Christ’s resurrection means God keeps his promises, won’t abandon us to death, Archbishop Vigneron preaches at the Easter Vigil 

DETROIT — It was in the dark of the night, in what has been a dark year, that “Lumen Christi” was proclaimed in Detroit.  

It began as a spark, then turned into a raging fire, illuminating the façade of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.  

Shadows danced around the plaza as Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron proclaimed the reason people gathered around the fire on this night. 

Why this night different from all other nights. Why this night matters. 

“On this most sacred night, the Church wills us to gather, sons and daughters of God throughout the world, to come together and pray, to ensure we have life in the living God,” Archbishop Vigneron said before inscribing the traditional markings and blessing the Pascal candle as it was lit for the first time. 

“Christ, yesterday and today; Christ, the beginning and the end; Christ, the Alpha and the Omega,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “All time belongs to him, and all ages; to him be glory and power, in every age and forever. Amen.” 

Archbishop Vigneron then led a procession into the dark cathedral. The small flicker of light broke through the darkness of the Norman Gothic church as the faithful followed.  

Then the chant, “The Light of Christ,” followed by, “Thanks be to God,” rang out. And more light appeared. Then it happened again: “The Light of Christ,” followed by, “Thanks to be God.” Then, a third time, until the entire cathedral was lit, giving light on the Easter feast — a day of joy and gladness, when Mother Church celebrates the Resurrection of Christ and welcomes more sons and daughters into her arms. 

The Easter proclamation, the Exsultet, was chanted, giving witness to how on this night, Jesus Christ, in whom all were crucified, has risen from the dead, bringing all who believe in him to eternal life. 

“This is the night, the night we are blessed to be a part of,” Archbishop Vigneron said in his homily. “The Exsultet states only the night knows when Christ rose from the dead. We have this need to pause and consider the meaning of the Lord’s resurrection, so we can pray more wholeheartedly about this night.” 

The Easter vigil is steeped in tradition, from illuminating the altar and incensing the paschal candle to the joyous ringing of bells throughout the Gloria, celebrating with unbounded joy that Christ is risen. The liturgy featured four readings from the Old Testament, bearing witness to God’s creation of the world, claiming Israel as His own people and how He has kept the covenant with His people, before the triumphant Gospel of Christ’s resurrection.

“On this night, we read with great intensity in the Scriptures how God created the world: a great deed, but something greater was to come,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “We read how God called Abraham to make a great sacrifice, knowing an even greater sacrifice was to come. We read how God freed the Israelites from Egypt, but now we are set from another slavery that is not from Pharaoh. And we read the coming redemption to glorify God’s name, because Israel was scattered, and their oppressors insulted God’s name. So we read of the coming of a great redeemer, who would gather all who are scattered.” 

This recalling of salvation history allows the faithful to more completely understand what it means for Jesus to rise from the dead, Archbishop Vigneron said, that God keeps His promises.  

“The stone removed from the tomb revealed Jesus, whom we crucified, has risen,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “The angel invites the women who visited Jesus’ tomb to come look into the tomb where He was buried. Mary marked the spot where Jesus was buried; she knew where it was, but she looked upon it and saw he was gone. She knew something had happened. The angel told them to tell the Apostles. They are the first evangelists, the first to ‘unleash the Gospel.’” 

This reality — that Christ rose from the dead, that God did not abandon His son, that death itself has been conquered — should lead all Christians to live with an unyielding sense of thanksgiving, Archbishop Vigneron said.  

“I suggest we live this truth with a kind of gratitude to always and everywhere give God thanks,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Since the days of Isaac and Abraham, it’s always been right to give God thanks. His love is transformative. His love changes the world for our sake.  

“This night should shake us to know God kept His promise in Jesus,” Archbishop Vigneron continued. “For that, it is right to give God the Father thanks and praise. And if we do this, imagine how much gratitude to the Father Jesus has for the glorious deed of this night.” 

After the homily, Archbishop Vigneron baptized a new parishioner at the cathedral, and welcomed into full communion seven members of the cathedral parish and two from St. Aloysius (another parish in the cathedral’s family of parishes, along with Our Lady of the Rosary). The catechumens gave their proclamations of faith before being confirmed as full members of the Church, invited to join the Eucharistic table.  

After the newly confirmed recited their Proclamation of Faith, all in the congregation were invited to renew their baptismal vows, their own professions of faith — a renewal that occurs every time the faithful receive the Eucharist, but one that seems to have special meaning on this night of nights. 

“We can say every day, ‘Thank you, Lord,’ always and everywhere, to give God thanks,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “We can give God thanks every day for what was promised to us in baptism, renewed at Communion and celebrated every time we celebrate the Paschal feast: that death does not have the last word. That you and me will have eternal life. And just as Jesus rose on this night, we, too, will rise.”