The Resurrection by Carl Heinrich Bloch
Happy Easter, everyone! The alleluias are being sung. Children are searching for their Easter baskets. The fasting is over and now is the time to rejoice and be glad for the Lord Jesus is truly risen! Thanks be to God.
Our Easter Vigil went very well. Nearly the entire church emptied as the people were invited to come outside for the lighting of the fire and the preparing of the candle. It is always inspiring to see the faith of the people in simple ways, a faith I witnessed yesterday when I held the Easter candle and each person came forward to light their own candles from it. Their faces in the darkness were illuminated only by the flicker of candlelight. I saw similar faith Friday as I held the wood of the cross and they all came forward to reverence it.
I managed the new Exultet well, I am told. In the three years that I have sung it, the actual singing at the Vigil is much easier than the practices beforehand. It is one of those times that the deacon exemplifies his vocation as herald of the Good News in a very evident way… and what better news is there than Jesus is risen from the dead, the chains of death and sin are broken, and a new light has entered the world? I thank God for my diaconal vocation.
May the light of our Lord Jesus, the Risen One, fill your hearts and minds this day. Alleluia!
