At the end of four hundred and thirty years, all the hosts of the LORD left the land of Egypt on this very date. This was a night of vigil for the LORD, as he led them out of the land of Egypt; so on this same night all the children of Israel must keep a vigil for the LORD throughout their generations. (Ex 12:37-42)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/071925.cfm
The Easter Triduum, culminating in the Easter Vigil, celebrates the deliverance of all humanity from the slavery to sin and death through the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. I’ll never forget my classmate from seminary who pulled me aside one day after class asking me to explain to him the Triduum. He had never heard of it. His family attended Mass every Sunday and holy day of obligation, but he had never even heard of the Easter Vigil. Needless to say, we had a lengthy conversation with a lot of alleluias!
These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Saturday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, July 19
