The Morning Star who never sets
"May this flame be found still burning by the Morning Star; the one Morning Star who never sets, Christ your Son, who, coming back from death's domain, has shed his peaceful light on humanity." These beautiful words of the Exultet, proclaimed during the lighting of the Paschal Candle at the Easter Vigil, speak to the hope of this glorious and blessed day.
Happy Easter one and all. Christ is Risen as he said. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Perhaps this year more than ever before, each of us can more deeply share in the experience of the disciples of Jesus, his Mother, Mary Magdalene and a handful of others. We know their sadness and pain, their anxiety and fear, their isolation and sense of darkness. They have gone into hiding, locked up in the upper room, not quite certain what the future holds or even if they will survive their enemies. Only Mary Magdalene ventures out to honor the body of Jesus with the ritual anointing. Her love for Lord cannot be contained and she becomes the first Easter witness. Jesus calls her name, Mary. She is blinded by her hurt and disappointment, but her heart is stirred by the words spoken by the voice she knows well: Do not fear. I am alive. Go and tell the brothers.
Jesus speaks these words to our hearts. They are spoken to us in our loneliness, our anxiety, our fear and darkness. Do not fear. I am alive. Go and tell the others. This is the Easter message spoken once again this year. Perhaps more quietly and without the celebration that typically marks this festive day. But just maybe these words will be heard by each of us in the silence of our hearts, in our isolation, and without anything to distract or minimize the voice of Jesus. These words are the soothing, healing balm leading us through this time of struggle and crisis, to a renewed sense of peace and joy.
The tomb is empty. The Morning Star now shines gloriously. All of the promises God has made to us have been fulfilled. Nothing can ever lessen or diminish that light. Sin and death have been conquered once and for all. It is God's saving love that is great gift of Easter. Grace so abundant, life renewed through the Holy Spirit abiding in our hearts forever! We too, like Mary Magdalene. and then the brothers, must go and tell others. That Morning Star which has captured our hearts, must lead us out of ourselves into the lives others. Even in these days when we cannot yet throw open the doors and windows of our houses, we can share that eternal glorious everlasting flame of God's love. By our intentional prayer for others, by our kindness and patience with those with whom we are hunkered down, by our interaction through phone and social media with our neighbors, with the sick, and those we love, by any means at all we must share the Good News of Easter with others. This is the message of Easter that our world so desperately needs to hear: Jesus is Lord. He has risen as He said. He is alive and lives among us. His love has conquered death and sin, fear and darkness. Indeed he has set his peaceful light on all humanity. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Happy Easter one and all. Christ is Risen as he said. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Perhaps this year more than ever before, each of us can more deeply share in the experience of the disciples of Jesus, his Mother, Mary Magdalene and a handful of others. We know their sadness and pain, their anxiety and fear, their isolation and sense of darkness. They have gone into hiding, locked up in the upper room, not quite certain what the future holds or even if they will survive their enemies. Only Mary Magdalene ventures out to honor the body of Jesus with the ritual anointing. Her love for Lord cannot be contained and she becomes the first Easter witness. Jesus calls her name, Mary. She is blinded by her hurt and disappointment, but her heart is stirred by the words spoken by the voice she knows well: Do not fear. I am alive. Go and tell the brothers.
Jesus speaks these words to our hearts. They are spoken to us in our loneliness, our anxiety, our fear and darkness. Do not fear. I am alive. Go and tell the others. This is the Easter message spoken once again this year. Perhaps more quietly and without the celebration that typically marks this festive day. But just maybe these words will be heard by each of us in the silence of our hearts, in our isolation, and without anything to distract or minimize the voice of Jesus. These words are the soothing, healing balm leading us through this time of struggle and crisis, to a renewed sense of peace and joy.
The tomb is empty. The Morning Star now shines gloriously. All of the promises God has made to us have been fulfilled. Nothing can ever lessen or diminish that light. Sin and death have been conquered once and for all. It is God's saving love that is great gift of Easter. Grace so abundant, life renewed through the Holy Spirit abiding in our hearts forever! We too, like Mary Magdalene. and then the brothers, must go and tell others. That Morning Star which has captured our hearts, must lead us out of ourselves into the lives others. Even in these days when we cannot yet throw open the doors and windows of our houses, we can share that eternal glorious everlasting flame of God's love. By our intentional prayer for others, by our kindness and patience with those with whom we are hunkered down, by our interaction through phone and social media with our neighbors, with the sick, and those we love, by any means at all we must share the Good News of Easter with others. This is the message of Easter that our world so desperately needs to hear: Jesus is Lord. He has risen as He said. He is alive and lives among us. His love has conquered death and sin, fear and darkness. Indeed he has set his peaceful light on all humanity. Alleluia! Alleluia!
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