Text for the Times: Risen with Christ

Extract

As winter recedes, like the earth around us, we put on new clothes and appearances, we are full of the spirit of spring. The Christian puts on Christ, the Risen Christ, and is made part of his new creation through the sacraments. These mysteries of the Risen Christ help us on our journey to our Father's house where we will share with our resurrected bodies in the glory of Christ, the first-born from the dead.

This Time (springtime) was that very one which appeared at the moment of the first creation of the world, when the earth brought forth shoots, when the stars appeared, when heaven and earth and all that is in them came into being together. It is at this time also that the Saviour of the whole world accomplished the mystery of his own feast and, like a great star, lit up the whole world with the rays of the true religion and indeed the occasion seemed to surpass the birthday of the cosmos. At this time the type, the ancient Pasch which is called the Passover, was brought to fulfilment. Furthermore, it bears the image of the slain lamb, and hints at the sign of eating unleavened bread. All these things find their fulfilment in the feast of Salvation. It is he, the Christ, who was the Lamb whose Body was stretched out. But it was he also, the Sun of Justice, whose divine springtime and salvation-bearing change caused the life of men to pass from evil to good.