Today the story of Salvation is celebrated. Night, fire, water and bread; gestures and signs of this holy night. Jerusalem is the only place in the world where the Easter Vigil is celebrated in the morning, and this year is presided over by H.E. Mgr Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate. The bells and the song of Glory marked the announcement: Christ is Risen! The "Mother of all vigils", as the liturgy says, has brought together in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre many bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and laical faithful. A long liturgy marked by a succession of symbolic gestures which - as Mgr Pizzaballa stressed in his homily - are not "a memory. What we do in these gestures is not only a reminder of what has been done to our fathers. Even today, here, God loves, creates, frees, leads, forgives. Today here He accomplishes the work of Redemption". The blessing of the fire in front of the anointing stone and the engraving on the Easter candle with the letters alpha and omega and its ignition by a light taken directly from the Tomb. The Seven Readings that proclaim the history of Salvation... up to the great announcement that from Jerusalem resounds in every corner of the world: I announce to you a great joy, which is: Alleluia. The blessing of the water - followed by the renewal of baptismal promises and the sprinkling of the faithful. "The Eucharist is the final sign, the most important one, that encloses them all. It is sacrifice, gift, praise, banquet, sharing, celebration." Among the many pilgrims who have flocked there is the joy of living the Easter of Resurrection in the same place. Pilgrim - Italy "I came here to retrace the steps of my Lord Jesus. I am very happy to be here in this church, at this moment... I am very moved! I feel in my heart the love of Christ that He has for all of us..." Pilgrim - Slovakia “Let’s love each other.” Pilgrim - Poland "We came from Poland. HAPPY EASTER" HE Mgr PIERBATTISTA PIZZABALLA, ofm Apostolic Administrator Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem “We brought the whole history of salvation before the tomb of Christ; this is also our history of salvation, our personal history. We have seen everything God has accomplished. Today we also bear our history made of sin, of labours... of so many things that we do not understand. Let us put them there on that tomb so that with his light He may transform them into a new light.”