This is our faith

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake;
for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
His appearance was like lightning
and his clothing was white as snow. -Matthew 28:1-3

As Father read this gospel at the Easter Vigil this year I was struck by one line in particular. Amid this awesome display of power the evangelist slips in a peculiar detail, the angel "rolled back the stone and sat upon it." It wasn't enough that he descended from heaven with the appearance of lightning amidst a great earthquake and rolled back the stone; no, then he sat upon it. I have this almost comical image of this brilliant angel lounging on the stone that purported to restrain the King of the Universe in a grave. What a mockery of death. I'm reminded of a line my good friend Sara always like to use, "We've got the book; I've read the ending; we win." This is our faith, rejoice and be glad: HE IS RISEN!

I also wanted to share one of my favorite Easter traditions. In the prayer of the Church, the Liturgy of the Hours, there is a anonymous homily from the ancient church that is read every Holy Saturday. It's pretty much my favorite reading from the Office for the entire year so I wanted to share it with y'all. Enjoy:

Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. 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 for 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 will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am 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 kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

A Prayer Request

So I did not think that I would be writing a blog tonight. I was totally planning on going to sleep but God had other plans. Before turning in I checked one of the blogs I read by a Benedictine monk from Tulsa. Woah. His post really, really hit home for me and so I felt obliged to pass it along: http://vultus.stblogs.org/2011/04/come-to-me-and-drink.html. I figured I'd just put it up on facebook and then any kindred spirits that are struggling here through the last stage of Lent could go to it from there, but then I recognized that I could take the opportunity to share a little bit of myself and maybe on a more selfish note ask for your prayers as well.

The whole post just absolutely nailed me and what I've been experiencing the last week but this line especially described me:

Awareness of our sins should lead not to a loss of confidence in the Divine Mercy, but to a serene and trusting appeal for the pardon of Him "Who forgiveth all thy iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction: who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion." (Psalm 102:3-4)

Its probably a mark of pride but the last few weeks my inability to rise above some habitual sins has really been a serious point of frustration for me. And instead of making my "trusting appeal" to God and His mercy, I have doubted, what else. Maybe not so much Divine Mercy directly as I doubted myself, my love for God (I've been through this before right? nope, stubborn German farmer that I am I have to learn every lesson 4 or 5 times at least before it starts to take hold).

"It is not too late to enter into Lenten repentance, not too late to begin one's Lent with humility and sincerity of heart. The workers of the eleventh hour will not be deprived of their reward at Pascha." This line also really encouraged me. I guess I've been feeling like I've been growing stagnant in my Lenten discipline the last few weeks and I really needed the Holy Spirit, via Fr. Mark, to send me the courage to start again.

So I'll finish with a prayer that the Holy Spirit will send you all the encouragement and the strength necessary to run the race these last two weeks of Lent so as to win, and I also, if I may, ask for your prayers that I accept with humility my brokenness as an opportunity to recognize, receive, and praise God's boundless Mercy.