Thursday, April 24, 2014

Easter Sunday 2009, Quickening of Breath

Easter Sunday
Mileseva Monastery
Mark 16: 1-18

And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. And very early on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb just as the sun was rising. And they said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?”
And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back—and it was very large. And they went into the tomb. There they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clad in a white robe; and they were beside themselves with amazement. And he said to them, “Do not be startled; you seek Jesus of Nazareth the Crucified One. He is risen; He is not here; see, there is the place where they laid Him [his body]. But go, and say to his disciples and Peter “He will lead you to Galilee. There you will see Him as He promised you.”
            And they went out and fled from the tomb in great haste, for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and being awestruck, they were unable to say anything to anyone about what they had experienced.
When He had risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene from whom He had driven out seven demons. And she went and told those who had walked with Him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, their hearts could not grasp it.
After this He appeared in another form to two of them on the way as they were walking over the fields. And they went back and told the rest, but they could not open their hearts to their words either.
Afterwards He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were celebrating the meal. He reproached them for their lack of openness and for their hardness of heart, because they had not wanted to believe those who had seen Him, the Risen One.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the new
He Qi
message from the realm of the angels to the whole of creation. Whoever unites his heart with it  [believes] and is immersed in me [baptized] will attain the salvation. But whoever closes himself against it does not let the power of selflessness into his heart [does not let the power of My Self into his heart] will meet his downfall. And spiritual powers [these signs] will stand by those who unite themselves with it and will attend their path [believe]: Through the power of my being [in my name] they will drive out demons; they will speak a new language; serpents they will make upright, and poisons they are given to drink will not harm them. They will lay their hands on the sick, and give healing forces to them.

Easter Sunday
April 12, 2009
Mark 16: 1 – 18

Three women approach a cave-like tomb. They expect a heavy stone barrier. Instead they find the stone removed. Instead of silence, they hear words. Instead of the dead, the see a young man clad in shining white.

He gives them two messages: Jesus of Nazareth is not in this tomb—see for your selves. Furthermore, tell his followers that He will lead them to the rich paradisal beauty of Galilee.

In recent weeks, the seasonal prayer spoke of the place of the heart being empty. We could imagine the scene at the tomb being replayed today. But instead of an outer cave, it is the interior space, the heart-space in which it takes place. Those three coming to grieve and minister are our own thoughts, our feelings, our desire to act. We expect to encounter a heavy darkness in the heart-space; but instead we find that what once was, is no more. Instead of sad silence, we find heart’s pounding, a quickening of breath. Suddenly it is light again.

For Someone in our heart is whispering poet-words to us:

I arise today
Burne-Jones

Blessed by all things
Wings of breath
Delight of eyes
Wonder of whisper
Intimacy of touch
Eternity of soul
Urgency of thought
Miracle of health
Embrace of God….[1]

The stone barrier has been removed. He who died lives, and walks our lives’ paths ahead of us. May we live this day.






[1] John O’Donohue, “Matins II”, in Eternal Echoes

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