Christ is Risen! Truly He is risen!
Shine! Shine! O Jerusalem
the glory of the Lord has shown on Thee
exalt now and be glad O Zion
be radiant O pure Theotokos in the Resurrection of your Son!
An icon is a window into heaven and also tells us something of our relationship with God. In our small mission parish on Holy Saturday morning (that was one week ago), the Liturgy is served from the center of the nave – atop of the epitaphio – a woven cloth with an image of Christ in the tomb.
This is a small and very beautiful tradition within some of the slavic Churches.
Every year, we are reminded in the homily that this is the “already but not yet” of the Resurrection.
“Already but not yet.” There is a story that a long time ago a man once asked a monk, “What do you do here in the monastery?” To which the monk replied, “We fall and get up, fall and get up, fall and get up again.”
Eucharisteo – Grace Thankgiving Joy.
Standing so close to the Holy Gifts, which are now in the nave of the Church, “already but not yet” becomes apparent. That is the closeness of the Savior, and His loving kindness and life-giving hands also grabbing the wrists and the lifting up of the faithful.
We who fall and get up, fall and get up, fall and get up again and again and again – through the outreached arms of Christ.
The Resurrection icon presents the steadfast, transformative, live-giving, restorative love of God for all of humanity and the gentle tenderness of a parent.
“We can not be too gentle, too kind.” Saint Seraphim of Sarov
And if today, you find that you doubt – maybe like Saint Thomas, remember always that such is the love of “our Father” for you and me and everyone.
Christ is Risen! Truly He is risen!
gladsomelife.com 