Any time after Saturday’s sunset, minds and rites have turned towards marking the Resurrection, the final act of the Easter Triduum. Whether it’s a watch service around a bonfire, a joyful lighting of the Holy Fire at midnight, a gathering on a lake shore to watch a sunrise or the bells and whistles of a full-on cathedral service – resurrection is celebrated.
The empty tomb and the appearance of the Risen Christ is not so much the climax, but the completion of a chapter in the Christian story. All three days of the Triduum are one seamless event – the Passover meal, arrest, trial and crucifixion, and borrowed and emptied tomb all belong together and deserve their own space and time for contemplation. The story will go on – its players and hearers knowing that while death has been vanquished, the Way of Christ has been vindicated in a manner that transcends common understanding. Coming to terms with Resurrection becomes the new task of disciples, old and new. The story continues with new, risky, transforming opportunities and possibilities…
No matter how many Easter celebrations one remembers – the current one always puts before us the challenge and the invitation of the Risen Christ to “go and meet” him wherever he is.
Wondering Pilgrim 