REFLECTIONS IN THE EASTER OCTAVE - HOPE AND A NEW BEGINNING by Joan Foo Mahony in Kuala Lumpur
Smitten By Faith Issue # 00038 April 23rd 2022
HAPPY EASTER to all my readers !
Left : Spring flowers surrounded by hundreds of buzzing bees – an Easter painting by Tan Lim Heng in Hong Kong. ©Tan Lim Heng
Centre : Chinese ink and brush painting to celebrate Spring by Fr. Joseph Tham LC. The calligraphy inscription says : ‘Spring of Renyin (2022) by Kit Chee in Rome’. © Fr. Joseph Tham LC
Right : Spring flowers -‘Stargazers’ also painted around Easter by Tan Lim Heng in Hong Kong ©Tan Lim Heng
Last week, on 17th April, Catholics and Protestants all over the world would have just celebrated Easter Sunday. For those who live in the northern hemisphere, it is Spring – a bright warm Spring when tender shoots and flowers bloom and the earth is renewed. The ‘winter of our discontent’ is over and we can put aside our sadness, depression and bad news. Just like flowers in Spring, on Easter Sunday and during Eastertide, Christians ‘spring’ forward in our faith.
Left and centre : Autumn woods by Tan Lim Heng from Hong Kong whose beautiful artworks grace Smitten By faith’s articles so often, I call him our ‘resident artist’. Artworks © Tan Lim Heng
Right : Brilliant and magnificent colours of Autumn leaves splashed among the last greens, sensitively captured by Chan Mo Lin from Kuala Lumpur. Photograph © Chan Mo Lin
In the southern hemisphere, from the perspective of the weather, Easter occurs at the beginning of its Autumn season. Easter joy and processions ( especially in South America) are joyously and loudly celebrated amidst the backdrop of the most spectacular and magnificent colours of Autumn. The leaves begin to change colour – a wondrous medley of colours - and then later they drop. But in the change of colour and before the leaves fall ; even as Autumn sounds the bell of a cold and grey Winter, we have the beautiful colours of Autumn to remind us that there is hope in endings – just as we know on Easter Sunday - we have and we do !
Easter Sunday is a great religious event and feast day – the greatest for Christians. Eastertide or Pascaltide is a period of 50 days spanning Easter Sunday all the way through to Pentecost Sunday – a total of 8 Sundays known as Sundays in the Easter Octave, each Sunday continuing into the next many Sundays of the Octave - celebrated as one great big single feast day. For me, it is a time when, literally over the moon with joy, I join my fellow Catholics and Christians to prolong the joy of Easter Sunday, the good news of Christ’s Resurrection and our eternal salvation; the message so powerful that it is quite impossible to bottle up and restrict to just one Sunday !
After the terrible nightmare of Good Friday when Jesus was tortured, crucified and died on the cross; in spite of this horrific day of such despair and suffering – we are promised by Jesus himself that God will make all things new; that his death is not the end but actually a new beginning when God will replace our sorrows and sufferings with the joy of redemption and eternal life. And so, during this Eastertide, I would like to share with readers, my personal reflections and my exuberant joy.
Left : The entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem - picture taken in the quiet of dawn. The holiest site for Christians because the church is built on the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.
Centre : The Rock of Calvary or Golgotha where Jesus was crucified- inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in a small chapel called ‘Adam’s Chapel’.
Right : The Sepulchre or tomb of Jesus covered by a marble lid beneath the altar at the Shrine known as the Edicule inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
( All pictures above courtesy of Magdalena Lee from Hong Kong. Photos © Mag Lee )
A NEW BEGINNING
With the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, since redemption is the essence of the Christian faith, Easter is about a new life; a new beginning in Christ - not only in this lifetime but also in eternal life.
“ And he who sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I will make all things new.
….For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift from God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast’”
(Revelations 21:5)
“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”
John 3:16
HE IS RISEN !
Above : This picture of an ancient empty tomb is taken at the Cerveteri Necropoli (not far from Rome ) which was the main burial area dating back to the Etruscan ruins of Caere from 7BCE to 1 BCE. Of course, this picture is not the empty tomb of Jesus which is inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This picture has been chosen to show what tombs or sepulchres looked like in ancient times – cut into rocks or built of stone; rock-hewn from the side of a cave. ( Photograph © Fr. Joseph Tham LC.)
FAITH
It takes faith to believe in an empty tomb.
“Jesus said, ‘ You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
John 20:29
"Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is real and that He rewards those who truly want to find Him."
Hebrews 11:6
For Catholics and Christians, there is no need for us to think our way through Faith; no struggle to make the leap of faith. It’s simply a case of : I BELIEVE.
In our renewed faith, we believe; we trust; we put God at the centre of our lives and we insist on the truth of the Resurrection.
Faith is to believe that something is true :
“ Believe in your heart that God raised Christ “
Romans 10:9
Faith is steadfastness. Faith is putting one’s entire confidence and trust in God :
“ The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God”
Galatians 2:20
How do we keep the faith ? Why do we live our lives in faith ? Why do Christians insist on the truth of the Resurrection, of our redemption and of eternal life ? How did we get here ?
So, let’s go back – just to the last 3 days before Easter Sunday.
HOLY THURSDAY - “DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME”.
