~~~ Holy Saturday ~~~
The readings today take us through all of creation.
They are designed to remind us of God's magnificence.
He creates and renews in one breath.
He breathes new life into existence.
He brings restored life out of death.
God is life itself.
The evidence of his breath of life is revealed in a most spectacular way
especially during Springtime.
Plants and animals burst forth with new life.
The trees and flowers give their brilliant colors to the landscape.
The birds sing their new songs.
All of creation rejoices in delight of the Creator.
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.
~~~ Genesis 1:1—2:2 ~~~ Psalm 104 ~~~
In the beginning God created light, water, the heavens, vegetation, animals.
He created everything to be in balance.
Imagine all of this creation happening in high speed...
because for God there is no time...but there is order.
All that he created reveals his own beauty and splendor.
~~~ Genesis 22:1-18 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~
You are my inheritance, O Lord.
God tested Abraham, having him take his only son
up to the mountain to be sacrificed.
They carried with them their own wood to build the altar of offering.
Just as he was ready to do the will of God;
God saw how devoted Abraham was and prevented him from harming Isaac.
“Do not do the least thing to him.
I know now how devoted you are to God,
since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.”
~~~Exodus 14:15—15:1 ~~~
Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
God leads Moses so that Moses can lead God's chosen people.
He parts the seas long enough for all of the Israelites to cross.
He releases the water when the soldiers foolishly follow in pursuit.
'...As the water flowed back,
it covered the chariots and the charioteers of Pharaoh’s whole army...'
~~~Isaiah 54:5-14 ~~~ Psalm 30~~~
I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
We hear of God's resolve to take us back to himself.
The people will never again need to build an ark as Noah had done.
'...my love shall never leave you
nor my covenant of peace be shaken,
says the LORD, who has mercy on you.'
God gives us reassurance of his relentless love.
~~~Isaiah 55:1-11 ~~~
You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.
God extends to his people the greatest invitation to come to him.
Come to the Lord...Seek him with all your heart.
Come to our God who is generous in mercy and forgiveness.
We are reminded of a very important fact...
'...For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.'
~~~Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 ~~~Psalm 19 ~~~
Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.
'...Had you walked in the way of God,
you would have dwelt in enduring peace.'
We are blessed because we do indeed know what pleases the Lord.
We have his words to illuminate the path.
~~~ Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28 ~~~ Psalm 42 ~~~
Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, my God.
The warning to stay away from false idols...there is but one God.
Do not be fooled by the counterfeit imitation want to be gods.
Only the one true God can cleanse you and give you a new heart.
Only this God can place a new spirit in you...for we are his people.
~~~ Romans 6:3-11~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Christ has conquered death.
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
~~~Luke 24:1-12 ~~~
At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
The women were the first to go to the tomb.
They quickly went very early in the morning to perform the burial anointing.
But Jesus was already raised from death.
His body was no longer in the tomb.
He had already been anointed with the most expensive oils
at a dinner party just a few nights prior to his death.
Two men, perhaps angels, frightened them
reminding them of the words that on the third day Jesus would rise.
Of course when they reported this to the apostles, who were still
in the state of shock at all that had happened,
they were not believed.
Peter, himself, rushes to the site of the tomb.
He too sees only the burial cloths remain inside the empty tomb.
Now they begin to understand and appreciate who had really been with them...
walking and teaching them over the last few years.
On this Holy Night the entire history of God's love
for us is spelled out; we have no doubt that in death
he brought forth new life...
Life Eternal.
We are souls in waiting,
waiting for the day when we too enter into Life with the Lord.
