"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things; for you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1)

           Today, for as for over 1900 years, we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. It is, of course, an understatement to say that much has happened in the World in that time, but nothing has happened that has ever had the same significance since that day nor before, short of the creation itself. But what is it that we commemorate? The disciples, at the time didn't know what to make of it. Their first reaction was the same as Mary Magdalene's, that His body had been stolen. Then they realized that he had indeed risen from the dead but still didn't understand why, except that it was the fulfillment of scripture. It was not until the ascension and Pentecost that the full impact of what had happened really came home to them. This was not just another of the signs and wonders that Jesus had performed during his ministry, This was not just a miracle that taught a lesson about God. This was an event that had infinite value In and of itself; an event of cosmic proportions.

           The Resurrection was the one aspect of Christianity that turned the world upside down. The. Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man were nothing new to the pagans or the Jews, the idea of the immortality of the soul was commonplace. And Christian moral teachings were nothing startling, although not often practiced in the ancient world, as neither are they today. It was the preaching of Jesus risen from the dead that surprised the world and brought attention to the Apostles and caused people in droves to become Christians. And they came and were baptized into Christ because they understood what Christ risen meant for them.

           Christ's rising from the grave proved, first of all, that he was indeed who he said he was, the Son of the everliving God. Second of all it showed that, since he was both fully God and. fully man, all of humanity would be able to share in his immortality; and thirdly, since, in the way that he died on the cross taking upon himself all of the sins of all people, we no longer are to be held responsible for our offenses before God. If we repent and turn to Him, accepting the gift that he offers us, we too share in life everlasting.

           As Christ died on Friday and was raised this day, so have we all died and been reborn. The old man, the old way, the human way has died, is dead. In Christ we are reborn. How can a man be reborn? "Except a man be born of water and the spirit, cannot enter into the kingdom of God." As Jesus went into the grave and rose again, so have we gone down into the water and been reborn. But just as a new born infant cannot simply lie there, but must eat and grow and learn how to live, so we must turn our vision heavenward, feed our souls and grow in our new reborn life. "Seek the things that are above...Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hid with Christ in God."

           "Christ is risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." He has ascended and sits at the right hand of the Father. But he is not some distant, far away divinity. Because the reality of the Incarnation remains. Christ remains right here with us in the mystery of the Church and the mystery of the blessed sacrament of the Holy Communion. We as members of the Church are members of Christ's body. We are members of his body because, in going down into the water of baptism and rising up again reborn we have shared in his death and rising up from death. Further he shares with us of himself in the bread and wine that become his body and blood. As our bodies are strengthened with earthly food so too our souls are strengthened with this heavenly food. And what a heavenly food it is! It is of the substance of God himself, his body and his blood.

           As we share in Christ together today, let us remember all that he has done for us. His atonement on the cross, his paying the price for our sins, and his freely offered gift of everlasting life shown to us in his own glorious resurrection!.

           Christ is Risen, Alleluia!!