The Symbols of Easter

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is super Bowl weak for Christians. To true believers,
this is the holiest, most solemn, humbling moving seven days
of the year. For on Christmas we are born, but
on Easter we are born again. The death and the
resurrection of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ stands as
the seminal event in the annals of human history. The

(00:21):
root of this unwavering belief is found not just in scripture,
but in the emotional practice of Easter week. His resurrection,
occurring three days after his crucifixion, signifies victory over sin
and death. The annual visit to Easter and its central
symbols retells that remarkable story, but mostly embodies the promise

(00:42):
of eternal life. It is a glorious mystery and gives
every believer a vast web of symbols which helps us
to better understand, if not solve, the mystery. The empty
tomb is the season's pre eminent symbol, for it gives
us physical evidence of Christ's victory over death. Rolled away stone,
the burial cloths, the missing body tells us not even

(01:04):
a room carved out of a mountain of granite could
contain the author of life, and a promise that upon
our death, we too will rise with him. The paschal
candle is Christ as the light of the world, turning
back the darkness of sin and death. This flame is
Jesus' torch, illuminating our path toward eternal life. Water is

(01:25):
powerful at Easter. The blessing of the baptismal water during
the Easter Liturgy reminds us that this sacrament allows us
to die with Christ and then rise to a new
life of grace. Christ's white garments symbolize the purity and
the joy of new life. And then there is the Cross.
It begins as a dastardly instrument of torture to a

(01:48):
symbol of triumph, shame and defeat on Good Friday, an
emblem of our salvation on the third Day. These symbols,
sacred symbols, speak not only to our intellect, but to
our hearts and souls. They help us to enter more
deeply into the mystery of Easter and to recognize that
Christ's resurrection is a transformational, living reality. The symbols personalize

(02:14):
it and remind us of his miracles and his simple
but powerful lessons. Like the tale about a holy man
having a conversation with the Lord one day, and he said, Lord,
I would like to know what heaven and Hell are like. Well,
the Lord led the holy Man to two doors. He
opened door number one, and behind it he found a room.

(02:36):
In the middle of the room was a large round table.
In the middle of the table was a large pot
of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy Man's
mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin
and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding
spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms.

(02:56):
Each found it possible to reach into the pot of
stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was
longer than their arms, they couldn't get the spoons back
into their mouths. The Holy Man shuddered at the sight
of their mystery and suffering and said and said what
is this? And the Lord said, well, you've seen hell.

(03:17):
He then took him to the next room and opened
to that door. It was exactly the same as the
first one. There was a large round table with a
large pot of stew, which made the holy Man's mouth
water again. The people were equipped with the same long
handled spoons, but here they were well nourished and plump,
laughing and talking. The Holy Man said, I don't understand, well,

(03:40):
said the Lord. It is simple, it requires but one skill.
But you see they have learned to feed each other.
It's this time of year we are reminded how those
simple acts of kindness fill us with His grace enough
to last a whole year.