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Paschal Reflection

Paschal Reflection

Last updated on: April 13, 2017 at 9:39 am by Henry Karlson

Paschal Reflection 2017-04-13T09:39:48-05:00 Henry Karlson

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The author of life, the Word himself, has come to us, and has taken up our nature upon himself. He possessed life itself. Those who recognize their thirst for it can ask him for the water of life and receive it, finding that by partaking of it, fills them up and transforms them so that instead of being among the walking dead they become living saints. Yet, because of who and what we have become, as undead who feed upon the life of others in order to survive, as the undead which kills the others so that through their death we can find limited life, the Lord and Creator has become our savior and offers himself as food for our life:

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world.”

They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst” (Jn. 6: 32 – 35 RSV).

While we seek life from the dead so the Word of Life comes to us from the realm of the dead, offering himself in his death as food. Through him we can have eternal life. Through his death our death has been conquered, because through his death he gives the bounty of life itself to all who shall eat of him and receive his infinite life unto themselves.

Resurrection icon by Bulgarian painter, (Icon Painter), Unknown (fourth quarter of 17th century) (Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

We, in the grave of death, having lost the life which natures our being, therefore find in the death of Christ, the conquering of our death as he grants us life, his life; and since he is the author of life, full of life, even death is unable to hold him as he rose victoriously from the dead. Thus, we sing with joy:

Christ is risen from the dead, by death he conquered death and to those in the graves he granted life.

Christ is risen. The author of life has overcome death and is alive forevermore. He took on the human condition, and allowed the walking dead to come upon him in their rampage, to take his life. He opened himself up to become food for all, to nourish all through his life, so that they can be taken out of their walking death and into the spiritual life. By death he conquered our death, for he has overcome the law of death with his bountiful life, a life which transcends the power of death:

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:54-6 RSV).

The resurrection of Christ from the dead is the final proof of his bountiful life; death could not hold him, death had no sting which could overcome him. He was, in his loving humility, willing to go to the edge of being itself and give himself completely to the world, to give his life to all, so that all can receive him and the life which is in him. But his life, his power, was not exhausted; he went to the edge of being and his life thrived; he rose from the dead, the author of life, bringing the restoration of being in himself. He is risen. If we open ourselves to him and partake of him, filling ourselves with his life, we will find restorative grace effective in us, recreating us in him, so that we shall follow him beyond the grave and into eternal life.

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those who hate Him flee from before His face. As smoke vanishes, so let them vanish; as wax melts before the fire. So the sinners will perish before the face of God; but let the righteous be glad. This is the day which the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. [1]

Sin covers us like a death mask. As the fire of life comes upon us, all that is sin melts away and perishes in the grace of God’s love, the love which shines bright as God arises during the Paschal feast. If we open ourselves up to this life, the last remnants of death can be purged from us, and we will find ourselves in that eternal eschatological day rejoicing and being glad in it. Let us therefore open ourselves up, take Christ into us, and receive the food of life, rejoicing in the bounty of life revealed in the resurrection of Christ.

Christ is risen from the dead, by death he conquered death and to those in the graves he granted life.

[1] These are the refrains used in the procession of the faithful for their Paschal procession around their church before entering in the front doors and celebrating the Paschal service.

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