Romans 6:3-11
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8 But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Today is Holy Saturday, the third day of the Triduum, the three days of continuous prayer and worship from Maundy Thursday through Holy Saturday. We’ve shouted Hosanna and waived our palms. We’ve gathered around the Lord’s Table. We’ve stood together at the foot of the cross. Today the Church on Earth and in Heaven waits.
Today we wait for what we know has already been accomplished, the Resurrection of Our Lord. How awful this day must have been for the ones who had seen him crucified and buried but had not yet seen the Resurrection.
Today, for us, is a day of thanksgiving. A day to remember that we were Baptized into Jesus’ death as well as into his Resurrection. We were buried beneath the water as we died to self and then raised from the water joined to the Resurrection of Jesus.
Today we dwell in the space between earth and heaven – between death and resurrection.
Today, we breathlessly wait in the sure and certain hope that Easter will dawn again.
Thousand, thousand thanks are due, dearest Jesus unto you. AMEN