The Great Vigil of Easter 2012

April 7, 2012

A letter to Heather Carnocki, Jack Vincent, and Hannah Hiett on the occasion of their baptisms.

Dear Heather, Jack, and Hannah,
We have been talking all this past week about holy remembering. How we gather together to hear and tell the stories of our faith; how this remembering is more for us than an act of recall, but that in some mysterious way, in our holy remembering, we make present the events and the power of the stories of the past. Nowhere is that more evident than in our holy remembering on this holy night.
Tonight we remember how this is a holy night. “This is the night when [God] brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea on dry land.” “This is the night, when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin and are restored to grace and holiness of life.” “This is the night when Christ broke the bonds of death and rose victorious from the grave.” This is the night when you are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. This is the night when you have become an important part of the body of Christ. This is the night when we all remember who we are, from whence comes our salvation, how we are called to live our lives, and why it all matters.
This holy night is the beginning of a journey for you that you will follow into and through your own death. You will journey through valleys and over mountains; your way will be both smooth and rocky. Sometimes you will dance and rejoice along the way and at other times you will feel so weary and heartbroken that you don’t know how you can go on. During all of those different parts of your journey, my prayer for you is “May you remember.”
May you remember, during those times in your life, when darkness weighs upon you like a tomb, that the light of Christ shines within you and will light your path in the dark.
May you remember, no matter what happens, that you belong to God; that your baptism is a sign that God loves you, that God cherishes you, and that you are not alone.
May you remember the promises that we all have made to you—that we will walk with you as your sisters and brothers as you seek to follow Jesus.
May you remember, every time that you lift your shining face to God with your hands outstretched to receive the bread and the wine, that you are being fed the body and blood of Jesus who loves you, so that you may go out into the world to share that love with others.
May you remember that belief is not so much about what you think, but belief is about choosing a path and following it; belief is about how your live your life, what you give your heart fully to.
May you remember that Christ, our hope, is arisen, and he goes before you on your journey so that you may follow where he leads.
May you remember that you have been buried with Christ in his death and that you share in his resurrection, so you have absolutely nothing to lose. May you live and love with joy and abandon.
May you remember the truth of the Mystery of this holy night: “that God’s love is stronger than anything even death.”

May you always Remember.

Your sister in Christ, Melanie+