Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Easter Vigil 2025
19 April 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, my dear catechumens: Katherine, Christopher, Thisara, and Buddhika,
Christ is risen. Alleluia.
This night is unlike any other. From darkness, we have moved into light. From silence, we have been lifted into song. And from death, we now proclaim life.
This is the Vigil of all vigils, the night in which the Church keeps watch, as God once again does what only God can do: bring life where there was death, light where there was darkness, hope where there was despair.
And tonight, as the whole world turns its face toward the empty tomb, we gather as one family, young and old, lifelong believers and those about to be baptized, knowing that hope in Jesus Christ never disappoints.
Our Scriptures tonight have taken us on a breathtaking journey.
We began in the beginning. In a formless void, chaos reigned. But God spoke, and light came to be. God ordered, blessed, and called it good. Each step, each breath, each created thing, crafted not by accident, but with intention, with care, with hope.
You see, the creation story is not just a past historic memory, it is a promise for the future. It tells us that life has meaning, that beauty can rise out of chaos, and that every single person here tonight was made in the image of a God who sees us and says: “It is good.”
So, if your life tonight feels formless, if it feels dark or uncertain, do not be afraid. Creation begins in the void. But God speaks, and things are made new.
We have heard from the prophet Ezekiel, and what a powerful word it was: “I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you.”
To those who feel far from God, those who carry shame or sorrow, this is not the voice of condemnation, it is the voice of mercy. God does not abandon His people. He cleanses, restores, and renews them. He does not just give us a second chance; God gives us a new heart.
And tonight, dear Katherine, Christopher, Thisara, and Buddhika, tonight you receive that new heart. You are not just turning a page in your life. You are becoming a new creation.
Saint Paul speaks to you directly: You who are baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into His death. But listen to what he says next: Just as Christ was raised from the dead, so you too may live a new life. (cf Romans 6:3-11)
This is your moment. In the waters of baptism, you are entering the tomb with Christ and rising with Him in glory. The chains of sin are broken. The fear of death is silenced. The old self has died, and a new person is born, born of water, Spirit, and fire.
Let this truth be written on your hearts: You belong to Jesus Christ. You share in His victory. You live with His promise.
And then, my dear people, we arrive at the tomb with the women. They come bearing spices, grief in their hands, sorrow in their hearts. But they find no body. They hear instead: “Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen.” (Luke 24:5)
This, my brothers and sisters, is the foundation of our faith. This is the source of our joy.
And this is why the whole Church across the world proclaims tonight with confidence:
Hope in Jesus Christ never disappoints.
Katherine, Christopher, Thisara, Buddhika, your names are about to be written in the Book of Life. You will no longer be catechumens, but Christians. In the power of the Holy Spirit, you will become living members of the Body of Christ. And, through the gift of Jesus’ Body and Blood, you will share in his deep and lasting communion.
And to all the faithful gathered here, I say this: no matter your wounds, no matter your story, let tonight be the moment you believe again. The moment you trust that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just history, it is our hope, our joy, our future.
This is the Jubilee Year of Hope. Let us be a people marked by it. Let our lives shine with the hope that does not fade. Let us walk as people of the resurrection. Let us echo the voice of Mary, the first witness, who tells the world, “I have seen the Lord!”
Jesus is not in the tomb.
Christ is risen.
The Lord is with us.
Jesus Christ is our hope, and he does not disappoint. Alleluia!