He Who Once Was Dead Now Lives

He is Risen! He who once was dead now lives! The tomb once filled with His precious body is now empty. He is not there! Rather, He is risen! The angels have announced it: He is not here. He is Risen!

Since Friday the tomb has been filled with His body, battered and bruised. We were all in vigil with Him as the tomb was filled and our world was empty of His presence. But now it is reversed. The tomb is empty and the world is full of His resurrected presence. The silence of the night has been turned into morning, filled with a chorus of birds singing His resurrection along with the angels and saints in Heaven. The glorious day has arrived just as He said it would. He is Risen!

The empty tomb is not where we stay. Instead we head to Galilee as Jesus instructed and as Pope Francis has reminded us (in His Easter Vigil homily).* And as we go we sing our Alleluias with our words and with our deeds. We raise our hands and our hearts in praise and adoration! We sing out in Easter joy: He is Risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Let us meet in Galilee with the apostles and holy ones in Easter joy! Peace! Alleluia!


                                        ©Michele L. Catanese


The artwork is the Resurrection Panel from the Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald, (1470-1528) a favorite of mine. You can find it at http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/grunewald_matthias.html

 *For the text of Pope Francis' homily go to http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/lent-easter/pope-francis-homily-at-the-easter-vigil

---