvation history finds its glorious climax in the risen Christ.
Hallelujah! Amen!
