NEXT SUNDAY'S MASS

EASTER
ADAM sinned and sundered himself spiritually from God,
sundered his own unity leading to physical death, sundered the principle of fellowship between man and man ; sundered his relationship with creation. Mankind was left impotent to make whole what had been shattered.
Human nature was corrupted ; there was nothing in it fit for the Kingdom of God. Man could only be made
whole, be redeemed, by being given a new nature through incorporation into a new and sinless man—only if God became man and assumed all the effects of sin "even unto the death of the Cross.” On Calvary this was accomplished : man was re
deemed. Hence Holy Saturday is the Second Sabbath of God : Christ rested in peace. The old creation, the Old Alliance was at an end. We recall the original creation after which " God rested on the seventh day." The services now held on Holy Saturday took place, originally, in the night between Saturday and Sunday.
During that night, no one knows the precise hour, Christ rose from the dead. The first day of the Jewish week became the first day of the New Creation and corresponded and superseded the first day of the old creation. God said ' Let there be light a . and God called the light—day." Today the light of Glory, the Light of God, the True Light has arisen; dissipating the darkness, it shines resplendent and transfigures all creation and all mans k intl.
Christ is risen as Ile said. But His Death is our death, His Resurrection is our Resurrection, His Glory is our glory. He rises again in each of us, His members, revivifying, re-creating us. '1 he Divine Sun has risen and will know no setting. Adam could die but the new Adam, the Risen Christ dieth no more. His resurrection is our hope, the pledge of our own. " If Christ be not risen,
our faith is in vain." The Eternal Day has dawned. "This is the day which the Lord has made : let us rejoice and be glad in It."
As Christ rose in the obscurity of night, so the Mystical Christ rises in us His Members amidst the obscurity of the Last Days which stretch from Christ's Advent to His Return in Glory. We are already in the Last Days of the World.
All creation is redeemed in Christ and through Him reveals its meaning and purpose—to be the symbol, image and sign of God's Majesty, of His supreme gesture of Love towards
mankind. the vehicle of His Truth and of His Life—Fire, Light, Air, Water, Oil, Bread and Wine.
New Fire is struck today and, springing virginally from the stone, symbolises the birth of the Divine Light in the womb of the Virgin and Christ's rising from the tomb. From it a candle is lit and, as the deacon, the herald of the R CSUrreclion, enters the Church, the triplebranched candle is lit. signifying the Mystery of the Trinity revealed through the Lumen Christi.
Arrived at the altar he sings the Exsultet in praise of the grandeur and mystery of this holy night. The Paschal Candle—symbol of the Risen Christ, is blessed and lit, and will continue to be lit at all services till the Ascension.
The Twelve Prophecies are then read—in the light of the Paschal Candle, in the lieht of Christ, for it is the Risen Christ who projects his Light on them and enables us to contemplate in (hem the Mystery of Salvation, the Design of God in history, the itinerary of humanity from the Fall to Glory, fulfilled today.
At he Blessing of the Waters, the celebrant invokes the Presence of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit who moved over the waters, transmitting Life to the world throueli them : the Spirit who overshadowed the Virgin, that through her, Light and Life itself might be born : the Spirit who overshadows the Church, enabling Her to generate new creatures, for it is through Baptism that our union with the New Man is established, through Baptism that we receive new natures. Today that union, that nature is renewed in us.
The Eucharist recapitulates the whole Mystery of Salvation, deepens that union, joining man to man in a perfect fellowship till, together with their Head, they form the Touts Christus, the Whole Christ, which will he achieved at Christ's Return. To celebrate this mystery we sing a
new song, " Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia." "When Christ shall appear, Who is your life, then you shall appear in Glory."
Christ, our Phoenix, is risen from the ashes of death, of sin, of imprisonment in self.