We are an Easter People

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song.” Pope John Paul II

What does it mean to be an Easter people?

To understand that, we must understand the beginning. so that we may understand the end.

“In the beginning God created heaven, and earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Within this creation God established a place set apart, a garden, where He could live among His people. We call this garden, “Eden,” a word that means “joy.” We were created to live with God in the garden, freely giving Him our love and enjoying His love in return.

“But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world:” (Wisdom 2:24) Man was tempted to turn away from God and in doing so, man lost the grace he needed to walk with God in the garden.

Exiled from Eden, man became a prisoner of Satan, the “prince of this world,” locked into a world of darkness, subject to sin and death.

But God promised that He would send a redeemer, a savior who would “make all things new,” that is, restore all things according to the divine plan. And so we waited. For countless millennia, signs and wonders, and prophecy, we waited for the one that would come to free us from the grip of darkness and restore us to our proper place as sons and daughters of God.

This is that day. Now is the prince of this world is cast out and all things are drawn to God. Prisoners are set free and a light drives back the darkness. Words that have echoed throughout the centuries take on a new meaning, “do not be afraid.”

Easter is the celebration of the risen Lord, it is also called Resurrection Sunday. It is the day the Lord walked free from His tomb and fulfilled all prophecy.

The grace we receive from the Easter event of the resurrection allows us to walk free without fear. We walk away from the tomb of sin that encloses each of us, free from the fear of death. That tomb is a reality of the past. As disciples of Jesus we have been given the means to roll back the stones that seal us in the tomb.

As Christians, as an Easter people, we are called to be a light to the world, the liberating voice of Christ. We reach out to our brothers and sisters, and help free them from their tombs as well.

Now all promise is fulfilled. We anticipate the day when we too will appear with Him in Glory. Whatever may befall us in this world, and however great the suffering, we are an Easter people.

Alleluia, all hail to Him Who Is. All praise and honor and glory to the Lamb who was slain. He is risen. He lives. And we are born into a new world. The apostles bear witness to a new reality, we shall not die, we shall live.

Glory to God in the highest.

Pax Vobiscum
The Resurrection of the lord

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© Lawrence Klimecki

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Deacon Lawrence draws on ancient Christian tradition to create new contemporary art that seeks to connect the physical and the spiritual.. For more information on original art, prints and commissions, Please visit www.DeaconLawrence.org 

Lawrence Klimecki, MSA, is a deacon in the Diocese of Sacramento. He is a public speaker, writer, and artist, reflecting on the intersection of art and faith