St John 20:1-18; Various Texts
Rite of First Communion prior to Confirmation
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
She supposed Him to be the gardener. She is not wrong. For He who once walked with His creation in the cool of the day now walks among His restored creation not merely as their Creator, but as one of them, as a Man, the greater Adam, who undoes the curse.
What had been lost in the Fall has been restored and more in the death and Resurrection of the Seed of the Woman, the Skull Crusher who bears the curse and returned us, fallen Adam’s fallen children, back to the Garden. God the Father has slaughtered the Lamb and made garments of skin for you and clothed you. The flaming sword of the cherubim has been quenched in the Blood of the Lamb. You are welcomed back not only to the beauty and splendor of God’s good creation in Christ Jesus, but to partake and have fellowship with Him in the Tree of Life.
There is a modern tradition of taking an old Christmas tree and carving it into a Cross for Good Friday. Its kind of gimmicky, but it serves a point. This is why He came. For this reason He was born. To die. To save His people from their sins.
But in the Resurrection Jesus has taken that dead, lifeless wood, and transformed it back into the flowering and blooming Tree, laden with the sweet fruit of His own Body and Blood, from which we are given to eat and worship, to have favor with God and live with Him forever. That is why we remove the veils from our crucifixes tonight. They were darkened for Good Friday and our Lord’s Passion, but now, in the light of the Resurrection, we rejoice in the icon of our salvation, the victory trophy of His conquest over death and the grave, over hell and Satan himself.
This is also why we welcome these little ones to the Lord’s Table tonight. They confess the faith once for all delivered to the saints. By the grace of God they understand the Scripture, that Jesus must rise from the dead, or their faith is in vain. That Jesus must rise from the dead, for death has no claim on Him, the Innocent One, true God and true Man, their Savior and Lord, who died for them and shed His blood for them for the forgiveness of sins.
How do they know this? In the same manner as you. In the same manner as the disciples who were told by Mary Magdalene. They are catechized from the Holy Gospel and believe the words instituting the Sacrament of the Altar. And so they join us in the fellowship of the Lord’s Table, to work and fight and pray against the devil who hounds us day and night and never lets us have a moment’s peace.
Well, not tonight, you wicked dragon! For tonight the whole Christian Church shouts into the darkness with the Easter acclamation: Christ is risen! Alleluia! And He who is the Light, come to scatter the darkness and break the gloom, dispels the darkness of our hearts, drives away the doom of sin and death, removes the burial shroud draped over the world in Adam’s Fall, and illumines the dear lambs and sheep of His Church.
In the Ancient Church this was the night for Baptisms. The catechumens, having been instructed in the Christian faith over the past few years, received intensified catechesis during the 40 days of Lent, particularly on the Sacred Mysteries of Holy Baptism and the Eucharist.
Entering into a dimly lit baptistry the catechumens, men and women, young and old, stepped down into the font, dug deep into the floor as a grave. Renouncing the works and ways of the devil, confessing the Apostles’ Creed, they were baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Immediately upon coming out of the font they were clothed with a white robe and given a burning candle. They were no longer catechumens, they were the enlightened ones. Illumined by the Light of Christ and sundered from the domain of darkness and death.
Then it really got going. All the candles were lit, hundreds of them, and the baptistry walls were visible for the first time; lavishly decorated with scenes of the new creation. The doors were opened and the newly baptized entered into the brilliantly lit Sanctuary. They sang and prayed, heard the salvation narratives of Holy Scripture, and received the Lord’s Supper for the first time as well. In fact, it would have been the first time they were even allowed to witness the Lord’s Supper, as was the practice of Closed Communion in the Ancient Church.
We retain the ceremonies because they teach; not only the children, but the adults too. They are good, right, and salutary. But even more, we believe, teach, and confess the substance of this catechesis: the Lamb of God who was crucified, but behold He lives!
Christ is risen and Holy Baptism washes you in His death and resurrection.
Christ is risen and the Holy Absolution bestows the forgiveness of sins.
Christ is risen and the Holy Communion gives life and salvation.
Christ is risen and your death is defeated. Life reigns.
Christ is risen and you are made children of God, brothers of the same heavenly Father, welcomed into the Garden of the New Eden, the new creation, to partake of the Tree of Life in full fellowship with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven who laud and magnify His glorious Name.
Do not weep dear ones. The reign of death is ended. Christ lives! Cling to Him as He presents Himself to you in water and Word, bread and wine.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Rite of First Communion prior to Confirmation
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
She supposed Him to be the gardener. She is not wrong. For He who once walked with His creation in the cool of the day now walks among His restored creation not merely as their Creator, but as one of them, as a Man, the greater Adam, who undoes the curse.
What had been lost in the Fall has been restored and more in the death and Resurrection of the Seed of the Woman, the Skull Crusher who bears the curse and returned us, fallen Adam’s fallen children, back to the Garden. God the Father has slaughtered the Lamb and made garments of skin for you and clothed you. The flaming sword of the cherubim has been quenched in the Blood of the Lamb. You are welcomed back not only to the beauty and splendor of God’s good creation in Christ Jesus, but to partake and have fellowship with Him in the Tree of Life.
There is a modern tradition of taking an old Christmas tree and carving it into a Cross for Good Friday. Its kind of gimmicky, but it serves a point. This is why He came. For this reason He was born. To die. To save His people from their sins.
But in the Resurrection Jesus has taken that dead, lifeless wood, and transformed it back into the flowering and blooming Tree, laden with the sweet fruit of His own Body and Blood, from which we are given to eat and worship, to have favor with God and live with Him forever. That is why we remove the veils from our crucifixes tonight. They were darkened for Good Friday and our Lord’s Passion, but now, in the light of the Resurrection, we rejoice in the icon of our salvation, the victory trophy of His conquest over death and the grave, over hell and Satan himself.
This is also why we welcome these little ones to the Lord’s Table tonight. They confess the faith once for all delivered to the saints. By the grace of God they understand the Scripture, that Jesus must rise from the dead, or their faith is in vain. That Jesus must rise from the dead, for death has no claim on Him, the Innocent One, true God and true Man, their Savior and Lord, who died for them and shed His blood for them for the forgiveness of sins.
How do they know this? In the same manner as you. In the same manner as the disciples who were told by Mary Magdalene. They are catechized from the Holy Gospel and believe the words instituting the Sacrament of the Altar. And so they join us in the fellowship of the Lord’s Table, to work and fight and pray against the devil who hounds us day and night and never lets us have a moment’s peace.
Well, not tonight, you wicked dragon! For tonight the whole Christian Church shouts into the darkness with the Easter acclamation: Christ is risen! Alleluia! And He who is the Light, come to scatter the darkness and break the gloom, dispels the darkness of our hearts, drives away the doom of sin and death, removes the burial shroud draped over the world in Adam’s Fall, and illumines the dear lambs and sheep of His Church.
In the Ancient Church this was the night for Baptisms. The catechumens, having been instructed in the Christian faith over the past few years, received intensified catechesis during the 40 days of Lent, particularly on the Sacred Mysteries of Holy Baptism and the Eucharist.
Entering into a dimly lit baptistry the catechumens, men and women, young and old, stepped down into the font, dug deep into the floor as a grave. Renouncing the works and ways of the devil, confessing the Apostles’ Creed, they were baptized in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Immediately upon coming out of the font they were clothed with a white robe and given a burning candle. They were no longer catechumens, they were the enlightened ones. Illumined by the Light of Christ and sundered from the domain of darkness and death.
Then it really got going. All the candles were lit, hundreds of them, and the baptistry walls were visible for the first time; lavishly decorated with scenes of the new creation. The doors were opened and the newly baptized entered into the brilliantly lit Sanctuary. They sang and prayed, heard the salvation narratives of Holy Scripture, and received the Lord’s Supper for the first time as well. In fact, it would have been the first time they were even allowed to witness the Lord’s Supper, as was the practice of Closed Communion in the Ancient Church.
We retain the ceremonies because they teach; not only the children, but the adults too. They are good, right, and salutary. But even more, we believe, teach, and confess the substance of this catechesis: the Lamb of God who was crucified, but behold He lives!
Christ is risen and Holy Baptism washes you in His death and resurrection.
Christ is risen and the Holy Absolution bestows the forgiveness of sins.
Christ is risen and the Holy Communion gives life and salvation.
Christ is risen and your death is defeated. Life reigns.
Christ is risen and you are made children of God, brothers of the same heavenly Father, welcomed into the Garden of the New Eden, the new creation, to partake of the Tree of Life in full fellowship with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven who laud and magnify His glorious Name.
Do not weep dear ones. The reign of death is ended. Christ lives! Cling to Him as He presents Himself to you in water and Word, bread and wine.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
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