Bishop presides at the trilingual Easter Vigil liturgy held at Cathedral

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
April 12, 2007

The Easter Vigil is a time when Catholic Churches throughout the world welcome new members. Parishes in the Diocese of Sioux City baptized 46 people and another 120 people were fully initiated into the Catholic Church through the sacraments of confirmation and the Eucharist.

Bishop R. Walker Nickless presided at the trilingual liturgy held at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City on Holy Saturday where he baptized five people.

Given cold and windy conditions, the bishop stood just a few feet outside the door of the church to bless the fire that was used to light the Easter candle.

"Father, we share in the light of your glory through your son, the light of the world. Make this new fire holy, and inflame us with new hope," prayed Bishop Nickless, with hands outstretched above the fire. "Purify our minds by this Easter celebration and bring us one day to the feast of eternal light."

From the Easter candle, clergy and altar servers spread the flame to candles of parishioners who had gathered at the back of the church to watch the blessing of the fire. From there, the flame spread to others who waited in the church.

Following eight Scripture readings and the Gospel - which were delivered rotating in English, Spanish and Vietnamese - Bishop Nickless gave the homily. He thanked those who attended the liturgy and acknowledged that some people won't go to the Easter vigil because it is long.

"Someone once said it's easier to celebrate and believe in Good Friday than it is to believe in Easter Sunday," said the bishop. "I'm sure that many of us feel that same way. We all know about death. We know that some day each one of us will die."

He mentioned that most people have lost friends and relatives through death.

"But resurrection from the dead - that's something radically unknown and different. It's unknown because we've never experienced it or will have to," said Bishop Nickless. "Isn't that what Easter is all about? Experiencing the resurrection of Jesus - not just thinking about it, not just remembering it but living it out in our daily lives even today."

He referred to the Gospel reading where the angel asked the women why they were seeking the living one among the dead. Bishop Nickless went on to reflect on the words of St. Paul who stressed the fact that if Christ did not rise from the dead then people's faith was in vain.

"The very fact that we are present here today at this Easter Mass means that we believe Jesus rose, yet we still try to get a hold of this idea of resurrection," said the bishop.

He told them that the resurrection was a mystery of the faith and they may never know how it really happened, however, people can know what it means and they can whole-heartedly believe that it did happen.

Bishop reminded the parishioners that after his resurrection, Jesus only appeared to those with whom he had an existing relationship.

"Only by first knowing Jesus can we expect to see him in this resurrection," said Bishop Nickless. "If we do our part, Jesus will take care of his part. The more we know and spend time with Jesus, the more we will see and experience his risen life."

On that first Easter morning, he noted that the sight of an empty tomb must have been terrible. This emptiness and nothingness soon converted into wholeness and ever-lasting life.

The bishop pointed out that all people can experience and feel loneliness and emptiness, but he reminded them that the risen Lord was present with them through his love, hope and joy.

"Jesus promised not to leave us orphaned and if we can't find him, he will certainly find us," said Bishop Nickless. "For even though the risen Jesus is not seen or heard, he is still with us in the consecrated Communion of his Body and Blood."

Following the homily, the bishop blessed the water in the baptismal font. He lowered the Easter candle into the water three times and prayed, "We ask you, Father, with your son to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font. May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also with him to newness of life."

After baptizing the five people, the bishop asked the Godparents to share the light of Christ with the newly baptized. They each lit a baptismal candle from the Easter candle and gave it to the newly baptized. From there the light from the Easter candle was used once again to flame candles held by those in the assembly prior to the renewal of baptismal promises.

These same five people then were confirmed and later in the service received their first Communion.