Rising, Out of the Darkness, A Great Light!
The Feast of the Ressurection of the Lord The most ancient of festivals the new Church celebrated immediately after the death of Jesus (quite definitely around 6-9 April AD30) was the unexpected resurrection of the Lord. This was to be so controversial in the small Roman colony of Judea in the time of Augustus Caesar, that its impact on the whole human civilisation that was to come could not have been underestimated. As historical fact, it would remain a mystery, and it seems part of the Divine Will that this should never be so compelling a fact that unbelief would be impossible. For this would make faith unnecessary, if doubt were impossible. This perspective is dealt with in the Gospel of John, after Jesus’ resurrection: “Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came… Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. The h...