EASTER IS THE DAWN OF A NEW CREATION,

Homily for Easter Vigil, Year A

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

There is an old tale about a sculptor who bought a disfigured, rejected block of marble. While others saw only its brokenness, he saw beauty. Day after day, he worked patiently, chipping away, refining, reshaping. When asked what he was doing, he said: “I see an angel in the stone, and I’m setting it free.” This is what God does at Easter. In Christ’s Resurrection, God takes the disfigured, sin-stained creation and begins again - this time, never to be marred. Easter is the dawn of a new creation.

The Liturgy of the Word of Easter Vigil begins with the story of creation (Genesis 1). “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…” - and it was good. But sin introduced chaos, suffering, and death. Creation was fractured. The whole of salvation history which we will hear in the readings tonight - from Abraham’s covenant (Gen 22), through the Exodus (Ex 14), the Prophets (Isaiah, Baruch, Ezekiel) - is the story of a God who is not giving up on His world.

And tonight, with the Resurrection, we reach the climax of that story. As we heard in Matthew 28:1-10, at dawn, the women went to the tomb. But the stone was rolled away. The body was not there. Why? Because Christ is risen. Just as God spoke creation into being, He now speaks new life into the tomb. The darkness of Good Friday gives way to the light of Easter morning. This is not the return of the old Jesus - this is something utterly new.

In Matthew’s Gospel, we are told the Resurrection happened “on the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1-3) That is not a throwaway detail. It mirrors the first day of creation in Genesis. In other words, Easter is the first day of the new creation. Just as Adam came from the garden, Jesus rises in a garden (John 20:15). The old Adam disobeyed God and brought death; the new Adam (Christ) obeys even unto death - and brings life (Romans 5:14-21).

The tomb of Christ is not just a place of burial - it is a womb of rebirth. The Risen Jesus emerges, not merely restored, but glorified. In Romans 6:3-11, St. Paul tells us, “If we have been buried with Christ in baptism, we shall also rise with Him.” In the waters of baptism - which we bless tonight - we share in this new creation. Just as the Spirit hovered over the waters at creation, the Holy Spirit now breathes over the baptismal font to create new sons and daughters of God.

The Paschal Candle lit tonight pierces the darkness. This light is not artificial - it symbolizes Christ, the Light of the World, who now illumines the new creation. When we sang the Exsultet, we declared: “This is the night… when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorious from the underworld.” What we witness at Easter is not just a miracle; it’s a cosmic event. The Risen Christ is the beginning of a new humanity, a new creation, a restored world.

What does this mean for us? It means that no sin is too great, no darkness too deep. In Christ, you can start again. It means the old creation marked by despair, war, greed, division, and death is not the final word. It means our mission is to live and act as citizens of the new creation - people of forgiveness, mercy, joy, and resurrection hope. Through our baptism, we are no longer defined by the dust of the first Adam but by the Spirit of the Risen Christ.

At the end of time, in Revelation 21:5, the Risen Jesus says: “Behold, I make all things new.” That work begins tonight. This Easter, do not just witness the Resurrection. Live it. Let Christ recreate your heart, your relationships, your home, your world. Tonight is not just the victory of Jesus. It is your victory. It is the Church’s new birthday. It is the new creation’s first sunrise. Let us rise with Christ. Let us walk as new men and women - children of the Resurrection.

Alleluia! Christ is risen. Truly, He is risen. Alleluia!