eyes of our hearts, not of flesh, are fixed, this the just and holy purpose of
SERMON 223G
AT THE EASTER VIGIL
Date: uncertain1
The blissful state that will be ours without time for eternity
1. This holy celebration, brothers and sisters, which has removed night from the night, putting darkness to flight with all these lights, and making our faith bright and cheerful as if it were the daytime of our hearts, is taking place, as you know, in memory of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. What, after all, could be more suitable, than to live over again in our vigil his awakening from the dead; than for the members, though they are still going to fall asleep eventually, to accord for the time being with their head who has now awoken forever? They too, you see, are finally going to wake up in the same way, and going to reign with him without any sleep in an everlasting vigil. It is indeed right and fitting at fixed times to represent, by this wonderful festivity, the blissful state that will be ours without time for eternity.
Let us keep watch, therefore, for Christ as he awakes, and abstain from sleep for a little while as best we can, in honor of him over whom sleep has no hold. Let us be, in his keeping, the true Israel according to the spirit, since he will neither sleep nor be somnolent, the one who keeps Israel (Ps 121:4). As we keep watch on this annual solemnity for this most watchful and vigilant of keepers, let us bind up our hearts once more in his hands with the bands of faith, so that secured by such bands of religion2 to one who cannot fall asleep, they may never fall away; until finally rid of mortality and decay, we all come whole and entire to be bound up together in his company, in his very person,3 where we too will be quite unable either to sleep or be somnolent.
The end we have in view has no end
2. This is the fruit of our watching and waking, this the goal on which the eyes of our hearts, not of flesh, are fixed, this the just and holy purpose of restricting and quelling sleep, this the imperishable reward of toil endured and love aroused; that the one, for whom we are keeping vigil for a little while by struggling against earthly drowsiness, should give us that life which knows wakefulness without toil, day without night, rest without sleep.