Easter Vigil in Medjugorje – I am Risen and I am with you always
The Easter Vigil, in which the Church watches in anticipation of Christ's Resurrection, was held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Medjugorje, and as every evening in the Church of St. James, it was preceded by the prayer of the Rosary. On this day, the Church watches with a new blessed fire and reflects on the great promise, contained in the Old and New Testaments, of the final liberation from the old slavery of sin and death.
After the Service of Light, the Service of the Word followed, then the Baptism Service and finally the fourth part, the Eucharistic Service, which solemnly concludes the Holy Easter Triduum, that we began with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. The Easter Vigil was led by the parish vicar of Medjugorje, Fr. Ivan Hrkać.
"On this most holy night for us believers, Christians," Fr. Ivan reminded us of what we have been remembering throughout this week, from Palm Sunday itself and Jesus' solemn entry into Jerusalem to the saddest day for us, the memory of Good Friday, of what people are capable of doing to someone who has done no harm, and he also spoke about the Gospel passage that speaks of the women coming to Jesus' tomb, but the tomb is empty.
"However where a person thinks it is the end, there is only a new beginning, there God's work actually begin, and that is the message of Easter. Where we think it is the end, there God wants to begin something new. Where we have cocooned ourselves, withdrawn into ourselves, God wants to break our shells, our armor, wants to roll away our stone, the stone that is on our hearts. He wants to take the heart of stone out of us and Medjugorje has been that place for so many years, the place where God rolled away the stone from the heart of many," said Fr. Ivan, explaining that the stone on the heart is sin, darkness, gloom, unforgiveness, hopelessness...
Fr. Ivan also spoke about the encounter with the Risen One and how it is the most beautiful part of today's gospel, and he added that we all need that encounter, an encounter that changes the world.
"In Medjugorje, there is a place where every pilgrim comes and does the same thing. It is the statue of the Risen Christ. Every day. There is not a moment when a believer, pilgrim, parishioner is not there. Just like these women - they embraced his feet - and that is where the heart is reborn. That is where the joy of Easter comes. Those outstretched arms of the Risen Christ call you into their embrace and teach you to open your arms too, not to go huddled in your fears and pains, to actually need your neighbor. How important are these hands of Christ," said Fr. Ivan Hrkać, and invited us to use our hands, recalling how the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje has repeatedly invited us to be her outstretched hands. Finally, he reminded us of the inscription on the statue of the Risen One in Medjugorje: "Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum. Alleluia!", which translates to: "I have risen and am now with you always. Alleluia!"
"Not only is Jesus risen, but He is always with you. That is the message when we leave Christ, to remember that He is always with us and that is when our Easter happens. When we are aware that He is with us," were the words with which Fr. Ivan Hrkać concluded his homily.