April 4, 2026
Today is the Saturday before Easter and traditionally in the church it is called the Vigil of the Resurrection. It was tradition for many years to reenact standing outside the tomb waiting to properly bury Jesus after the required day of rest. A bonfire was lit and in many traditions it is when Baptisms took place. Another part of the vVgil is the reading of scripture. The multiple long readings of the Vigil of the Resurrection are done to indicate that the arc of scripture was headed inexorably to this moment of the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection. The message of the Vigil is that this is not an accident of history, or a perfect storm of fate, this is exactly what God had in mind all along. God’s will is to rescue us, to set us free, from our bondage to sin, death and the power of the evil one. This is no accident.
Let Us Pray: Blessed Heavenly Father, father we stand vigil by the tomb immersed in Your Holy Word. Your will of love and forgiveness and salvation has been there all along. We give You thanks for sending your Son to free us. In Jesus’s Holy Name, Amen.