My brothers and sisters, let us remember that the Resurrection is not merely an event that happened 2,000 years ago, but rather is an event that happens every day, every moment, of our lives, that we are active participants in.

I say this because during this Lent season, it is so easy to watch all of the re-enactments, the dramas, the period piece movies, and feel so disconnected from it all. And yet, each moment, when you arise from bed; when you stand from prostration; whatever you do; allow it to be a type of Christ, ascending unto the heavens, to be seated at the right hand with the Father. A reminder of His real and current presence in your life.

This is the day of Resurrection, not just the celebration of the Holy-Day; but everyday of our lives. Our Lord rises every day, every moment of our lives. The Resurrection is not merely an event that we remember, but one that we participate in; one that we celebrate every moment. Our Lord is not measured in time, but time in Him; and He redeemed not only humanity, but time itself by filling it with Himself. Thus, every moment He is present, and every moment He is risen. He Himself told us, “Behold, I am with you always, even unto the ages of ages” (Matthew 28:20). Allow us no longer to place His memory on the timeline and feel the disconnect of thousands of years between us and Him, since time does not exist without Him; but let us rejoice, as the apostle says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Let us celebrate our Holy feasts and celebrate our risen Lord, but let us be careful that we not allow our hearts to wander into despondency as we feel that disconnect of time and space; but let us instead remember that when we proclaim the Resurrection, we proclaim His presence, and that presence is very real and very now. Time itself is a vacuum until it is validated by His presence in it; thus all that we experience is a distortion of the truth of His presence. When we face anything difficult, we must remember that He has not abandoned us, we have merely allowed our vision of Him to become distorted by the world, and when we are able to focus our eyes on the solution instead of the problem; our vision becomes clear and we are able to see things as they truly are.

Our hope is now; our faith is now; our love is now. It is not held captive by the constraints of what we know as time. Today is the day of our salvation; not two thousand years ago, not two weeks ago, not happily ever after in Heaven, not when we finally manage to “work through things,” but today. Ten days, ten months, ten years from now, it will still be today. This present moment is a gift bestowed upon us from our Lord, not thousands of years ago, but every moment that we are here is a gift. When we allow the world to bring us down, to make us lose hope, to make us “remember” His Resurrection as though we missed it because of our place on it’s timeline; we allow the world to blind us to His presence.

Our Lord was crucified on the cross for our sins, and with that sacrifice, He took the bloodguilt due for our iniquities. But our hope lies not on the cross, but in the empty tomb. In His promise to be with us always. In the forgiveness of the Father. In the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Father is our hope; the Son our refuge; the Holy Spirit our protector; now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

Christ is in our midst. May the grace of the Lord be upon you all, my beloved family.