Christ is Risen! And our hope is restored.

John’s account of the Gospel tells us that when the other

disciple (who was most likely John himself) entered the tomb

after Simon Peter “he saw and believed. For they did not yet

understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.”

With the Resurrection comes the fullness of understanding,

and the veils are lifted.

One of the effects of veiling of the statues and religious

images during Passion Tide, is that the fruits of the resurrection

are hidden from our sight. We are taken back to the days and

generations prior to the birth of Christ when the dead remained

dead and the mysteries of heaven remained in a cloud. We were

reminded of our lack of understanding and knowledge. But at

the death of Christ, we are told that the veil in the Temple was

torn in two. No longer is the mystery of the Holy of Holies

shrouded and hidden from view; no longer are the gates of

Paradise locked and forbidding entry; no longer is

communication with God reserved and limited to the high priest.

In the resurrection of Christ we see the fullness of

understanding and all of the veils that had been in place since

Adam and Eve had been expelled from the Garden are lifted.

We see, first and foremost, the true meaning of eternal life

and the resurrection of the body. Christ did not come back as a

phantom or non-corporeal spirit, but one who had holes in his

hands and in his side. He came eating and drinking and yet, not

as one intended for this world.

We see the Father’s love for us. His desire is not merely

that we have life rather than death, but that He conquered

death for us. His love for us is such that He would rather do

the work and everything within His power to give you life,

than be a distributor of justice.

We see the path that leads to life and in the lifting of the

veils that covered the saints, the Way that will bring us there.

It is no longer about following commandments, although

those remain in place, but the commandments and the

Prophets are there to show us the Way to follow Christ.

We see what it means to Follow Christ. It is not the way

of the young rich man, who was obedient and appears to

have been confirmed that he would receive eternal life, but

remained away from the Kingdom of Heaven and so he was

left sad. It’s revealed also in that moment when he spoke and

said “Mary.” and immediately she recognized him. It is about

the relationship of being mother and brother and sister with

the Lord. About being a spouse and bride of the Son of God.

The veils being lifted helps us to see that God called us

from Egypt and through the desert to be with Him on the

Mountain and pray with Him, just as Jesus went up to the

mountain to pray.