Whatever the malice and cunning of man can devise, whatever our faults and follies, whether we are saints or repentant sinners, despite the scoffing and hatred of the world at the instigation of the devil, this truth stands: Christ our God is risen to save – glorify Him! And let us live worthy of Him by sloughing off all sin and misbelief, purging all vice and error, truly reforming (not destroying) His Church, that we may be His true witnesses, lest we scandalize those we ought be converting by our hopefilled example.
While the prophecy about Noah and the Ark was not read at the Vigil (OF) I attended, I had it and its matching Collect in mind, since I think the message very appropriate at present:
Let us pray.
Let us kneel. [We fall down before God in our need, in our brokenness, in supplication, in awe of Him.]
Arise. [Christ is risen: His is the Victory! In Him we too are raised up beyond all hopes.]
[Therefore, collecting together our heartfelt faith and hope, we dare to pray the Almighty Father of Our Lord, in Whom we stand with confidence as adopted sons and free, empowered by the gift of His Spirit:]
[Therefore, collecting together our heartfelt faith and hope, we dare to pray the Almighty Father of Our Lord, in Whom we stand with confidence as adopted sons and free, empowered by the gift of His Spirit:]
O God, unchangeable power and light eternal, mercifully regard the wonderful mystery of Thy whole Church, and peacefully effect by Thy eternal decree the salvation of mankind, that all the world may experience and see that which was fallen raised up, that which was old made new, and all things restored through Him from Whom they received their beginning, even our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Happy Easter, one and all!
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