Thoughts and opinions from a Priest in the PNCC
Christ has risen! Alleluia!
He has truly risen! Alleluia!
As our pastor explained this morning: The angel in the tomb is impatient with the onlookers. The angel tells us, ‘Go out from here, He is not here. Go and witness to Him.’
So I say: Let us join in our joyful witness to the truth of the resurrection, the reason for our hope.
I wish you and yours every blessing on this Solemnity of the Resurrection.
Come, rejoice, our Lord is risen,
Come sing out the proclamation.
Come sing of His Resurrection.
Alleluia, Alleluia!Lo, our Heav’nly King comes to us,
As a flow’r, arrayed so beauteous,
Over death He reigns victorious.
Alleluia, Alleluia!All the pow’rs of hell are broken,
All the foes of God are fallen,
Yet us, He has not forsaken.
Alleluia, Alleluia!Three days in the tomb He lay there,
The fate of mankind He would bear,
That His life all mankind might share.
Alleluia, Alleluia!O Lord, through Thy Resurrection,
May we find from sin redemption,
And at last know Thy Salvation.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Translation by the English Hymnal Commission of the Polish National Catholic Church — 1959.
[audio:https://www.konicki.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/wesoly_nam_dzien.mp3]Wesoły nam dzień dziś nastał,
Którego z nas każdy żądał:
Tego dnia Chrystus zmartwychwstał,
Alleluja, Alleluja!Król niebieski k`nam zawitał,
Jako śliczny kwiat. zakwitał:
Po śmierci się nam pokazał.
Alleluja, Alleluja!Piekielne moce zwojował,
Nieprzyjaciele podeptał,
Nad nędznymi się zmiłował.
Alleluja, Alleluja!Do trzeciego dnia tam mieszkał,
Ojce święte tam pocieszał.
Potem iść za sobą kazał.
Alleluja, Alleluja!Którzy v otchłaniach mieszkali,
Płaczliwie tam zawołali.
Gdy Zbawiciela. ujrzeli.
Alleluja, Alleluja!“Zawitaj, przybywający –
Boży Synu wszechmogący,
Wybaw nas z piekie1nej mocy”.
Alleluja, Alleluja!Wielkie tam wesele mieli
Gdy Zbawiciela ujrzel1.
Którego z dawna żądal1.
Alleluja, Alleluja!Potem swą mocą zmartwychwstał,
Pieczęci z grobu nie ruszał.
Na stróżach wielki strach powstał.
Alleluja, Alleluja!A gdy Chrystus Pan zmartwychwstał,
Miłośnikom się pokazał,
Anioły do Matki posłał.
Alleluja! Alleluja!‘O Anieli najmilejsi,
idźcież do Panny Najświętszej,
do Matki mej najmilejszej!’
Alleluja, alleluja!‘Ode mnie Ją pozdrawiajcie
i wesoło zaśpiewajcie:
Królowo rajska wesel się!’
Alleluja, alleluja!Potem z wielką swą światłością
do Matki swej przystąpiwszy,
pocieszył Ją pozdrowiwszy.
Alleluja, alleluja!‘Napełniona bądź słodkości,
Matko moja i radości
po onej wielkiej żałości.’
Alleluja, alleluja!‘Witajże, Jezu najsłodszy,
Synaczku mój najmilejszy,
pocieszenie wszelkiej duszy.’
Alleluja, alleluja!‘Jestem już bardzo wesoła,
gdym Cię Żywego ujrzała,
jakobym się narodziła.’
Alleluja, alleluja!Radośnie z Nim rozmawiała,
usta Jego całowała,
w radości się z Nim rozstała.
Alleluja, alleluja!Przez Twe święte Zmartwychwstanie,
daj nam grzechów odpuszczenie,
a potem wieczne zbawienie!
Alleluja, alleluja!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New blog post: April 12 – Come Rejoice, Our Lord Is Risen http://tinyurl.com/c3xw8e [#] 3:30pm | via Twitter
|
|
|
New blog post: A joyous and happy Easter to all my readers http://tinyurl.com/c2usp4 [#] 3:37pm | via Twitter
|
First reading: Acts 10:34,37-43
Psalm: Ps 118:1-2,16-17,22-23
Epistle: Colossians 3:1-4
Sequence: Praises to the Paschal Victim
Gospel: John 20:1-9
Christ is risen! Alleluia!
He is truly risen! Alleluia!
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place
As I stand here this morning I feel as if I am still living in the midst of Lent. Perhaps it is our inability to adjust quickly, to realize what is happening, to see what has happened in an instant. We may feel like Mary, or Peter, or the other Apostles, facing this new thing as we stand fixed in our recent past.
Our recent past has much to do with being bound. We walked with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and at every stop He was bound. It begins in the garden:
So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him. (John 18:12)
Then in the court of Annas:
Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him;
they also blindfolded him and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” (Luke 22:63-64)
From Annas to Caiaphas:
Annas then sent him bound to Ca’iaphas the high priest. (John 18:24)
From the prison of the Sanhedrin to the court of Pilate:
When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death;
and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor. (Matthew 27:1-2)
From the judge’s bench to the court of the Tribune:
Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him.
And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head (John 19:1-2)
To Golgotha:
There they crucified him (John 19:18)
Bound, tied, blindfolded, lashed to a pillar, nailed to a cross. This walk with Jesus has been marked by the world’s attempt at binding Him, and silencing Him, and ending God’s role in the world. Finally to the tomb:
They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. (John 19:40).
The body of Jesus is bound in finality, and placed away in the tomb. The door is shut, the giant stone is rolled into place. The guard stands by.
My brothers and sisters,
St. Peter advises us:
Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you (1 Peter 3:15)
Today, this Holy and glorious day, this Easter morning, the bonds, chains, fetters, lashes, ties, and nails are no more. Christ is risen! The door has been opened and the giant stone has been rolled back. The soldiers have run away. He is truly risen! Alleluia!
What has changed for us is that the world can no longer bind us. There is no trap, no sin, no wrong that cannot be washed away. No ties bind us to darkness, to hopelessness. The world holds no secret promise for us because we know where our hope lies. The reason for our hope is our choice for Jesus Christ, for faith in His resurrection, for adherence to the testimony of many witnesses.
Our hope lies in eternal life, everlasting life, life which death cannot end. Because of this day not even death can bind us. Looking into the tomb we see the cloths rolled up, set aside. The binding cloths are no more; they have been set aside.
Rejoice today! Rejoice my friends because we have been freed and remain free. No one can take freedom from us because we have it in the resurrected Christ Jesus. Alleluia! Amen.