Concelebrating with him were: adviser of the Apostolic Nunciature in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Amaury Medina Blanco, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna, Msgr. Slađan Ćosić, canons of the Chapter of Vrhobosna Dr. Msgr. Pavo Jurišić and Msgr. Luka Tunjić and about 10 other priests.

Service of light

At the beginning of the vigil, Archbishop Vukšić blessed the fire on the steps of the cathedral. Then he carved into the Easter candle a cross and the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet - alpha and omega, which denote Christ. Then, on the arms and in the middle of the cross, on which the numbers of the year 2023 are written, he placed five grains of incense, which represent the five wounds of the crucified Christ. The Easter candle, a symbol of Christ who is the light of the world that illuminates the darkness, was then lit and carried in a procession through the cathedral, placed on a candlestick in the sanctuary and burned.

 "Light of Christ" and "Thank God" echoed through the cathedral as the candle was carried in procession to the altar and one by one the small candles of the present believers were lit.

Then Msgr. Jurišić sang the Easter hymn, and the faithful then listened to three Old Testament readings from the Book of Genesis, Exodus and the prophet Isaiah.

Psalms were sung between the various readings.

Then followed the solemn singing of the Glory with all those present standing, the ringing of bells and the playing of the organ, which could be heard again after the "silence" of Maundy Thursday, that is, the Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper. After the New Testament text was read, the great news of Christ's resurrection was announced, after which those present sang Alleluia.

Vigil creates a mood of waiting

After the proclamation of the gospel, the appropriate sermon was delivered by Msgr. Vukšić. He said that during the Easter Vigil ceremony, several passages from the Old Testament are scheduled to be announced, among which, one can even choose, but with an explicit order to never omit the reading of the report on the exit of the chosen people from slavery, explaining how this report must be heard on this night because it is about the Passover of the chosen people, about the memory of the event when they came out to freedom and the promised land. He explained that after these announcements, with the celebratory ringing of bells from the bell tower, candles are lit on the altar and, after a long absence from Holy Mass celebrations, the song Glory to God is heard again. "Celebrating God Jesus in the heights with that song, we confess our faith in his resurrection, in his Passover, that is, in his release from captivity by the laws of death and the darkness of the grave. And the candles, which burn again, symbolize the risen Christ who is the light of the world and who is a signpost to eternal life for all people, because whoever follows him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life", said the archbishop of Vrhbosna.

He further pointed out that the Easter vigil wants to indicate and create a constant mood in which Christians wait. "They should always be with lit lamps of faith, that is, awake, ready to depart and leave this world in order to meet Christ in eternity. Approximately, just as we are now waiting for all of us to be at the same Eucharistic table with Christ himself in this celebration, so Christians should live their whole lives in the desire to find themselves at the end of the eternal feast", the archbishop said.

New exodus

He then spoke about the exodus of the chosen people as a historical fact that was always interpreted in the form of salvation that God performs in the holy history of his presence with those he has chosen. "A new exodus was realized in Christ, who after his resurrection passed from death to life, from the world to the heavenly Father, from humiliation to glory, from earth to heaven. This is Christ's Passover, his exit and his transition. John the Evangelist writes that Jesus himself understood his death and resurrection precisely as a transition, as an exodus and Passover. Jesus' exodus and transition is the beginning of the third Passover. Jesus, loved his people in the world to the end and did all this for them. That is why his Passover is the announcement of our exodus and transition! It is the starting point of the exodus and transition of all Christians and other people, who hope and act for their own exit and expect salvation", said Mgr. Vukšić then looking back at the words of St. Augustine, who wrote that every "transition from death to life is sanctified in the Lord's death and resurrection", i.e. how for us our "Passover is a transition from sin to life, from guilt to grace, from infection to sanctification".

At the end, he said that Jesus fulfilled and finished his mission, and his work "of joining the heavenly and the earthly, the divine and the human, has its own spiritual continuation and is constantly present whenever our exit from bad to good happens and always shines when we exit from good to even better".

After the sermon, in the baptismal service, the archbishop blessed the baptismal well and sprinkled blessed water on those present in memory of the baptism of each individual Christian.

The Holy Mass continued with the Eucharistic service.

During the vigil Holy Mass, the ceremonies were conducted by rev. Dr. Ivan Rako, and the liturgical singing was animated by the mixed cathedral choir Josip Stadler under the direction of Rev. Marko Stanušić.