And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.    Luke 24:5-6 (KJV)
 
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.    I Corinthians 15:14 (KJV)

The traditional services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday present stirring reenactments of the suffering, death, and burial of Christ. They help prepare us for the stunning, earth-shattering Resurrection of our Lord, which then appears in sharp relief against this somber backdrop. These memorable rites are magnificent symbolic expressions of the beauty, transcendence, and transformative power inherent in the dramatic events that unfolded on that Holy Week more than two centuries ago. For many of us, they are the highlights of our Easter celebrations. But if we sink too deeply into the mere physical aspects of the events we commemorate, rest too comfortably on familiar church liturgy to the point of mindless repetition, or pay too much attention to our private emotional responses, we may fail to grasp the full significance of the mystery that lies at the crux of the Resurrection. For such tendencies may easily lead us to emphasize material facts over spiritual reality, cultural forms over true substance, and personal existence over universal relationships - the exact opposite of what lies at the center of the Easter celebration.

For the Easter story, as the apostle Paul and the angel guarding the tomb quite well understood, is not only the seminal event of our own Christian faith, but also in its essence expresses themes that resonate with people of other religious faiths as well - that the human soul is eternal and does not dissolve when the body dies; that the spiritual forces that brought creation into existence cannot fade even if the earth should pass away, as it one day seems destined to do; and that union with Spirit of God, however conceived, is not only possible, but inevitable. The Resurrection is the ultimate answer to humanity's quest for truth, love, and freedom, the final victory of over death.

To penetrate this great Mystery, we must be actively engaged, at Easter time and always, in order to support our participation in the services of the church. We must strive with heart, mind, and will to delve ever more deeply into the meaning of this supreme moment in human history. In this way is gradually kindled within us a knowledge of the truths more illuminating than the ritual fires we light, an experience of beauty more glorious than the lilies that grace our altars, and an inspiration of spiritual power greater than that engendered by the services alone.

Our own soul forces strengthened, we may then join together in spreading this message of hope until the kingdom of love is embraced everywhere on earth. If ever there was a time to remember our essential unity with all people, it is now. If ever there was a moment for reawakening to higher human values, it is now. If ever there was a need for greater communication, cooperation, and service, it is now. The power of the Risen Christ is absolute, unrivaled, and irreversible, and continues to stream forth into the world. Let us seek to be a channel for that power, for our own sakes, and for the sake of all humanity

O Risen Christ, Savior of all, may our lives reflect your message of hope, faith, and love. Amen.

Contributed by Diane
Sunday April 12, 2009
Liturgical Year B Week 20
Sunday Gospel Readings:
First Sunday of Easter