On the seashore, a woman raises her voice. “Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister took up in her hand the hand-drum, and all the women went along after her, with hand-drums and dancing”. “Sing to the LORD, for he has risen proudly: horse and chariot alike he has cast into the sea!”
Miriam’s voice resonates along the centuries as first the Jewish people and then the Holy Church of God celebrate God’s victory. The LORD has triumphed over His enemies. Pharaoh and his hosts – obvious symbols of the forces of evil – have been cast into the sea. Israel has been baptised: it goes out of the waters of the Red Sea as a people who have just escaped death and received their lives anew.
Moses and the men sing; Miriam and the women answer and dance; all join in praising God: “Who is like you, magnificent in holiness, awesome in praiseworthy deeds? You have guided in your unchanging love this people you have redeemed”. The song – we may call it a canticle – is a monument to God’s glory. How mysterious and glorious are God’s ways! Who would have imagined taking a people out of captivity and offering them freedom and life, as it were, through death – a death they miraculously escaped, but which their adversaries were unable to avoid? Who would have imagined offering to all mankind salvation and freedom through the death on the Cross of God’s own first-born Son, miraculously risen from the dead by the loving power of His Father?
We could remain silent – and maybe a bit perplexed. But already a new life is present within us: we are children of God; the Spirit cries in our hearts: ‘Abba, Father!’; our heart is filled with forgiveness and mercy; we feel a desire to serve and to love our brethren in all humility; martyrs are ready to die for Christ; saints give themselves totally to the fulfilment of the commandment of love. How could we remain quiet? We hear the voices of the men, along the seashore of the Red Sea. We feel the contagious rhythm of the hand-drums and the dancing of the women. The Church can but sing the resurrection: Exultet iam angelica creatura: “Exult, let them exult, the hosts of heaven, let the trumpet of salvation sound aloud our mighty King’s triumph.”
The land on the other side of the sea is a country of praise and joy. We belong to it by our baptism. Every Christian is born a singer. Baptism has qualified us to be cantors of God’s praises. We belong to God’s praise. Like the angels, we are called to flourish in giving praise to our God. Human freedom results in the praise of the glory of the Father. Life beyond death is eternal praise of the God of life.
All year round, monks and nuns keep alive the permanent flame of the canticle of praise in the name of the whole Church. Their humble, constant and faithful liturgical service is meant to kindle in the hearts of all their brothers and sisters the desire to make of their lives a living praise to God. This is the good news of the Alleluia. Since the beginning of Lent, we abstained from singing it. We receive it anew tonight. We let this powerful little word – which means: ‘Praise the Lord’ – lead us into the joy and the praise of Easter. It says much more than the relief of a happy end for our dear hero Jesus. It expresses our awareness – indeed our pride – that our Saviour is victorious; death has no more the last word in human lives and history; forgiveness is stronger than offences and sins; enmity can be overcome and peace is possible; divine love is the ultimate reality which surrounds all the time our existence; we have a Father and He fills us with His Spirit of Love.
On the shore of the country of the Alleluia, we meet a new Miriam. Mary is our guide on our baptismal journey. She was given to us as a mother by Jesus on the Cross. The star of the sea accompanies the itinerary of the Church through the Passion of Christ to His resurrection. She shows the way of life. The new Miriam, like the one of old, sings a canticle of victory which has become the national anthem of the Church:
“My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. He has shown strength with His arm, he has put down the might from their thrones, He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy.”
In our hearts, with our lips, in our lives, let there be a canticle of praise:
“Sing to the LORD, for he has risen proudly”. He lives for ever and gives us His life. Alleluia!