It is a special night for all Christians in the world, but above all for those like me who find themselves living it in an African parish in the middle of the savannah far from any city.
There are no lights or a cathedral rich in history and art.
We are crowded inside a simple building with a tin roof large enough to accommodate all the people who come from the nearby villages.
However, there is a particular atmosphere that is given by the community participation of people of all ages, who have come from far away to celebrate the most important Christian event.
At nine in the evening, when the darkness seems to hide everything, the Easter vigil begins, the mother of all vigils.
Outside the church on the lawn there is a big fire that is blessed.
From it the paschal candle is lit, a symbol of the light of Christ.
All those present light the candles and in procession enter the church.
The various readings in the local language introduce the hymn of glory to God into the heart of the Easter liturgy.
A chime announces the great event.
This is the moment when the whole assembly of the faithful explodes with joy.
In an Alleluia that never seems to want to end, typical African choral songs follow one another while people of all ages dance praising God.
There are also some baptisms as it was in the early Christian tradition and a marriage that make the vigil liturgy even more solemn.
When the ceremony ends after three hours and the whole crowd swarms from the church we discover that the night is well advanced, the constellations have changed position.
The African starry sky reminds us of the beauty of creation God said: There are lights in the firmament of the sky to distinguish day from night “.
But it is above all the joy of the resurrection that seems to have touched everyone in an atmosphere of great joy and seems to have restored faith and hope to a renewed humanity.
Giuliano Bacheca
