22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ is risen! This truly is the day that the Lord has made! Praise and glory to you, Lord, because of your great goodness! Because of the Resurrection, we know that we too will rise on the last day! This hope gave courage to the early Christians who were being persecuted and it gives us hope for our lives as well.
God could have redeemed us in many different ways, but he chose to send his Son, Jesus into the world so that we would know how to live; we would know of our salvation, and we know that we, too, would rise. Jesus death redeemed us and we would have been redeemed, but without the resurrection, how would we know? We cannot thank God enough for both his sacrifice and his resurrection. If we have prepared for this day during Lent, then our celebration is even more joyful. Joy! That little bubble of something that just wells up in you like the bubbles in sparkling water! More than happiness, more than pleasure, joy is something once experienced you just want to feel it again! That is what God wants us to feel today! This joy comes from God’s presence within you. More than new clothes, more than candy or any other gift, God’s joy will fill your entire being.
The Easter following my son’s death, I experienced this feeling of joy throughout my entire body. The memory of it sustains me in the days when life seems difficult, and makes me even more desirous of living as God wants me to. I feel that it is a foretaste of eternal life.
I pray that each of you will experience this joy today.
Loving Father, I give you thanks every day for the great gift that you have given me, and I pray that all of your children will come to an even deeper appreciation of the gift of salvation. Amen.
