The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
I am a sucker for the Litany of Saints.
Period. Every time I hear it sung, my heart melts. Needless to say, at the Easter Vigil two weeks ago my heart turned into mush. Not only because the Litany of Saints was sung, but also because of the graces being poured out that evening. I was just basically overwhelmed by Jesus.
The celebration started out in darkness, or as close to darkness as the Saarinen (architect) chapel can be, and eventually the lit Easter candle was carried into the darkness. This small tiny detail of the celebration truly brought to light (pun intended) the transition from Lent to Easter. My entire life the transition from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday has been a harsh one--happening over night, during my sleep. One day you're supposed to be sad, the next happy! Sometimes, I felt a little bipolar. But this year, the Easter Vigil truly walked me through this process of realizing the Resurrection and the process of shedding the sadness and fear of Holy Saturday.
But this transition is not only one from one day to the next, but also one that stretches over a greater period of time. Walking through Salvation History with each of the readings, I began to immerse myself in the greatest love story ever told--that between God and us. So frequently God's love is unrequited. We reject. We sin. We turn away. We refuse his engagement. Nevertheless, he never tires of pursuing us and proposing. He makes covenant after covenant and eventually sacrifices his only begotten Son! He gives us everything! And he has been waiting for us to say yes ever since we were born! (Actually even before then, but that's a harder thought to conceive...again pun intended). Walking through this reality, I became overwhelmed by God's pursuit for us! As a woman, I long to be pursued, and it hit me hard that God has been pursuing me forever. And he will continue to do just that into eternity.
Something more overwhelming than God's love (if there is such a thing) was witnessing a beautiful response! Two students were baptized; two were received into the Church. Wow. These are young men and women who are boldly responding to God's call by coming into the Family of God the Church! How bold! How brave! How beautiful! How in love! My eyes were brimming with tears as Fr. Clancy poured the Baptismal waters over their heads and patted them dry. I did not even know these men and women and yet I felt this instant bond to them, a fraternal one. My brothers and sisters. They took hold of Jesus' ever -extended hand and said, yes, I love you. Yes, I want to be a part of your family.
I cannot put down in words the emotions I felt at that time. I was simply overwhelmed (in a good way). I felt like for the first time I was experiencing what Easter was truly about--light, God's courtship, and our family the Church. I was just overwhelmed by Jesus (...and how beautiful the Litany of the Saints was).
Period. Every time I hear it sung, my heart melts. Needless to say, at the Easter Vigil two weeks ago my heart turned into mush. Not only because the Litany of Saints was sung, but also because of the graces being poured out that evening. I was just basically overwhelmed by Jesus.
The celebration started out in darkness, or as close to darkness as the Saarinen (architect) chapel can be, and eventually the lit Easter candle was carried into the darkness. This small tiny detail of the celebration truly brought to light (pun intended) the transition from Lent to Easter. My entire life the transition from Holy Saturday to Easter Sunday has been a harsh one--happening over night, during my sleep. One day you're supposed to be sad, the next happy! Sometimes, I felt a little bipolar. But this year, the Easter Vigil truly walked me through this process of realizing the Resurrection and the process of shedding the sadness and fear of Holy Saturday.
But this transition is not only one from one day to the next, but also one that stretches over a greater period of time. Walking through Salvation History with each of the readings, I began to immerse myself in the greatest love story ever told--that between God and us. So frequently God's love is unrequited. We reject. We sin. We turn away. We refuse his engagement. Nevertheless, he never tires of pursuing us and proposing. He makes covenant after covenant and eventually sacrifices his only begotten Son! He gives us everything! And he has been waiting for us to say yes ever since we were born! (Actually even before then, but that's a harder thought to conceive...again pun intended). Walking through this reality, I became overwhelmed by God's pursuit for us! As a woman, I long to be pursued, and it hit me hard that God has been pursuing me forever. And he will continue to do just that into eternity.
Something more overwhelming than God's love (if there is such a thing) was witnessing a beautiful response! Two students were baptized; two were received into the Church. Wow. These are young men and women who are boldly responding to God's call by coming into the Family of God the Church! How bold! How brave! How beautiful! How in love! My eyes were brimming with tears as Fr. Clancy poured the Baptismal waters over their heads and patted them dry. I did not even know these men and women and yet I felt this instant bond to them, a fraternal one. My brothers and sisters. They took hold of Jesus' ever -extended hand and said, yes, I love you. Yes, I want to be a part of your family.
I cannot put down in words the emotions I felt at that time. I was simply overwhelmed (in a good way). I felt like for the first time I was experiencing what Easter was truly about--light, God's courtship, and our family the Church. I was just overwhelmed by Jesus (...and how beautiful the Litany of the Saints was).
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The female missionaries and some of our favorite women (but not all of our favorite women). |
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