9781644135945

The Light of the World
Easter sets a new task before us. We must now begin to live the life of the new man. We
rose with Christ in baptism. “If you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where
Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Mind the things that are above, not the things that
are upon the earth. For you are dead [to the world, to sin, to temporal things], and your life is
hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:1–3). “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste,
as you are unleavened. . . . Let us feast, not with the old leaven . . . of malice and wickedness, but
with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor 5:7 f.; Epistle of Easter Sunday). Daily
during the Easter season the liturgy reminds us, both in the Mass and in the Divine Office, of
the words of the Apostle: “Christ, rising again from the dead, dieth now no more.” He died to
sin once for all; He lives now for God (Rom 6:9 f.). Christ, the whole Christ (the Church, all
of us), now lives for God.
We are the “Christ” who is risen. We died to sin in baptism. We live now for God. “Christ,
rising again from the dead, dieth now no more.” We have put an end to our sinning, and we live
now only for God and for the performance of His holy will. “Our conversation is in heaven”
(Phil 3:20). We must acquire a spirit of self-denial, and be willing to carry the cross of Christ.
We can share in the life of the risen Christ only if we have been willing to share his humiliation
and crucifixion.
The time from Easter to Pentecost is merely an extension of the feast of Easter, forming a continuous,
uninterrupted Easter feast. In various forms recur thoughts that deal primarily with Christ’s
resurrection and our call to share His new life with Him. “I live, and you shall live” ( Jn 14:19).
The period from Pentecost to Advent also bears a close relationship to Easter. It will
develop and perfect the life which was given to us at Easter. Christ lives in us, and we live
in Him. He lives on in His members; and we, the members, share His life. He lives in our
body as well as in our soul, for the body, too, shall rise and be restored to life and share the
life of Christ in the blessed Easter of eternal life. “I believe in the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting. Amen.”
Easter Sunday
The Mass
Resurrection, victory, light, life — that is the joyous message of Easter. Christ rises from the
dead first in His person and then in His members. The resurrection of Christ is the resurrection
of His Church, too; His victory is a victory for His members. This doctrine is made clear to us
through the close association of baptism with the celebration of Easter.
In ancient times there was no celebration on Holy Saturday as there is today. This day was
a day of silent mourning for the dead. Only late in the evening, at dusk, the faithful and the
catechumens assembled in the house of God. They proceeded at once to bless the light with
which the church was illuminated (now the blessing of the fire). From the new light the Easter
candle and the other lights in the church were lighted. Readings from Scripture followed.
The meaning of Christian baptism became clearer with the reading of the twelve prophecies
from the Old Testament. The catechumens were to receive baptism at dawn. They watched
with throbbing hearts as the water was blessed in the baptismal font. One after another they
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