The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night 2019

Intro:

Growing up….. Our family had lots of parties! That meant A LOT OF CHORES put on us kids!! And A LOT of work put upon our mom!

(Somehow, Dad got to be free from all of this. ?????)

Anyway, when we all were getting into the thick of getting everything ready for the BIG party, a common phrase our mother used was:

“I’ll never get all of this done!!!!”

And she would get all nervous, worked up and wondered how will I ever pull this off? In the end it all worked out just fine. And we kids would say:
“See, mom, it all worked out!”
And she would smile and say…
“It sure did!”
Has this ever happened in your lives? When you wonder if you are ever going to get everything done??? I am sure it has.

Even all the details for these HOLY WEEK celebrations, Jeff Mills and I, Mary Murphy, Joanne and the sacristy crew… all of us sort of get worked up and wonder if all things will get done????

And IT DOES!!! It sure does!!

This is sort of normal for everyone…..to wonder, (maybe freak out a bit) but, IT ALL WORKS OUT!

The women:
Mary Magdalene
Mary, the mother of James, and
Joanna
They had an important JOB to do as they travelled that early Easter morning the day after the Sabbath. They had to ceremonially respect the body of Jesus with spices and herbs at its burial spot …. A Jewish custom…..and THEY wondered:

“How are we going to get this done?
They were worrying about the STONE!”

It didn’t deter them one bit, though…. They kept on going just as you and I don’t give up when we wonder if we’re ever going to get everything done.
They had the same upbringing… just keep on, it’ll all work out. And this boils down to: God provides! He sure does!

If our catechumens and candidates just go back in time for a moment:
Michael
Samantha
Jackson
Tim
Ted
Amy
Theresa
Jayden
Kendra
Kylie
And
John

When you received that “idea” to join us or further your initiation with the church… don’t you remember thinking… “How am I ever going to get this done?”

And look, here you are today,
This sacred night,
This memorable night,
This miraculous night!!!
God provides!

So the women in the Gospel were provided for and then some, much to their utter AMAZEMENT!!! Not only was the stone rolled away, which was what they initially, wondered about, but, in not giving up, they were rewarded with meeting “the 2 divine messengers”!!!
AGAIN, God provides!

They got to share the good news of Jesus’s resurrection, that He will meet them in Galilee.

CONCLUSION

So, to all of us who “wonder” about things getting done, about this or that, questioning our plans, or upturned situations:
God provides and then some!

All of us will be given a holy surprise if we stay the course of FAITH even when we wonder.