The Jesuit father Jean-Paul Savi introduces us to meditation with the readings from the Easter Vigil of liturgical year A.

Readings: Gen 1, 1 – 2,2; Gen 22, 1-18; Ex 14, 15 – 15, 1a; Is 54, 5-14; Is 55, 1-11; Ba 3, 9-15.32 – 4, 4; Ez 36, 16-17a.18-28; Rom 6, 3b-11; Mt 28:1-10

Dear brothers and sisters, on the evening of Holy Saturday, we celebrate the Easter Vigil. This celebration, which begins with the blessing of the fire and the Liturgy of the Light, symbolizes for us the passage from darkness to light, Christ's victory over death. The Easter Vigil concludes the Easter Triduum and opens the feast of Easter. Easter is the heart of our faith. That is why, on this Holy Saturday night, we gather as a family to remember the history of salvation.

The story of salvation begins with creation. God reveals himself to us as creator. Contemplating creation and the wonder that we are, we cannot help but echo the psalmist: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them… O Lord our God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:4-5, 10). But this creation, this beautiful creature that we are, has been tainted by evil and sin. We need only open our eyes to see natural disasters, diseases, physical and moral evil, and the wickedness of men and women. God’s beautiful creation has been defiled, and evil has become a part of our being that is difficult to eradicate. But the story of Abraham and the people of Israel stands as a testament to God’s love, a love that cannot abandon his creation and his creatures. Through the faith of Abraham and the works of Moses, the wonders of God for his people are revealed. On this Easter night, we are called to remember the wonders of the Lord in our lives and in our history. Despite our sins and our complaints, God does not abandon us. We sometimes find ourselves crossing the desert like the people of Israel. But the Lord always shows us his goodness and mercy by leading us through our "red seas" on dry land.

Dear brothers and sisters, Easter is a passage. The passage from death to life, from darkness to light, from sadness to joy, from anxiety to serenity, from the cross to Alleluia. In tonight's Gospel, we can still read in the eyes of the women who went to the tomb the drama of their suffering and the tragedy they endured. And to this was added the fear of the future. These are wounded memories, stifled hopes, shattered dreams. As the first day of the week began to dawn, the hour was still dark for them. But they had not allowed themselves to be paralyzed by their situation. They had not let the dark forces of discouragement invade their hearts. They kept faith and hope despite their suffering.

Dear brothers and sisters, in our moments of sadness, how many people refuse to be overcome by the dark forces of discouragement and pessimism? How many people experience the strength of these women by keeping the faith and sowing seeds of hope through small gestures of attention, affection, smiles, and prayer?

On this Easter night, we are called to hear the angel's words for us: "Do not be afraid." And Jesus repeats it to us, "Do not be afraid." Whatever we are going through right now, Jesus comes to meet us to express the certainty that God knows how to make our tombs places of resurrection. May the Risen One grant us the grace to truly encounter him and to experience real peace of heart and the joy of living. This is the fruit of the resurrection.

cf. Vatican news