"The love we have celebrated..."

We come now to the close of the Easter season, which officially ends with Evening Prayer tomorrow, Pentecost Sunday. The prayer for this morning's Mass sums up in one short sentence the best way to continue to live the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as we move into Ordinary Time: "Almighty Father, let the love we have celebrated in this Easter season be put into practice in our daily lives."

"The love we have celebrated in this Easter season … love that has become incarnate and has made a dwelling-place within and among us… love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things… love that washes feet and cooks breakfast and provides for all our needs, whether large or small, sublime or mundane...love that is strong as death…Risen Love, which has conquered all things and remains with us forever, even to the end of time and beyond …

In her book The Risen Christ, Caryll Houselander says that our Lord Jesus has shown us how we are to lead the Risen Life, and that it is to be a life of love: "love that creates, love that fills up the measure of each life with joy. Love that is light and peace. Love that forgives and heals and sustains, that makes us one. Love that gives life to the world and gives beauty to life. Love that is food and clothing and water for thirst. Love that is bread. It is the love of the Eternal Father for his only Son, given to us, and it is given to us for ourselves and for one another."

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
George Matheson