A Jesuit Catholic University
in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1878

Easter Vigil Readings

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer The Daily Reflections

Today is Holy Saturday, the day before Easter when we anticipate the resurrection of the Lord, the moment that is the epicenter of our faith. The readings for today show us how God has always been guiding us, leading up to the resurrection and continues to reach into our lives to heal us and lead us today.

God is responsible for creation and has remained deeply involved with his beloved creation since its conception. He tested Abraham, helped Moses lead his people away from the Egyptians, and gave us his only son as a sacrifice to wash away our sins. He loves us so much and will always continue to love us. There are not many constant things in life nowadays with rapidly changing technology and different people coming in and out of our lives, but God’s love for us has and always will be constant.

The merciful nature of God is depicted in no better way than when he put all our sins to death on the cross with Jesus. God’s mercy has freed us from being defined by our sin! However, God did not just take away our sin, he cleansed us and made us new when Christ rose from the dead. We are transformed into a new and better version of ourselves when we lay down our sins at the feet of Jesus and let him love us and wash us with his mercy.

Through the resurrection, God shows us that he is still with us today and is our living God who has conquered death. Sometimes it can seem like God is far away and removed from us, but this is so far from the truth. God never leaves us and is always watching over us and carrying us through the trials of our lives. Whenever we are weighed down by sin and fall down, God picks us up and renews us and gives us new life in a way that reflects Christ’s renewal in the resurrection, empowering us to be better examples of his pure, beautiful love.