This is the Night

There is much to complain about in the world.

Just go on Facebook. Plenty there to keep you frustrated for hours.

Here are some troubling statistics I found:

          ·      9 out of 10 Catholic couples seeking marriage in the Church are cohabitating.

          ·      82% of Catholic couples think contraception in morally acceptable.

          ·      80% of couples don’t believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

          ·      Over 50% of Americans endorse homosexual unions.

          ·      Nearly 40% of all births in America are out of wedlock.

          ·      Over 4000 babies are killed each day through abortion.

… and so on and so on, in saecula saeculorum. Don’t get me wrong, there are battles to fight and work to be done. But the Easter Vigil tonight reminded me that in all our doing, we often forget what is done. As candle light slowly filled the church tonight, the Exsultet reminded me very simply:

This is the night


when first you saved our fathers:


you freed the people of Israel from their slavery


and led them dry-shod through the sea.



This is the night


when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!



This is the night


when Christians everywhere,


washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,


are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.



This is the night


when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

Yes. This is the night. Death has lost its sting, and hell its victory. Love has conquered sin and slavery. The victory is won. And though we may go back to the grind on Monday, frustrated by rainbows and red equal signs, hypocrisy, poor legislation, and empty pews…

Take a moment. Smile. Breathe in, breathe out.

Christ is risen. Alleluia, Alleluia.