April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
EASTER REFLECTION
Alleluia time
Jesus rose from the dead. Christians will celebrate this glorious event by sunrise services. On Easter morn, believers will wait for the dawn to recall the rising of Jesus from the dead. Alleluia!
The sun has a pivotal role in the celebration of Jesus' birth - commemorated in December, at the darkest time of the year - and Jesus' rebirth, celebrated at sunrise on Easter.
The sunlight of Easter morning will have traveled at the speed of light and so took eight minutes to reach earth from the sun. But the sunlight that hits you on Easter morning 2011 was created in the heart of the sun more than 20,000 years ago.
It has constantly been detoured on its journey to the surface of the sun by colliding against solar particles. What a marvel!
Still, no marvel compares with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is no fairy-tale ending to a great story. Easter is no contrived ending to a Greek tragedy.
Easter is not myth. Easter is not make-believe, wishful thinking or the projection of an ideal.
Easter is the empty tomb of the "great disturber," Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
Christians claim Jesus is God, which is the truth of Christmas. The greatest of all revelations is that God is Jesus - which is the Gospel of Easter.
Christians marvel not at one single sunrise in springtime, but the ransom of life itself. Easter is more than the return of life in the spring; Easter is life's ransom. Alleluia!
Easter is so great that one Sunday cannot grasp its import. Easter is the great 50 days that will culminate with the fire of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, which means "50 days." Alleluia!
The great shout on this day of days is, "This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Let the children enjoy Easter candy. Have a neighborhood Easter egg hunt. Give the Easter Bunny a place at the table and decorate the home with spring flowers.
Place newly-blessed holy water at the front entrance of your home. Buy a paschal candle for your home and carve it with the numbers 2011, for this is the 2011th Easter.
Our Orthodox brothers and sisters say, "Christ is risen. He is risen indeed." Shout Alleluia; sing Alleluia; make an "allelujah" banner. We are an Easter people!
Father Rosson is pastor of St. Mary's/Our Lady of the Lake parish in Cooperstown.[[In-content Ad]]
250 X 250 AD
250 X 250 AD
Events
250 X 250 AD
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