A REFLECTION ON THE DAILY OFFICE READINGS
(Note: I approached this reading more as a didactic passage than a devotional passage.) When the Israelites left the land of Egypt it was for the Lord a night of vigil. The vigil anticipated and began the commemoration of a particular feast/festival, and allowed the participants an opportunity to reflect on what God was doing in their life. Christian vigils have been observed since the early years of the church. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer lists sixteen feasts/festivals that were preceded by a vigil. The 1979 Book of Common Prayer provides for a Vigil of Pentecost (BCP, p. 227). The Book of Common Prayer also includes prayers for a vigil prior to burial of the dead (BCP, pp. 465-466). The Book of Occasional Services provides vigils for Christmas Eve, the Eve of the Baptism of our Lord, and the Eve of All Saints' Day or the Sunday after All Saints' Day. The Book of Occasional Servcices also includes a Vigil on the Eve of Baptism and a vigil Service for New Year's Eve. The term may also indicate a watch in the presence of the body of a deceased person prior to burial. Some refer to this as a “wake”.
In what ways are we or others exposed to dangerous situations in life? Where in this world are people dying every day? How should we respond to danger and death? Should we seek to preserve ourselve at the cost of letting our neighbor perish? What has Jesus Christ modeled for us? No matter how dangerous or deadly life becomes, we must boast in the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. If with merely human hopes we attempt to fight evil, then we will gain nothing from it. If death is the final word, then we should look only to our own needs. We should eat and drink for tomorrow we die. However, death is not the final word. Therefore, do not be deceived by bad company for such company ruins good character. Strive to have a sober mind, clean body, and right spirit. Do not live as if you have no knowledge of God or of eternal things. Sometimes we do not realize the value of what we have (meaning our life and our relationships) until we lose it. God has a specific plan and purpose for our life but we must commit to using our life to pursue heavenly glory rather than lust for earthly glory.
What message does the Lord have for us today? In the midst of our sorrow and suffering, are we able to receive the good news of God’s unfailing love? Can we see beyond our fears and the faithfulness of God? After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. We can only imagine the grief that filled their hearts? Suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. There was something new on the horizon. There was light in the midst of their darkest moment. We are told that the angel’s appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. Those who stood guard at the gateway of death had now become like dead men themselves. New life was breaking forth and nothing was going to rein it back into the tomb. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." How would we have responded to the message that the angel shared? The Bible tells us that the women left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Let us take note that fear and joy can co-exist. The presence of one does not require the absence of the other. In this mysterious moment of glory, Jesus met the women and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." The women were exhorted to overcome their fear and faithfully share their testimony. Even some of the guards began sharing their experiences of what had happened. The events that had occurred were undeniable and transformative. Something great had happened, and they were set on letting the world know. Unfortunately, the priests and the elders devised a plan to suppress the truth of what had actually happened. In essence, they got the soldiers to sign a NDA (non disclosure agreement) and even went the extra step to have the soldiers say that Jesus’ disciples came by night and stole Jesus’ body away while they were asleep.' The soldiers had a wonderul message to share with the world but they also had a choice to make. If word got out that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb, the soldiers could be in tons of trouble. The soldiers had to decide whether to preserve themselves or to proclaim the good news that Jesus resurrected to new life. The soldiers took the money offered to them by the priests and elders and did as they were directed. They suppressed the truth and promoted a lie, and this story of Jesus’ body being stolen is still told among the Jews to this day. What message does the Lord have for us today?
To God be the glory now and forever. Amen.
Fr. Thomas+
Comments
Post a Comment