Thankful Thursday - 4/9/15

Happy Easter!

No, I'm not confused on my days; we are celebrating the octave of Easter.  This means that we celebrate Easter for 8 days - Sunday to Sunday.  Then, we continue celebrating the Easter season for a total of 50 days.  As the most important Feast of our liturgical year, it makes sense to pull out all of the stops to celebrate :)  I was actually just reading about the octave of Easter in my Living Liturgy 2015 book:

"Eight is an important symbolic number.  The early Christians called Sunday the "eighth day."  Since our week has seven days, "eighth day" referred to a day beyond the human reckoning of time - beyond time, belonging to the end times.  Theologically, this refers to "eschatological" time when Jesus Christ will return in all his glory to gather everything back to God at the end and fullness of time.  Thus, the Easter octave means more than simply going from one Sunday to the next; it heightens our expectation that the risen Life we celebrate is the same Life that we will one day share with the Trinity in everlasting glory."

How cool is that?!?!?!

I'm really not sure how much more I can expound on that thought.  I can appreciate the correlation of 'eschatological' time (try saying that 3 times fast!) when you talk about 8 days in relation to our 7-day week.  We are called beyond the time with which we measure our lives.  We are called to enter into God's time.  In a world that is consumed with time - my next appointment, what are you doing this weekend, I have to check my calendar - it is appropriate that we are reminded of God's time.  

Speaking of God's time makes me think about God's timing.  It may not be on my schedule, but it is always perfect.  As I continue to celebrate Easter, I am thankful for God's timing.  It may be a test of my patience sometimes, but I trust in God's plan.  

Lord, thank you for the gift of Salvation.  Without Your suffering, death, and Resurrection, we could not hope to gain Eternal Life on our own merit.  May we continue to experience the joy of Easter and live it every day of our lives.  May we also anticipate our final destination with joy and hope, when we will, "one day share with the Trinity in everlasting glory."