Leader: Amidst the glories and joys of the Risen Life, Christ faces us with, “Does not the Messiah have to undergo all this so as to enter into His Glory/” (Luke: 24, 26)
Reading I:
We have something deeper and more valuable to give you,
The only truth capable of answering the mystery of suffering
and of bringing you relief without illusion, and that is
faith and union with the Man of Sorrows,
with Christ the Son of God.
Christ did not do away with suffering. He did not even
wish to unveil entirely the mystery of suffering.
He took suffering upon himself and this is enough to make you understand all its value…
You are preferred children of the Kingdom of God,
The kingdom of hope, happiness and life.
You are one with the suffering Christ, and with Him,
If you wish, you are saving the world.
(Vatican Council II)
Time for Reflection
Psalm 116 (Part 1)
Leader: Christ is with us and will help us rise, Alleluia!
Side I: I love you, Lord, for You have heard
the cry of my appeal:
You turned Your ear to me
on the day when I called.
O Lord, my God deliver me!
Side II: How gracious You are, and just;
You are the God of compassion.
You protect the simple hearts;
I was helpless and You saved me.
Side I: Turn back, my soul, to your rest
For You, oh God have been good;
You have kept my soul from death,
My eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.
Side II: I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living.
All: Christ is with us and will help us rise, Alleluia!
Reading II
The resurrection is the best way to know who God is because it gives dimension to the love which God is. We believe in the love which God has for us, and in the resurrection we can see that the love of God has no limits. It is not that God loves us for a lifetime. God loves us and wants us to live forever. That is the reliability of God’s love. When we speak of God’s love without believing in the resurrection, we are dealing with a projection. Love of God for a lifetime is a human creation; the projection of a petty, narrow-minded human heart. We are loved by God, and the love of God doesn’t end in death. It goes beyond it. Death is no hindrance to the love of God…the resurrection proves that God’s love is stronger than death… The resurrection reveals that our death is overcome by love. Now we can really trust God. All fear will disappear from our lives. “Give thanks to Yahweh for God is good; God’s love is everlasting.” This is what we have to assure one another. But we can only do so if we believe in the resurrection. Otherwise, we do not believe that God’s love is everlasting. (As Bread That Is Broken – Peter van Breemen)
Short Pause for Reflection
Psalm 118 – Yahweh’s Love is Everlasting
I. Give thanks to Yahweh, for God is good: God’s love is everlasting!
II. With Yahweh on my side, I fear nothing; what can others do to me?
With Yahweh on my side, I can triumph over my enemies
I. I was pressed, pressed about to fall, But Yahweh came to my help;
Yahweh is my strength and my song; God has been my Savior.
II. No, I shall not die; I shall live to recite the deeds of Yahweh.
I. It was the stone rejected by the builders that proved to be the keystone;
This is Yahweh’s doing and it is wonderful to see.
II. This is the day made memorable by Yahweh.
WHAT IMMENSE JOY THERE IS FOR US!
All: God our Father, you give us the joy of recalling the rising of Christ to new life. May the joy of this celebration bring us to the joy of eternal life. We ask this through Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.