VATICAN CITY, APR 10, 2004 (VIS) - At 7 this evening in St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope presided over the solemn Easter vigil during which he administered Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist to seven catechumens from Italy, Togo and Japan.
The vigil began in the atrium of the basilica where the Holy Father blessed the new fire and lit the Easter candle. After the procession to the altar with the candle and the singing of the Exultet there was the Liturgy of the Word, of Baptism and of the Eucharist.
In his homily, John Paul II said that "the light of the One Who 'has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep' makes this memorable night, which is rightly considered the 'heart' of the liturgical year, 'bright as the day'. On this night the entire Church keeps watch and recalls, in meditation, the significant stages of God's saving intervention in the universe."
The Holy Father noted that "there is a twofold significance to this solemn Easter Vigil, so rich with symbols accompanied by an extraordinary abundance of biblical texts. On the one hand, it is the prayerful memory of the 'mirabilia Dei', in the representation of key texts from the Sacred Scriptures, from creation to the sacrifice of Isaac, to the passage through the Red Sea, to the promise of the New Covenant. On the other hand, it is the trusting expectation of the complete fulfillment of the ancient promises. The memory of God's work reaches its climax in the resurrection of Christ and is projected onto the eschatological event of the 'parusia'."
Then, addressing the catechumens about to receive the sacrament of Christian initiation, the Pope said: "Thanks to the sacrament of Baptism you will come to be a part of the Church, which is an immense people on pilgrimage, without limits of race, language or culture. ... Be faithful to the One Who has chosen you, and to Him entrust your entire lives with generous commitment.
"If this mission may sometimes seem difficult, call to mind the words of the Risen Lord: 'I am with you always, to the close of the age'. Certain of His presence, you shall fear no difficulty and no obstacle. His word will enlighten you; His Body and his Blood will nourish you and sustain you on your daily journey to eternity. At the side of each of you there will always be Mary, as she was present among the Apostles, frightened and confused at the time of trial. And with her faith she will show you, beyond the night of the world, the glorious dawn of the resurrection."
JPII-HOLY WEEK/HOLY SATURDAY/... VIS 20040414 (460)
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