The Tomb is Empty
Mary was waiting for Him with joy
Not as a mother waits for the return of her son from war
But as one waits for a friend who never broke a promise
While the sky was still dark
Without her seeing Him coming
He was there, next to her
In a light much more powerful than that of the angel who had visited her
She recognized Him as a mother recognizes her son
And yet, she was stunned by the splendor of his beauty
By the joy of his face
By the harmony of his luminous traits
By the softness of his piercing eyes
There was nothing more to say
For in one act, everything was said
Her gaze touched the one she had believed
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
and proclaim to you the eternal life
that was with the Father and was made visible to us
Letting death come in
Without seeing the corruption of the tomb
He emerges like a bud for eternity
He, the only one who brought himself back to Life
The Risen One
The apostles look at us with the joy of victory
They have seen the bright wounds of the Victor
Of the Conqueror of death
Of the Sun of justice
They honored the love of their Master
They fought the good fight as well
The whole assembly of the saints accompanies them
They wait for their own glorious wounds
John the Baptist for his neck of ruby
Lawrence for his skin of gold
Agatha for her dress of emerald
For His Name
Cowards threw themselves in the mouth of lions
Presented their neck to the executioner
Laid down on a cross
An innumerable crowd of them
Like a bright cloud through the night of this world
Before His coming
The patriarchs and the prophets did not receive what had been promised
but saw it and greeted it from afar
Before Him, they were running towards tomorrow
After Him, we run back to yesterday
All of us to the garden of the tomb
To join Him in the eternal day, in his day
There will be one continuous day—it is known to the LORD—
not day and night, for in the evening there will be light.
Lord, give us this seed
Who made the saints of our religion rise
Ignite this torch that galvanized their hearts
This faith transmitted from heart to heart since this Most Holy Sunday
Make this fire grow within us
And communicate it beyond space and time
Christ is risen alleluia!
He is truly risen alleluia!
