＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Genesis 1:1-2:2 (or 1:1, 26-31a) 

Ps 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 13-14, 24, 35

 

Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Genesis 22:1-18 (ог 22:1-2, 9а, 10-13, 15-18)

Ps 16:5, 8 9 -10, 11

 

3rd Reading: Exodus 14:15-15:1 

Exodus 15:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 17-18

 

4th Reading: Isaiah 54:5-14 

Ps 30:2, 4 5 - 6 11-12, 13

 

5th Reading: Isaiah 55:1-11

Is 12:2-3 4, 5 - 6 

 

6th Reading: Baruch 3: 9-15, 32 - 4:4

Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11

 

7th Reading: Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28 

Ps 42:3, 5; 43:3, 4

 

8th Reading: Romans 6:3-11

Don't you know that in baptism, which unites us to Christ, we are all baptized and plunged into his death? By this baptism in his death, we were buried with Christ and, as Christ was raised from among the dead by the glory of the Father, we begin walking in a new life. If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so shall we be, by a resurrection like his.

We know that our old self was crucified with Christ, so as to destroy what of us was sin, so that we may no longer serve sin – if we are dead, we are no longer in debt to sin. But, if we have died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. We know that Christ, once risen from the dead, will not die again, and death has no more dominion over him. For, by dying, he is dead to sin, once and for all, and, now, the life that he lives, is life with God.

So you, too, must consider yourselves dead to sin, and alive to God, in Christ Jesus.

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Mark 16:1-7

When the Sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint the body. And very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to one another, "Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" But, as they looked up, they noticed that the stone had already been rolled away. It was a very big stone.

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right, and they were amazed. But he said to them, "Don't be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified; he has been raised and is not here. This is, however, the place where they laid him. Now go, and tell his disciples and Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there, just as he told you."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"He has been raised."

Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen! Alleluia! This is the night when life has triumphed over death. With this night, we are completing our faith journey during this Paschal Triduum and our forty-day Lenten journey. After having received the mandate to lay down our life for others as exemplified by Jesus and after receiving the Spirit handed down by Jesus to the saving community he formed, we welcome the Easter grace in awe and wonder! The Easter Vigil Mass is very rich in liturgical symbols as the Liturgy of Fire, Liturgy of Water, Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist are celebrated in one night – conveying the Easter joy! We are indeed recipients of such an amazing grace! The Gospel of Mark narrates that the women found the empty tomb where Jesus had been laid. Upon entering the tomb, they saw a young man in white telling them that Jesus had been raised. He also instructed them to tell Peter and the other disciples that Jesus would go ahead of them in Galilee where he would meet the disciples. Jesus is ahead of everything. We have to stay behind him. With Jesus in the lead, there is nothing more to fear!