NOTE: Throughout Easter Week, the daily meditations will take on a more contemplative tone, to help us delve deeper into the great event of our faith: the Resurrection of the Lord. The “3 Minutes for Abba” will continue as usual (https://en.elijamission.net/category/3-minutes-for-god-the-father/).
Just as You foretold, beloved Jesus, it has come to pass. You have truly risen!
You rose from the dead, and the good news has reached us. The first to announce it were the angels at the tomb: “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (Lk 24:5). Then came Mary Magdalene; she had the grace to see You first, and then the apostles. There is no doubt! Not even the hostile Jews and the bribed soldiers could hide the truth. Alleluia!
Death could not hold You in the tomb. How could it, when You Yourself are life? You raised the dead when You proclaimed the Gospel to us. You breathe new life into everything: to those dead in sin You offer the remedy, those who have stumbled You lift up again, those who are downcast You strengthen anew, to the lost You show the way…
You, true life, humbled Yourself to come down to us human beings, who were captive in the shadow of death, unable to help ourselves. You have set us free and given Yourself to us with ineffable love, simply because this was the will of the Father, Your will, the will of the Holy Spirit… Alleluia!
But there was still one enemy left to defeat: death, horror, fear. You took it all upon Your own flesh and rose victorious from the tomb. Thanks to You, this enemy can now even become our friend, for it has been transformed into the gateway to eternity. Horror must yield and give way to hope; fear, to trust… Alleluia!
You transform everything with the power of Your Resurrection, and the shadow of death must retreat everywhere, for it has been defeated. Alleluia!
Through Your Resurrection, You allow us to glimpse our own resurrection—when we will receive a glorious body and no longer be subject to death, when the devil can no longer harm us. He has been vanquished once and for all, as the Latin hymn of Vespers for Eastertide, “Ad coenam Agni,” proclaims with infinite sweetness:
The Lamb’s high banquet we await
in snow-white robes of royal state:
and now, the Red Sea’s channel past,
to Christ our Prince we sing at last.
Upon the Altar of the Cross
His Body hath redeemed our loss:
and tasting of his roseate Blood,
our life is hid with Him in God.
That Paschal Eve God’s arm was bared,
the devastating Angel spared:
by strength of hand our hosts went free
from Pharaoh’s ruthless tyranny.
Now Christ, our Paschal Lamb, is slain,
the Lamb of God that knows no stain,
the true Oblation offered here,
our own unleavened Bread sincere.
O Thou, from whom hell’s monarch flies,
O great, O very Sacrifice,
Thy captive people are set free,
and endless life restored in Thee.
For Christ, arising from the dead,
from conquered hell victorious sped,
and thrust the tyrant down to chains,
and Paradise for man regains.
We pray Thee, King with glory decked,
in this our Paschal joy, protect
from all that death would fain effect
Thy ransomed flock, Thine own elect.
To Thee who, dead, again dost live,
all glory Lord, Thy people give;
all glory, as is ever meet,
to Father and to Paraclete. Amen.
Meditation on the day’s reading: https://en.elijamission.net/to-proclaim-the-gospel-without-fear-2/
Meditation on the day’s Gospel: https://en.elijamission.net/the-joy-of-the-resurrection-and-the-shadows-of-darkness/