Today is Easter Saturday, when we celebrate the Vigil Mass of Light. During this service, those who have been learning about the Catholic faith are confirmed and are brought into full communion with the Church. I love this mass! It is a yearly renewal of our baptismal promises and of my own confirmation ten years ago. That's right, I am celebrating my 10th "Catholiversary"! As I thought back to that night at the Vigil Mass, my mind drifted even further to the small Baptist church of my youth.
Brother Cox, my old song leader used to sing the hymn, "Were you there?" in his soulful baritone voice. He would pause for a moment after singing the verse, "Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?" He would ask the congregation, "What if that story ended there? What if it all ended with Jesus lying in that tomb?" He would then smile and say, "Aren't you glad the story isn't over here?" And with a booming cry he would continue the hymn, "Were you there when the stone was rolled away? Were you there when He rose up from the grave? Sometimes it causes me to tremble! Oh, were you there when God raised Him from the tomb?"
This hymn is the perfect depiction of Holy Week. Like buttercups pushing up from their winter's sleep, we are emerging from the somber season of Lent. Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and continues on with the celebration of the first Eucharistic meal on Holy Thursday and reaches its apex on Good Friday, which walks us through Jesus' crucifixion, death and burial. After a brutal journey through Christ's Passion, we finally arrive at Easter. The veil has been lifted, the stone has rolled away, the Son has risen!
I thought back to Brother Cox and his question today. What if our story ended on Good Friday? What if the stone was never rolled away and the sun refused to shine? How sorrowful our lives would be!
Good Friday is only good because we know the last verse of the hymn. We know that hearts of stone can be moved, because the stone was rolled away. We know that the sun will rise again, because the Son arose. We know that Jesus is not bound by the grave, so neither are we.
The story does not end with Good Friday, does not end with death. In fact, the story does not end at all!