Above : Leonardo Da Vinci 1452-1519 – The Last Supper
‘The Last Supper’ where we see Jesus sitting with his 12 Apostles is a magnificent timeless 15th century wall fresco by the famous Italian Renaissance Master Leonardo da Vinci. Long lines of people queue each day to view this timeless artwork at the dining room or refectory of the Dominican Convent of Holy Mary of Grace in Milan. ( Text and pictures courtesy of ‘Millennials Meet Mary’ )
It is Holy Thursday in Jerusalem. On that fateful evening Jesus shared his Last Supper with his 12 Apostles. At his table, Jesus shared not just bread and wine, he also gave them HOPE and what was essentially his last Will and Testament. Jesus blessed the bread and wine and told his Apostles that this was his own body and blood which he would shed for them the next day. As he shared his own body and blood, Jesus gave his Apostles and the world his promise of redemption, giving to them the means to share in his own death and Resurrection. Jesus tells his disciples to “do this in memory of me”.
Jesus present among us in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist with his own body and blood is the reason why more than 2 billion Christians all over the world today at masses held in every corner of the world continuously observe the Lord’s last and most precious Will and Testament for mankind - the Holy Eucharist.
“LOVE ONE ANOTHER” - WASHING OF THE FEET
Jacobi Tintoretto – Christ Washing the Feet of His Disciples
Jacobi Tintoretto was a 15th century Renaissance master artist of the Venetian school and the phenomenal passion shown in his paintings is sometimes appropriately called “furioso”. See here ( right ) his amazing painting of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and ( left) a Detail of the same painting.
At the Last Supper, Jesus got up to wash the feet of each of his Apostles. This was a shock to them seeing their master do this very menial servant’s task. But Jesus wanted to show them by example how we should treat one another. When Jesus washed the feet of his Apostles, he showed them his great love for them and humility to others.
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
John 13:14
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
John 13:34
THE PARADOX OF GOOD FRIDAY
Above : The Crucifixion – Tempera on wood; gold ground - by Fra Angelico 1399-1455
Fra Angelico was the Early Renaissance Dominican Friar and painter who was famous for his delicate and wonderful frescoes. This early work accentuates the drama of the Crucifixion by showing the Virgin Mary collapsed in grief with John the Evangelist and the other mourning women around her. The subject of the Crucifixion is sombre; full of grief and very difficult for any artist to paint. But Fra Angelico has painted this excruciating scene with due reverence and exquisite delicacy.( Text and picture courtesy of ‘Millennials Meet Mary’ )
The paradox of Good Friday is that the darkest hour for mankind was actually God’s greatest victory – one which was made possible by Jesus dying on the cross. Redemption for humanity became possible when Jesus suffered, died and conquered death forever. He did this for all of us who believe in Him. He did this for all of humanity. Each of us have our own crosses to bear. We suffer illnesses, despair, business failures, poverty, loss, hopes and dreams blown away and so on - surely all are inconsequential compared to the terrible suffering of Jesus which he bore on Good Friday being tortured and carrying his own cross to Calvary to his death by hanging on the cross.
HOLY SATURDAY – THERE IS A GREAT SILENCE OVER THE EARTH
Left : Dawn breaking over a silent Jerusalem
Right : The cold dark walls of the Old City of Jerusalem just before the light of dawn breaks. ‘Oh if walls could speak!’
( Text and pictures courtesy of ‘Millennials Meet Mary’ )
After Good Friday and the death and entombment of Jesus, you can absolutely feel the silence of the next day – Holy Saturday – a day of such unbearable loss, inconsolable grief and total silence.
We keep vigil ; we know the day will end with victory.
There is a stillness; Divinity has died in the flesh. It’s the in-between time for Christians .
The trauma and passion of suffering and death has passed . Easter Sunday has not yet arrived.
But Jesus did not leave his apostles without HOPE. He told them that in 3 days he would arise and that very soon they would see him and their grief will turn to joy. .
“Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’”
John 2:19
“Jesus went on to say, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.’”
John 16:16
EASTER SUNDAY – HE IS RISEN
And then comes Easter Sunday and we hear that the tomb is empty ! That the Lord is risen from the dead ! We have not death but victory !
Left : The Resurrection of Christ 1730 - a painting by Nicolas Bertin, French Baroque artist Right : Paolo Veronese - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ - 1570
Both Bertin ( Baroque ) and Veronese ( Renaissance ) paint this difficult subject of the Resurrection with much sensitivity. We see the resurrected luminous Christ rising from his tomb in his full glory and the Roman solders cowering on the ground shivering in fear and incredulity.
So today during Eastertide, I join the chorus of Catholics and Christians boldly proclaiming our faith and joy – HE HAS RISEN !
“Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. They go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown. But they will surely return with rejoicing carrying the harvest of grain”
Psalm 126:5-6
THE COMMUNITY
At Easter Sunday Mass, one of the many moments at mass which I cherish most is when we, as a Christian community, renew our Baptismal vows and speak out – no, shout out – loudly after each question of our faith : I DO !
I shall repeat only some of them here – to share with my readers my joy and exultation with this aspect of the Easter Sunday mass.
Do you reject sin, so as to live in the freedom of God’s children?
I DO !
Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and Earth ?
I DO !
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified died and was buried , rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father ?
I DO !
Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting ?
I DO !!
“Rejoice ! You are reborn in Him by Faith”
This is what matters most to me; to us as Christians – this community of faith. Our faith matters. The Empty Tomb matters. We know for sure that the body of Jesus Christ did indeed rise from the dead.
HE IS RISEN !
We can depend on Jesus who has promised us eternal life where he makes all things new, and that LOVE and healing will outlast death.
TO ALL MY READERS – I wish you a HAPPY EASTER FOR TODAY; FOR THE NEXT 50 DAYS ; AND ALSO FOREVER !
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