Saturday, April 04, 2015

In the beginning…

Holy Saturday

Piety
Let us arise, then, at last, for the Scripture stirs us up, saying, "Now is the hour for us to rise from sleep" (Rom. 13:11). Let us open our eyes to the deifying light, let us hear with attentive ears the warning which the divine voice cries daily to us, "Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Ps. 94[95]:8). Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue

Study
The clock of the Lenten Season winds down to a close with the daylight of today.  As the Saturday sun sets, the season that began on a cold, dark wintery Ash Wednesday and lasted the intervening 45 days ends. 

But we are not there yet until the light of the Easter Vigil pierces the darkness like the blade of Good Friday pierced the mortal body of Christ.    

Until the light comes, the altar remains bare.  Stripped on Holy Thursday evening just as Jesus was stripped during his execution. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus have performed the burial ritual as Mary is now our Lady in Solitude. No Joseph.  No mortal Jesus. 

The disciples remain locked away.  The women of the community prepare the spices for the burial ritual.  They wait, wondering who will roll away the stone of death.

Action
Lent has put us to the test.  Now are we ready to roll away the stone of sin that have littered the path of our life and our exodus? 

Anticipation.

Expectation.  

We await the light.  When the sun comes up, we begin again the New Genesis.  The New Exodus. 

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