May Our Lord’s Love for you and His triumphant Resurrection bring peace, joy, and light to your heart and inspire you to trust in His Sacred Heart, now and always.
Easter Morning Meditation
by Rev. Karl Clemens, C.SS.R.
On the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ
“The Lord is truly risen, Alleluia! The Lord is risen from the tomb, Alleluia! He, Who for us hung upon the wood, Alleluia! This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice therein!”
Thus does the Holy Church exult and rejoice on the glorious feast of the Resurrection of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. O my soul, look for Jesus now no longer in the sepulcher. Why seekest thou the Living among the dead? He is risen; He is not here. He is truly the Living One, Who can say of Himself: “I was dead, and behold, I am living for ever and ever, and have the keys of death and of hell.” (Apoc. 1:18) All Heaven with its countless choirs of Angels rejoices on this day: “Christ is risen, and dies no more!”
- A deep darkness covered the land on the night of the first Holy Saturday. There in the sepulcher still lay that sacred body, torn with wounds, covered with stripes and blood; that body which had once been fashioned and formed so fair and beautiful by the power of the Holy Ghost. It was the same body through the very touch and contact of which all diseases had fled, and at whose voice the dead had come back to life. It was the very same body that was shortly to be exalted above the heavens, above all the stars, and above all the hierarchies of Angels.
Then, as the blessed Easter morning was breaking, the all-holy Soul of Our Lord came back from Limbo, in order to unite Itself once more with His sacred body. The blessed moment is come in which the holy Soul of our amiable Redeemer will unite Itself again with His sacred body, nevermore to be separated from it.
A wonder takes place which fills all the Angels with the most profound astonishment. The chilled Heart of Jesus receives new life; His rigid limbs regain strength and suppleness. O wonder of wonders! The sacred body begins to be resplendent; it shines forth more beautiful than the sun; it is clothed with the greatest splendors of heavenly glory! “Like sparkling diamonds in a setting of gold,” says St. Thomas of Villanova, “shine His blessed Wounds.” The divine Savior rises with wonderful majesty from the tomb and passes through the sealed entrance of the tomb.
In an instant, all this astounding change is effected. The earth trembles, as if to celebrate with a thrill of reverence and gladness the Resurrection of its Creator. An angel now descends from Heaven. His look is blinding as lightning, his garments are white as snow. This angel rolls back the stone from the door of the sepulcher and seats himself upon it. The guards, who were watching the tomb, fall to the ground, as if dead; and as soon as they recover their senses, take to flight in fear and terror.
- Behold now the glorious Conqueror over Death and Hell, in all the splendor of His heavenly glory! His body is clothed in indescribable beauty, subtlety, and lightness, and sheds a wonderful brightness all around; nor is it any longer subject to pain or suffering. How charming, how entrancing is now the sight of Jesus! His eyes sparkle with divine joy. From His whole countenance, there beams forth upon us a wonderfully holy peace, an ineffable delight. The Angels look with ecstasy upon His divine beauty. “As the Heavenly Father sent His Angels to earth at the birth of His only-begotten Son,” says St. Thomas of Villanova, “so did He send all the angelic choirs and heavenly hosts to earth at His Resurrection. And now they sing in alternate choirs, inebriated with heavenly joy, their glorious hymns of praise: “Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honor, and power, and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Apoc. 7:12) Up, O my soul! Rise up to hear those celestial hymns of praise! Join in this chorus of the Angels and the Saints. Today nothing should mar your holy joy. Lay aside all your anxieties; bid all your worries to hold their peace. “Enter into the joy of thy Lord.” (Matt. 25:21) If you have mourned with the sorrowing and suffering Savior, rejoice now with Him and be glad over His glorious Resurrection.
Affections
O holy, O truly blessed day, on which Thou, O my beloved Jesus, didst rise gloriously from the dead! I rejoice over Thy astounding glory more than if I had myself entered into heavenly happiness. The true happiness of a loving soul rests in the true happiness of the Beloved. O Jesus, my Love, my Joy, my Treasure, my Highest Good! Where should my heart be, if not with Thee, Who art my only Joy? It is the sweetest comfort for me to know that now Thou wilt have to suffer no more and that Thy sacred humanity is so gloriously exalted. I should wish to unite within my heart all the love of the Cherubim and Seraphim, to love, to praise, and to glorify Thee as much as it is possible for any creature to do. Look down graciously upon me, Thy poor servant, and out of the inexhaustible treasures of Thy divine riches grant me grace upon grace, that my soul may rise out of the grave of sin, and, after a holy life here on earth, attain one day to the enjoyment of the eternal vision of Thee and Thy love in the kingdom of Heaven.
O Mary, Thou true Gate of Heaven, I commend myself with my whole heart to Thy mercy and Thy prayers. Amen.