“Easter, which turns a terrible Friday into Good Friday. It is almost too brilliant for me to contemplate; it is like looking directly into the sun; I am burned and blinded by life.
There are times when I feel that He has withdrawn from me… but Easter is always the answer to My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me!
Easter is the most brilliant of all blessings.”
–––––– Madeleine L’Engle, The Irrational Season
Holy Sonnet 10
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou’art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy’or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
––––––– John Donne
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
–––––––– John 12:24
“… without a few days in hell, no resurrection is possible.”
–––––––– Mary Karr, Lit
And a lighter thought, the all brilliant Madeleine L’Engle again:
Pride is heavy.
It weighs.
It is a fatness of spirit,
an overindulgence in self.
This gluttony is earthbound,
cannot be lifted up.
Help me to fast,
to lose this weight.
Otherwise, O Light one,
how can I rejoice in your
Ascension?
———————
He is risen.
Happy Easter!
***
Ripple Effects 
Happy Easter to you, Arti!
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Easter Blessings to you and always, Linda!
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Happy Easter, Arti!
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Welcome back, Janell! A blessed Easter to you!
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A glorious Resurrection Day to you, Arti! May the love of God our Father, of our Risen from the dead Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, be your blessing always!!
Lots of Love in Jesus to you,
C-Marie
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The same to you, C-Marie!
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He is risen indeed! Happy Easter to you!
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He is risen, indeed! And has conquered death for us.
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What lovely thoughts. I hope your Easter was lovely!
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Your photo of the rising sun over the water is very serene and well suited to your post. I hope your Easter was peaceful and lovely. I enjoy reading John Donne, mentally (more than once) as I would not be able to read it aloud, those old English words are difficult to pronounce, but the message is beautiful.
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VB, thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment! I took that photo when I visited Richmond, British Columbia, some years ago. That was a sunset. 🙂
As for John Donne’s poem, indeed, a very precious message as it’s the promise from the Bible, Christ’s death and resurrection bring us eternal hope: “For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”
I Thessalonians 4:14 All best wishes to you!
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