Just like Good Friday, we theoretically do not have a Mass today. Traditionally, the Vigil was celebrated as late as possible in the evening which makes it more a Midnight Mass of Easter. The service is supposed to stretched until dawn breaks. For this reason of Mass celebrated very late at night that today is called Black Saturday in some places which means that it remains a day of prayer and penance.
There are two ways of looking at Holy Saturday. According to some customs, the Body of Jesus is still in the tomb. Penance, apart from prayer and fasting, expresses itself in silence and stillness because the King is asleep. We accompany Him. This is according to an anonymous 2nd century sermon. On the other hand, the tomb could be empty but not because He has “risen”. Instead, He is busy as the Apostles’ Creed states that “He descended into hell”. There are two categories of souls in Hell—evil or righteous. Christ entry into Hades was not to deliver the damned nor to destroy the hell of damnation. Instead He went there because the righteous and holy souls are waiting eagerly for His deliverance—like Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham. The same ancient anonymous sermon tells us that in descending into Hell, Jesus told the righteous souls, “My sleep will release you from the sleep of Hades”. Even in death, the Saviour was hard at work rescuing souls who had been expecting Him.
As we cross midnight, this Vigil carries us into the 3rd day. As after the Sabbath, the ladies who were concerned to embalm Him went to the sepulchre where they encountered an empty tomb and two angels who asked them, “Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; He has risen”. The description of the “3rd day” is a powerful resurrection motif because the 2nd Adam, Jesus Christ rising from the dead has renewed creation. As humanity is recreated, we encounter two powerful symbols at work. Firstly, we have the fire that becomes light. Secondly, there is the water of regeneration. Both are associated with the Rite which will take place shortly after this: Baptism.
This Rite celebrates Christ’s victory over sin and death. We hear the word “victory” but we may struggle to understand “sin” and “death”. Bear with me. Gathered tonight are a select few. These Elect will be baptised. Water to wash away Original Sin and whatever sins they may have committed since birth. Light to illuminate the path that starting from now they will journey on.
The presence of these Elect helps us to appreciate what we are doing here and what we are to become. Christ’ victory over sin and death is the “raison d'être” or the basis of Mother Church’s evangelical mission. Sadly, we tend to associate this task with preaching the Gospel, that is, to go out and proselytise. That is not the full story because Jesus descending into Hell provides a more complete picture of the Church’s vocation—to preach the Gospel and to save souls. The Church is in the business of proselytisation and salvation. In other words, preaching the Gospel is one thing, souls can be lost which makes salvation really an urgent matter to think about.
The Elect are baptised in order to be saved. Otherwise, baptism does not make sense at all. When we declare Christ’s triumph over sin and death, immediately we realise that we are not here just to “hear” the good news but also to appreciate that at the heart of salvation is the struggle for souls. From Palm Sunday till this moment, we went through the Paschal Mystery following Christ who submitted Himself to death in order to ransom sinners, one and all.
Otherwise, why be saved if we have no sin? Everyone here is a sinner who needs salvation, baptised or not.
The Church is not a spa. She was not founded to molly-coddle us, to meet our preferences or even our tastes. She is the prime battleground for souls. It is understandable that we demand “safe-spaces” and the Church should be a place where people feel safe and secure. But I am not referring to that kind of safety or security. Sadly, we may have been swept by the current culture of comfort and convenience that we are entitled to feel good when coming to Church. True, the Church is a sanctuary for souls because as a Mystery and Sacrament she is holy and therefore a sanctuary. But as a human institution, populated by sinners, she is not immune to the forces of evil because it is the nature of evil to battle for souls where they least expect it. Just because the Church is holy does not mean that the Satan will leave her alone. Indeed, Satan does not have to win over the souls who are damned. They already belong to him. Ever since the beginning of creation, he prowls about looking for souls to devour and how would Satan win if not by bringing down the Church in her sons and daughters?
This is definitely not a message that you would want to hear this evening or this morning. The truth is that every baptism we attend is our wake-up call. The Cathedral has only 6 baptisms this year. You can use the excuse of the pandemic for this poor showing. But is this the Mother Church of the Diocese of Malacca Johore? The dismal number may shamefully uncover the quality or the lack of in our discipleship. This is not a number game but what it exposes is perhaps the Gospel is not that great to attract attention. We know that it cannot be so because the Gospel is powerful—God’s word does not go out without achieving its purpose. What the depressing number of baptism indicates is how unappealing we are. We are pathetic witnesses.
But feeble witnessing aside, perhaps we are not “sinful” enough to appreciate our salvation. This is not an invitation to commit more sins. Rather we need to plumb the depth of our waywardness to grasp the scope and span of hell that Jesus would scour to save our souls. A grateful heart draws attention not to itself but to the One from whom one has received much. You observe this phenomenon in those who serve devotedly. They are not in the service for the name but because they have been saved by Him and therefore their witnessing is a return of love for love. Tonight, we are joyful because Christ’s salvation has reached the hearts of our Elect. We ask that through the renewal of our baptismal vows, the flame in our hearts may be rekindled so that grateful for our salvation, we shine brighter to attract into the fold those who are searching for Christ and for His salvation.
