At the beginning of the Vigil, Archbishop Vukšić blessed the fire on the steps of the cathedral

There were 15 priests in the concelebration, among them: Archbishop of Vrhbosna in peace cardinal Vinko Puljić, apostolic nuncio in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Francis Assisi Chullikatt, charge d'affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Msgr. Javier Camañes-Forés, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Vrhbosna, Msgr. Slađan Ćosić and professor at the KBF in Sarajevo and postulator of the cause for the beatification of the servant of God, Josip Stadler, msgr. Pavo Jurišić.

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 signify 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.

"Mother of all vigils"

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

Occasional 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 sounded 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.

After the proclamation of the gospel, the appropriate sermon was delivered by Msgr. Chullikatt, who at the beginning recalled the words of St. Augustine, who called the Easter Vigil, which we celebrate tonight, "the Mother of all Vigils" and added that according to ancient tradition, on this holy night, catechumens receive baptism and are born to a new life, and then approach the Eucharistic table that the Lord has prepared with his death and glorious resurrection to his people.

"Through his sacrifice on the cross, which we remembered last night, Jesus Christ guided us to the right path and invited us to a spiritual transformation, with the aim of bringing us closer to our heavenly homeland, where we will finally see 'God face to face' (1 Cor 13 ,2). Faith in the risen Christ guarantees security and is the beginning of eternal life in our earthly pilgrimage. It is the truth of Christ in us that no one can erase from the history of mankind.

The instrument of our redemption

For this reason, the celebration of Christ's resurrection is the heart of the Christian life and the centre of every liturgical celebration of the Church. Our faith is based on Christ's death and resurrection: 'If Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain' - writes Saint Paul (1 Cor 15:14). Indeed, with this Easter vigil we celebrate not only Christ's resurrection but also everything that preceded the resurrection, that is, Christ's passion, suffering and death on the cross, the instrument of our redemption. In this sense, this liturgy also reminds us that it would have been of no use to us if we had been born without Christ redeeming us with his immeasurable love! Because Christ redeemed us, saved us, restored our lost innocence, reconciled man with his Creator and earth with heaven.

The preacher further recalled the words of Pope Francis (Angelus, June 28^th 2015): "Christ's resurrection acts in history as a source of renewal and hope. Anyone who is desperate or tired to death, if he trusts in Jesus and his love, can start living again. And to start a new life, to change one's life is a kind of resurrection, rising to a new life".

A burning desire for heaven

Emphasizing how beautiful is the message of the victory of God's love, hope and mercy, which shines in the resurrection that we devoutly celebrate with this Easter Vigil, Msgr. Chullikatt concluded his sermon with the words: "Therefore, as we once again experience the grace of Easter, the anniversary of his death and resurrection, we ask the risen Lord to kindle in us a burning desire for heaven, to confirm in us the blessed hope of participating in his victory over death, and that we may live Easter with him, which has no end, joyfully announcing our faith with the words: Christ is risen, truly risen. Hallelujah!

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, at the end of which Archbishop Vukšić wished everyone a happy and blessed Easter.

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.