He is Risen!!! Alleluia!

It is amazing to think that the God of the Universe came down to this earth and died and rose all for us!!  He could have done it in so many other less humiliating ways, but he chose to follow His Father’s will and humble Himself for the sinful.  But that made the glory all the more beautiful at His rising!  Oh how blessed we are to have a God who loves us so much to lay down His life for us!!

The haste which He rose from the dead is still more proof of this filial affection.  He came back to His mother and disciples as early as the prophesies would allow, for He knew that they had missed him dearly.  And while none of them, but His mother, actually expected Him to rise as He had said He would, they were all waiting for His return in their own personal ways.  St. Leo the Great depicts this haste in a beautiful way…

“Jesus hastened to rise as soon as possible because He was in a hurry to console His Mother and the disciples; He was in the tomb strictly as long as was necessary to comply with the days that had been foretold.  He rose on the third day as soon as He could, just before sunrise, when everything was still dark, in advance of the dawn with His own light.”  St. Leo the Great

Imagine that!  Jesus knew the longing that His children on earth had to see their Lord again and He could think of nothing other than filling it.  Mary Magdalene was basically beside herself with grief and Peter didn’t know what to do next.  Even Mary, with her pure hope for the future and God’s plan, was terribly sad and waiting patiently for His Resurrection.  Can you imagine their joy when Jesus rose from the dead, much to the surprise of most of them!

We are all very much like that too, though.  We don’t always realize how much we are loved by Jesus.  We may forget to think him for that love.  But He is up in heaven bending over backwards in order to excite us to love Him in the same way He loves us.

So, as we venture into this new season of light in the Church, let us watch very closely for Jesus’s dawning glory.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Easter!!

Maddy