Easter Day

Augustine...City of God LIII
Easter Home

CHRIST our Passover is sacrificed for us: * therefore let us keep the feast, Not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; * but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. v. 7.

CHRIST being raised from the dead dieth no more; * death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: * but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, * but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. 9.

CHRIST is risen from the dead, * and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, * by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, * even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. xv. 20

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ALMIGHTY God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life; We humbly beseech thee that, as by thy special grace preventing us thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Source of Collect: Sacramentary of Gelasius [ca 494 AD]. 

 Psalm 2, 57, 111 | 113, 116, 117, Colossians iii. 1. St. John xx. 1.
Homily of Augustine

Augustine
City of God as touching the Epistle 
 

Christ's cross and burial, resurrection, ascension, and sitting down at the right hand of God, are images of the Christian life. 

All the events, then, of Christ's crucifixion, of His burial, of His resurrection the third day, of His ascension into heaven, of His sitting down at the right hand of the Father, were so ordered, that the life which the Christian leads here might be modelled upon them, not merely in a mystical sense, but in reality. For in reference to His crucifixion it is said : " They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." And in reference to His burial: " We are buried with Him by baptism into death." In reference to His resurrection: " That, like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." And in reference to His ascension into heaven and sitting down at the right hand of the Father: " If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." 

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Comment

 Alleluia, The Lord is risen; he is risen indeed, Alleluia.  I pray your Easter season will be joyful.

Today's homily is a small selection from the City of God by Augustine, and touches on the epistle appointed for Easter Day, where Paul said, "seek those things which are above."  Augustine's long book, which took years to write, is centered on this very concept of two cities. One that is earthly and one that is heavenly--The City of God.  Those who are Christ's own look toward heaven for their comfort, guidance, and example. While those who do not know him can only look to that which the prince of this world offers.  

I read this week the saying, "We are the Easter People."  Perhaps, but not by fiat of some prelate. We are the people of the promise of the Resurrection in that we do what Paul said, and Augustine emphasized: set our affection on the things above.  If our witness is simply that we belong to a church and go to church on Easter, but we fail to follow what God has plainly laid out for us, then we are no part of his--for he said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." [John xiv. 21].  

During this Easter season let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven of this world, but with our affection set on things above, and with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Finis

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Released by Primus Pilus
Legio Christi-Ecclesia Militans
"Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another" [St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans 14:19]

* ORDO CENTURIONUM * IN HOC SIGNO VINCES * TIME DEUM ET OPERARE IUSTITIAM