Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021

The Edicule, Greek for little house, sits inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Long believed to encase the limestone cave where Jesus was buried following his crucifixion, the building was restored and its foundations shored up.  The Church itself is as large as a New York City block, if not larger, and was found to contain several tombs below the surface of the floor during the restoration process.

The Gospels tells us that somehow the stone sealing the tomb was rolled away, and the women who came to anoint the body were met by a young man dressed in white who told them Jesus had gone ahead of them. Mark tells us that they terrified and fled. The other Gospels have stories of Jesus’ followers encountering him after Easter, which gave them both courage and hope.

Our faith tells us that that stones may try to weigh us down but that they cannot hold us. Easter is a time of joy, yes, but it also a time of rededication to bringing the hope of new life to others. 

Prayer for the Day

In humility we come, O God, for you make all life possible.

    Wanting to believe in the possibilities we get caught up in detail. 

Easter means that the story began with a life lived for others

     And a passion for justice and mercy did not die on a cross

Remove from us our doubt and fear, opening us to your grace,

    So we are able to live as did the One we follow,

        Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.

Thoughts for the Day

Blood that bled into a cry!

The elements felt its touch and trembled,

Heaven heard their woe.

O life-blood of the maker, scarlet music, salve our wounds.

                                    Hildegard of Bingen, poet and composer (1098-1179)

Yet you, Christ, are always there,

You are the many faceted crystal of our desires and hopes …

You are not dead – it is just that we could not see clearly enough.

                                    Abseoh Nicol, Nigerian poet (1924-1994)

Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol God, all you peoples!

   For great is God’s steadfast love toward us,

And the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.  Praise the Lord!

                                    Psalm 117

The outline of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: