Easter - The Festival of All Festivals

Over two millennia of faith in the Risen Christ, countless authors, teachers and spiritual guides have shared their meditations on the biblical accounts of salvation in Christ.  The Church treasures and benefits from them; especially the many writers of the first five centuries.  In awe everyday, we have been blessed with the vast writings of John Paul II and Cardinal Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI.

They tell us, above all, why we are an Easter People and why ALLELUIA is our song.

St. Gregory Nazianzon (+390) exults: "Yesterday I was crucified with Christ; today I am glorified with Him; yesterday I died with Him; today I rise with Him.  Today, let us offer Him ourselves, which to God is the most precious and becoming of gifts.  Let us offer what is made in His image and likeness.  Let us recognize our dignity by honoring Him in whose likeness we were made.  Let us become like Christ since Christ became like us."

A fourth century homily for Holy Saturday is one of the clearest statements about our redemption and salvation in the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord.  It is attributed to St. Epiphanius (+403)_a bishop in Cyprus.  He reflects on St. Paul in Ephesians 5, 14: "Awake, I sleeper, arise from the dead and Christ will give you light."

He presents the Risen Christ in search of Adam and Eve (and all humanity) as for a lost sheep: "The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory.  At the sight of him, Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: "My Lord be with you all."  Christ answered him: "And with your spirit."  He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: "Awake, O sleeper and rise from the dead and Christ will give you light."

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise.  I order you, O sleeper, to awake.  I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell.  Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.  Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image.  Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth.  For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead.  For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you.  See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image.  On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back.  See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side.  My side has healed the pain in yours.  My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell.  The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place.  The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise.  I will not restore you to that paradise, but I wil enthrone you in heaven.  I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself and now one with you.  I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God.  The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager.  The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open.  The kingsom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity."

May the joy of our faith in the victory of the NEW ADAM, Our Lord Jesus and His resurrection from the dead be with you this Easter and all your life!  In the name of the faithful of our diocese, I especially greet and welcome the 900 Catechumens and Candidates who joined us in Christ’s Body, the Church at the Easter Vigil.  Truly, as Benedict XVI proclaimed in his first homily on April 24, 2005.