Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
This is the most holy of all weeks and in this week, we accompany Jesus to the cross where He dies for us; into the tomb where we await Easter glory.
The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:51-56, “Lo I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised imperishable. And then shall come to pass the saying of old, ‘O, Death where is thy victory? O grave, where is thy sting?' But thanks be to God for the gift of life everlasting."
In our own life journeys, we too make the journey toward death with those we love, and as we commend those we love to God, we enter into the mystery of this holy week. When I speak with you about your own experience of suffering or illness, death, and loss, your witness inspires and encourages me in the faith. Having lost a parent, a grandparent, a spouse, a sibling, a child, a friend, your witness is most often this:
“We know where she is. She is with the Lord.” “We know that he suffers no more, that there are no tears in heaven.” “We trust in the life to come. We are not people without hope.”
As we share these witnesses with one another, we are all built in the strength of Easter faith and hope and joy. And so as Easter comes, we decorate our churches and homes with butterflies and flowers and beautiful eggs, each symbols of the new life which comes during the beautiful days of spring. These symbols get us in touch with the great mystery which is beyond our own power and our own understanding. With the apostle Paul, we celebrate the great mystery that is Easter, resurrection, and life abundant and eternal.
May this be a week of joy for you as very soon, you greet Christ at the empty tomb.