Dear Friends,

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb!” Peter and John run to the place where they had buried Him. “A stranger walked with us; He made our hearts burn with longing for the Word of God; He made Himself known in the Breaking of the Bread!” “Where have you taken Him?” “Mary!” Amidst a lot of fear, anxiety, confusion and a sense of defeat, the Good News of Easter was revealed! Truth is truth, and whether we believe it or not:

THE LORD IS RISEN! IT IS TRUE! ALLELUIA!

Among us are the cynics or those who may give a cavalier nod of acceptance to this article of faith, but rarely give themselves ample time to reflect upon this mysterious reality. Why should we? If it is not true or simply a fairy tale … Think about it, even for a few minutes. Think about the ramifications for YOU … TODAY … RIGHT NOW! That’s right, let’s talk science and nature and not be glib, just for a moment. The stark reality is each one of us WILL DIE! If we reduce our humanity to our physical bodies; then, when we breath our last in this world, our body will be reduced to dust, and that’s it … nothing to love, except memories that each individual has retained of a person … limited, biased and inaccurate concerning the whole person. Our Catholic faith, however, is built upon the recognition of both: nature and grace, the visible and invisible; the physical and the metaphysical, the categorical and the transcendent, this world and the next. Through a wonderful exchange of the Incarnation and the Paschal Mystery, God becomes man in order to die in our human body and nature. By doing so He in a human body vanquishes the finality of death which Satan put in place to separate us from God, like himself, for all eternity; and raises the dignity of our human nature by conjoining it to the Divine nature and gives us access to an eternal life in communion with God

In the midst of the fear, anxiety, confusion, and sense of defeat which we may be experiencing today; allow me to share with you this ancient Easter homily, that is part of the Liturgy of the Hours on Holy Saturday, as a message of hope upon which you may reflect and believe! Look to Him and be saved! Do not seek Him among the dead.

What is happening? Today, there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled. Truly, He goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; He wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, He who is God, and Adam’s son. The Lord goes in to them holding His victorious weapon, His cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees Him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand He raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and commands with authority those in prison: “Come forth,” and those in darkness: “Have light,” and those who sleep: “Rise.” I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of My hands, arise, you who were fashioned in My image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in Me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.

For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden. Look at the spittle on My face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on My cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to My own image. See the scourging of My back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See My hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one. 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 healed the pain of your side; My sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; My sword has checked the sword which was turned against you. But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I, who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God. The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the Kingdom of Heaven has been prepared before the ages.

Be of good cheer, and blessed and Happy Easter!

Msgr. Grous