Eastertide #27:

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead.

(Second Timothy 2:8)

I fussed some about Mother’s Day intruding into Eastertide. I take it all back. Eastertide can absorb Mother’s Day. It does have to do with mothers: Eve “the mother of all living” (Gn 3:20), and Mary “the mother of our Lord” (Lk 1:43).  But now, back to Eastertide and our Christian Calendar.

Eastertide stretches out our Easter celebration for fifty days, covering seven Sundays of reflection on the meaning and wonder of our Crucified and Risen Lord. Forty days into Eastertide, ten days from now, we will celebrate Ascension Thursday. And then, ten days after Ascension Thursday, we arrive at Pentecost Sunday when we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh, just as Jesus promised.

Yesterday, our virtual pastor, encouraged us to memorize Romans 8:31-39. He conclude his message by reciting the passage from memory—powerful. At the center of his recital we hear, “It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" (Ro 8:34-35)  That’s an Eastertide affirmation: Christ who died (Good Friday), who was raised (Easter Sunday), who is at the right hand of God interceding for us (Ascension Thursday). That’s a big, deep and wide Tide to flow over us and through us.