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THE GREAT EASTER VIGIL: April 14, 2001
The Easter Vigil is an ancient Celebration of the Resurrection - commemorating Christ’s rising from the Tomb at first light - at the break of day.- when night turns to day.
This is the night when we celebrate when, our spiritual forefathers, the Children of Israel , crossed over the Red Sea - on dry land.
The Easter Hymn describes this very poetically:
“Come ye faithful raise the strain with triumphal gladness -
God has brought His Israel into joy from sadness.
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke, Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Brought them with unmoistened through the red Sea water.”
This is the night when we commemorate the Passover - when the Angel of death passed over those homes where the blood of the Sacrificial Lamb was placed on the door posts.
This is the night, when Jesus, our Sacrificial Lamb, through the shedding of His own blood - broke the bonds of death.
But this is also the night - when we celebrate not only that Christ broke the bonds of death - but when the gates of Heaven were unlocked and flung open by Him who only had the key.
This is the night when Jesus - the light of the World, who was taken from us - now shines again in radiant splendor - thus illuminating our darkness - driving away Lent’s long shadows.
Christ is our Morning Star - who dispels our darkness and our fears
The first message of the Early Church, though overwhelmingly profound, was nevertheless quite short and simple:
“Christ is Risen !
The Lord is Risen indeed !”
What a proclamation - it was a proclamation that lifted the hearts and brought great joy to those dispirited followers Jesus - and those who had put their trust in Him - who had thought that their hopes and dreams had been dashed and it still -even today - two millennia later -
- still brings joy and unbounded hope to all those whose have come to know Him as Lord and Savior.
Michael Card has a beautiful Easter Hymn that he sings”
“Christ crucified arose - the grave became a place of hope -
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke - is beating once again .”
This proclamation lifts the hearts of each of us here - one cannot experience the joy of our Easter Services - without knowing that this man -
truly was the Son of God - who died for us - that we might have life with Him and His Father in that place where there is endless Joy and celebration.
*****
Do you remember the story of the man who was trying to teach his little boy a lesson about life? The father asked the little boy to jump from a ladder into his arms - he promised that he would catch him.
However, when the little boy jumped - the father stepped away and the little boy went splat.
Then the father said to the little boy -
‘You see - you must learn never to trust anyone - no not anyone.”
*****
We are God’s Easter People - People who in the midst of a world still divided and at war with itself - and yet we still live with the glorious hope and the assurance from Christ Himself -
that no matter what happens - underneath are The Everlasting Arms of a God whom we can trust - and who will never let us go.
When an elderly Lady, who was going though a terrible and a rough time, was told this by her Pastor that she was upheld by God’s Everlasting Arms - at first it was not too comforting to her.
Later she came back to her Pastor and told him:
“I think I understand - I just discovered what you were saying;
The Everlasting Arms of God are underneath - they are not waving around in the sky - So we can’t fall through -
So no matter what happens - you can’t slip through!”
Our Easter Faith and the Resurrection assures us that no matter what is around the corner - we will not be overcome by incessant worry and fear - For God is with us and we are upheld by His Everlasting Arms.
Bishop Hines used to quote that old saying - that I know is sure and true that:
“God’s wheels of justice may grind slowly - but they grind very fine.”
The Early Church Fathers used to describe - that when Jesus broke the bonds of death, though Satan was still very much alive, that Jesus nevertheless broke the back of Satan & his evil power.
And in so doing, Jesus ushered in a new era - the Kingdom of God - where God’s will - will reign supreme - when God and His righteous people would continue their warfare again evil - oppression - and injustice - until God’s will on earth - will be done as it is in Heaven.
*****
During the early days of Josef Stalin and his ruthless regime in Russia - many, many thousands were killed and massacred - but when Stalin turned to kill off many of the Orthodox Priests - one of his advisors warned him - be careful - the Pope wont like it - the Pope won’t stand for this.
Stalin replied: “How many divisions does the Pope have?”
Since then - though slowly - due the relentless efforts of freedom fighters and the strong Christian witness of thousands and thousands in the Slavic and Baltic countries -
Russia itself experienced the fall of Communism - the Berlin Wall fell and East Germany became free - and over twelve Communist countries have been liberated from a totalitarian regime -
To his question:
“How many divisions does the Pope have?
Stalin got a resounding answer.
*****
Our Easter Faith if anything - also speaks to our present predicament and our present estrangement from God - and the misery it sometimes brings to us
and our Easter Faith also speaks to the mess we sometimes get ourselves into -
and how Christ’s redeems us from the consequences of our misdeeds - now - in this life.
*****
In Victor Hugo’s, “Les Miserables” - Jean Val Jean - steal a silver candlestick from the Bishop who had put him up in his poverty.
When caught by the Police and brought back to the Bishop - the Bishop apologizes and exonerates Jean Val Jean - by explaining to the Police -
that he had meat for Jean Val Jean to take the other Candlestick that was a pair - because it too - was part of the Bishop’s gift to Jean Val John.
Thank God that there are loving and forgiving people in the world like this - who can take our misdeeds and then turn our lives around and make all the difference in our lives.
*****
Joy Davidman - C.S. Lewis’ wife - who had converted from Judaism herself - in her book “Smoke on the Mountain,” which is an exposition of the Ten Commandments - writes on the Eighth Commandment - “Thou shalt not steal.”
She writes: “All of us are like thieves - we have stolen the self that was meant for God and kept it for ourselves.”
However, in spite of ourselves - Christ in His overwhelming love and forgiveness - has won us back for God - and He has paid the debt for our thievery .
In a world without the Love of God in Christ - people like us would just fall through the cracks and be destined for doom and failure. and separation from God.
*****
Though we sometimes are hell-bent on avoiding God and having it our own miserable way -
However - Thanks be to God !!! - For Easter proclaims to us - that in spite of our Fall - in spite of our waywardness - the Everlasting Arms are spread out on the arms of the Cross -
they are always open broad enough to hold us - they are always there to catch us - and will never let us slip through.
The Priest: “Alleluia - Christ is Risen !!!
The Response: “The Lord is Risen Indeed - Alleluia !!!”
A M E N ! ! !
jdp+
