n the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, they went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but on entering they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled about this, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side. Terrified, the women bowed their heads to the ground. But the two said to them, ‘Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee: that the Son of man was destined to be handed over into the power of sinful men and be crucified, and rise again on the third day.' And they remembered his words. And they returned from the tomb and told all this to the Eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. And the other women with them also told the apostles, but this story of theirs seemed pure nonsense, and they did not believe them. Peter however went off to the tomb, running. He bent down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but nothing else; he then went back home, amazed at what had happened.

(Luke: 24:1-12 NJB)

Meditation for Holy Pascha / Easter, the Feast of Feasts
 

here is a Franciscan Blessing that I always find personally challenging and something of a study guide for an examination of conscience. It reads:

“May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really can make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator, Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Saviour, and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you and remain with you, this day and forevermore. AMEN”.

The Disciples named in today’s Gospel are the very embodiment of this blessing. The women were foolish enough to believe that they could yet do something for Jesus, who was crucified, dead and buried. So they gathered the spices for a proper burial and went off early on the first day of the week to do that which the arrival of the Sabbath, that St John reminds us was one of special solemnity, on Friday prevented; the proper anointing of Jesus’ Body. In their grief they didn’t consider how they would roll away the stone, or how the guard that was posted would react to their approach. They just knew that something had to be done and they were going to do it, whatever it took, whatever the cost.

When they arrived at His burial site however, they found that someone or something had beaten them to it. The stone was already rolled away and Jesus’ Body no longer lay there. Then two men in brilliant white raiment appeared and announced to them that there was nothing that they could do for Jesus, because Jesus had already accomplished that which cannot be done. He had defeated our ancient enemy and risen from the dead. Amazingly, they believed and went and proclaimed the message to the Eleven, Jesus’ closest companions and friends, who were suffering from the loss of All that they cherished, their Master and Lord. The Eleven did not believe, could not believe “such nonsense”. But even in the midst of his unbelief, Peter could not be satisfied with the easy answers, and had to boldly seek out the truth for himself.

What these holy women and St Peter discovered is that the impossible had indeed occurred. The tomb was empty. He was not there. Contrary to what a few people who want to sell some books and make a few bucks today say, that tomb is still empty. On that first Easter the disciples experienced for themselves the true Passover of our God; the passage of our Lord Christ from death to new and unending resurrection life. So too this day do we experience firsthand that same true Passover. As the angel of death once destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, on this most Holy of Days, this Feast of Feasts, Christ destroys death itself. As Moses led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt through the waters of the Red Sea, so now Christ leads us through the waters of Baptism out of bondage to sin.

The Exsultet, the Proclamation of Easter, reads in part:

It is truly good, right, and salutary
That we should at all times and in all places,
With all our heart and mind and voice,
Praise You, O Lord, Holy Father, almighty everlasting God,
And your only begotten Son,
Jesus Christ.
For He is the very Paschal Lamb
Who offered Himself for the sin of the world,
Who has cleansed us by the shedding of His precious blood.

This is the night
When You brought our fathers, the children of Israel,
Out of bondage in Egypt
And led them through the Red Sea on dry ground.

This is the night
When all who believe in Christ
Are delivered from bondage to sin
And are restored to life and immortality.

This is the night
When Christ, the Life, rose from the dead.

The seal of the grave is broken
And the morning of a new creation breaks forth out of night.
How wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God,
That to redeem a slave You gave Your Son.

How holy is this night
When all wickedness is put to flight
And sin is washed away.

How holy is this night
When innocence is restored to the fallen
And joy is given to those downcast.

How blessed is this night
When man is reconciled to God in Christ.

Marvelous words! Wondrous words! Glorious words!

But what do they really mean for us and for our world? They mean the end of Adam’s sin. They mean release from self-centeredness, vanity and greed. They quite literally mean the end of the world as we know it. No longer is our task to accumulate wealth and power that we might be remembered. No longer is our only destiny the grave. No longer is death and decay our ultimate heritage. In the Resurrection, the Kingdom of God breaks forth amongst us, renewing the face of the earth. We are enabled and empowered to live lives that seek truth, and love deeply; lives that work for justice, freedom and peace; lives that relieve suffering and pain; lives that are foolish enough to do, as our Lord before us, the impossible. We have passed over into new and unending life in Christ and our lives will never, can never, be the same again. We are, in short, now gifted with the ability to live lives that proclaim in deed, as well as in word, “Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!”

 

ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

 

All Meditations ©2004-2007 Randolph A. Brown (IP not subject to Fair Use Clause). Permission will not be given for reprint†. Previous Meditations 2nd Sunday After Easter (April 22, 2007) Thomas / Low Sunday (April 15, 2007) Easter, The Feast of Feasts (April 8, 2007) Good Friday (April 6, 2007) Palm Sunday (April 1, 2007) 5th Sunday in Lent (March 25, 2007) 4th Sunday in Lent (March 18, 2007) 3rd Sunday in Lent (March 11, 2007) 2nd Sunday in Lent (March 4, 2007) 1st sunday in lent (February 25, 2007) Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent (February 21, 2007) Last Sunday After the Epiphany / Quinquagesima (February 18, 2007) 6th Sunday After the Epiphany / Septugesima (February 11, 2007) 5th Sunday After the Epiphany / Septugesima (February 4, 2007) 4th Sunday After the Epiphany (January 28, 2007)   †Regarding the copyright, Bp. Brown would like us to mention that it is not his intention to be stingy. It's only that he has future plans for the writings which do not facilitate their being shared at this time.   Personal Blog of Abp. Brown: