Easter Meditation Poem by Paul Clement Czaja

Though no one knew
Or believed it,
Your light never went out
When you cried out
It was finished
And expired your breath.

They took you down
From the bloody cross
Pale, cold, and dead,
Yet you the eternal Alpha and Omega Light
Had just left the temple
For a timeless while
To rescue those souls in limbo
Awaiting their redemption to come.

You gave them the right to eat
At last
From the Tree of Life
Which is in the Paradise of God –
These ancient souls of goodwill
Since Father Adam’s Fall -
Awaiting the Coming Light,
The Dawn of you,
The Morning Star,
The Endless glorious Day of Christ,
The Father’s Love Word.
No, not even the dry ice burning of Hades
Could kill the fire of your soul’s
Sacred Heart
Blazing hot bright with mercy.

Returning Sunday morning
To the empty spiced wrapped body,
The superabundant glory of
Your eternal divine soul
Made Easter happen,
And you arose and walked out of the dark tomb,
A brighter light by far
Walking into an ordinary sunlight.

Radiant, your creative will
Made all things bright and new,
As it was in the beginning
When the Father first expressed
You,
His Sacred Word, and
Bang!
A universe flashed into being.

Your resurrected, glorified self
First went to greet Mary,
Your sorrowing mother,
Lying exhausted but awake,
Weeping still, left alone
In young John’s simple house.

Reflecting your light,
Mary rose up,
More luminous than the brightest full moon.

'Jesus. Jesus, ' was all that she could say
As you became one in a sweet embrace,
Mother and son dancing and laughing
And hugging and looking deep
Into the gleaming eyes of each other,
Soul touching soul in ecstasy.
For Mary it was
Heaven on earth.
For you it was
The first work of your New Creation
In which love conquers all
Even death,
And hope eclipses doubt
As noon light rubs out all shadows,
And faith finally has its just rewards
In the seeing of God.

Lord, Jesus Christ, risen from the dead
Son of the Living God,
Sacrificed Lamb of God,
Have mercy on me a sinner.
Have mercy.
Renew in me
My first love for you
And the Victory of the Good.

I want with all my heart/mind/soul
To walk in love with you.
After I finally die,
I want to walk with you dressed in white.
I want to hold in my left hand
The White Stone
With a new name written on it.
Acknowledge me
When I come before God and his angels
On Judgment Day.

Jesus,
I have sinned so much,
And I am washed clean in your Blood.
I want to be worthy of your mercy.

While I still have days
To praise your Name,
Help me live for God alone.

I shall join all the sufferings
Or troubles that come my way
To the Sacrifice of your Crucifixion
And Death,
That others living in Darkness
May be brought to the Glory
Of knowing and loving You,
The Lamb, our Redeemer, our Christ.