News Item: : Christus Resurrexit - Alleluia! A Blessed Easter to All Our Readers!
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
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Sunday 27 March 2016 - 11:06:33

The Resurrection of Jesus took place during the Jewish festival called Pasch, which commemorated the preservation of the Jewish people in the passage of the Red Sea. The Resurrection of Christ was the fulfilment of all the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament. It was the triumph of Christ, the proof of His divinity and doctrine.

It is the central point of the Catholic Faith and of the liturgical system of the Church. Easter is the oldest and most solemn feast of the Christian year. The Church celebrates this feast of the triumph of Christ with the deepest joy: the Alleluia (praise be to God) is repeated after every Antiphon, Versicle and Response, to express her overflowing joy. The Paschal Candle is lit during Mass to signify that the Light of the World is with us.

There is also a secondary motive in the Easter liturgy: the Church celebrates with thankful joy the effect of Christ's Resurrection produced in her children through Baptism, which raises man from death in sin to the pledge of eternal life in Christ Jesus. The Church sees in those who are converted from the darkness of unbelief to the life of grace, the continuation and effect of the Resurrection. The first words of the Introit in the Traditional Latin Mass: ''I arose, and am still with you,'' addressed by Christ to the Church, are deep with spiritual meaning.

In this context, it was great to see that a gentleman was being received into the Catholic Church after the Solemn High Mass last night at the ICKSP Shrine Church of Ss Peter, Paul and Philomena in New Brighton. Please say a prayer for him. It was beautiful to be able to attend the liturgies of the Sacred Triduum there. We express our gratitude to the canons, the servers, the choir and to all who work so hard over there for God's glory. 

Expressing the Inexpressible

Although there are a number of splendid icons and beautiful paintings, it can be really hard to find a suitable image that expresses the mystery of the Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In a sense this only confirms our faith, because the Resurrection is such a profound mystery that no mere creature could ever render it sufficiently. Indeed, this limitation in all artistic representations only serves to increase our wonder at the heights and depths of this great mystery.

That being said, we thought we would include this rather special alabaster carving of Christ rising victorious over the swooning bodies of the Roman guards on Easter morning! 

It is found in the subterranean crypt at Ripon Cathedral. Although this is now an Anglican cathedral, it was originally an ancient Catholic See. We travelled there in April 2012 to pray in the ancient crypt for the reconversion of England to the True Faith.

Much of Ripon Cathedral dates back to the 12th-Century. However, the crypt is much older and dates to the time of the great St. Wilfrid.

He had been on pilgrimage to Rome and brought back with him Roman traditions in architecture, art and music. St. Wilfrid gave a speech at the Synod of Whitby (663 - 664 A.D.) to defend the Roman method of calculating the date of Easter. 

St. Wilfrid was one of the first English bishops to bring relics of saints back from Rome for veneration. He established the crypt at Ripon, (and another up at Hexham), to keep these relics safe. The crypts are thought to be modelled on Christ's Tomb in the Holy Land, where He was laid prior to the Resurrection.

During the 14th-Century, the tomb of St. Wilfrid was embellished with the above alabaster carving. In a sense, it has had a burial and resurrection of its own: in the days of the revolution known as the Reformation, the carving was hidden to protect it from iconoclastic destruction. It was only rediscovered, beneath the Dean's Stall, in the 1800's. Today, the carving is again mounted on the wall in the ancient crypt.  During our visit of 2012, we were able to pray before the image for the reconversion of England.

We like this image so much because its artistic symbolism and interesting history convey the fact that empires come and go; but the Risen Lord Jesus Christ is.

We also think there is something quite fun and lighthearted about its expression of Easter joy!

The Word of God

We conclude with the Gospel from last night's Solemn High Mass. It is taken from chapter 28 of St. Matthew's Gospel.

And in the end of the sabbath, when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, to see the sepulchre. And behold there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and coming, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it; and his countenance was as lightning; and his raiment as snow. And for fear of him the guards were struck with terror, and became as dead men. 

And the angel answering, said to the women: Fear not you: for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come and see the place where the Lord was laid. And going quickly, tell ye His disciples that He is risen: and behold He will go before you into Galilee: there you shall see Him: Lo, I have foretold it to you.

Christus Resurrexit - Alleluia!

We wish every grace and blessing in the Risen Lord Jesus to all our readers!

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1272 )