Easter Monday

Hallelujah, Christ is risen!

Today is still Easter - in fact, it's going to be Easter for 40 days. We are in a seaon of celebration, a festival season, and we celebrate the new life that we have in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The traditional Gospel reading for Easter Monday is Luke 24:13-35, the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The Resurrected One Himself teaches them on the way out of the Scriptures. Their hearts burn at His proclamation. Everything in the Scriptures points to Christ.

Every word of proclamation is the proclamation of Christ. He is the center of the Scriptures, and the key to their understanding. But, when Moses and the Prophets have spoken about Christ, and how He will suffer and be glorified, will yet someone dare to call themselves a Christian, who has not searched what the Scriptures have to say about Christ...? (Paraphrased from the Venerable Bede)

As Christians we must search the Scriptures, we must live in the proclamation of Christ.

And yet, it was in the breaking of the bread that they knew Him. The proclamation is essential to Christianity, and so are the Sacraments. One without the other is only half of what God has in store for us. He has promised to work through His means: Word proclaimed, Baptism, the Lord's Supper. These three are how Christ is with us now, and how we experience being in Christ.

May we then seek Him where He is to be found, and rejoice in the finding.

Grant, O Lord who bestows restoration upon the world in the Paschal Feast, a continuation of Your heavenly gift to Your people, for perfect freedom and life eternal. Bless, that we might put into good effect the desires You grant us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen.