Easter Vigil Sermon
When we were growing up, there was a gargantuan playground near us. This playground had all kinds of attractions: sports fields, athletic arenas, tunnels under buildings which we would explore. Science laboratories and exhibits and even a theater. The name of this huge playground was Villanova University.
During a typical warm summer day, we might begin our activities near the dorms, where nuns of many orders were staying as they attended Summer School. We learned that by offering to carry their heavy valises, we might be rewarded with candy, or spare change, or even a holy card. They would always ask where we went to school, and if they we Sisters of Mercy, they would probably know our principal Sister Mary James.
My favorite attraction was the campus chapel, St Thomas of Villanova Church. It is the twin spired building along Lancaster Pike. Even at the age of 10 or 11, I was attracted to church buildings, although not all my visits were for prayer or holy contemplation. As an Altar Boy, I spent many hours here, serving at Sunday Mass, weddings and funerals. Anyway, one Summer, my cousin Scotty and I found that there were doors in the choir loft leading to staircases up into the steeples and the clerestory. Many neo gothic Catholic and Episcopal churches have clerestory windows. They are a set of windows high up above the nave windows and just below the ceiling. We would follow a series of catwalks behind these windows. The catwalks were made of 80-year-old dry planks, that creaked as we went along. We entered from the Gospel side. There were narrow strips of blue glass along the roof, this provided the area with natural light. But we had to pass behind the dome to get to the other side. There was no light behind the dome, and it was a scary experience. I remember taking baby steps in pitch darkness, feeling our way. One had to be very careful, as a misstep could be disastrous. One could fall inside one of the pillars below.
Have you ever found yourself in complete, total darkness? The kind where you can’t see your hand in front of your face? It can be a terrifying place.
As we made our way around the dome, we knew that eventually we would see light creeping in from the clerestory windows on the Epistle side of the church. Being in total darkness is always frightening. It is being in an unknown situation, where danger lurks. But not all darkness can be removed by a flashlight. There are many kinds of darkness.
Sometimes, I hear sin referred to as darkness, but not all darkness that comes into our lives can be attributed to sin. Darkness is brought into our lives unexpectedly, whether by sin or just being human beings. As many here know, I recently had brain surgery. It was a form of darkness. I knew I needed to have it done, but I didn’t know what to expect. Fortunately, the operation was successful, but I still experience exhaustion and balance issues. It was and is an “in the tomb experience.” I trust in God, and medical professionals to help me get through, although I learned it could take a year.
Another form of darkness is spiritual darkness. We may find ourselves thinking, “Where is God?” Carmelite priest and saint, John of the Cross experienced and wrote about his experiences of spiritual darkness in his poem, The Dark night of the Soul. Mother Teresa too spent decades in spiritual darkness. These saints describe the experience as a purification process. They help or force us to let go of things that hinder our spiritual health. If I was going through the same thing as these great saints, perhaps I am in good company.
When I was being prepped for surgery, I thought, “what if I die?”. There was nothing I could do about that; I was laying there helpless and doped up. I had to trust in God. Would I make it through this dark path to the other side that had light? Would I make it to the clerestory windows on the other side?
Learning about Christ’s resurrection in first grade. It was an historical fact. This is what Jesus did. Sister Mary Virginia taught us about Christ’s death and resurrection, and its resulting in salvation being available to all of us. Like most things we learn in first grade, we eventually grow into a deeper understanding. This year’s Lent and Easter taught me that Jesus sacrifice for us is not just about opening the pearly gates for us. It touches everything of our being. That the darkness that invades our lives is not forever. It gives us hope and faith that we are not alone on this walk, but that He who went through a period of darkness is with us.
We are not alone. And importantly, God’s great miracle of raising His son from the dead did not happen in a bright church building with lilies and trumpets, but rather in a dark dank cave of a tomb. God can and does work in the dark.
II.
In darkness and in safety,
By the secret ladder, disguised,
O, happy lot!
In darkness and concealment,
My house being now at rest.
III.
In that happy night,
In secret, seen of none,
Seeing nought myself,
Without other light or guide
Save that which in my heart was burning.