Charles Williams : The New Christian Year

Easter Week Friday (April 17th, 2009)

It belongs to God alone to bestow beatitude upon souls by a participation with Himself; but it is Christ's prerogative to bring them to such beatitude, inasmuch as He is their Head and the author of their salvation.

Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

None can be eternally united who have not died for each other.

Coventry Patmore: The Rod, the Root, and the Flower.

Easter Week Thursday (April 16th, 2009)

The Word, leaving his Father in heaven, came down to be joined to his Wife, and slept in the trace of his Passion, and willingly suffered death for her, that he might present the Church to himself, glorious and blameless, having cleansed her by the laver, for the receiving of the spiritual and blessed seed which is sown by him who, with whispers, implants it in the depths of the mind, and is conceived and formed by the Church, as by a woman, so as to give birth and nourishment to virtue.  For in this way, too, the command "Increase and multiply" is duly fulfilled, the Church increasing daily in greatness and beauty and multitude by the union and communion of the Word who now still comes down to us and falls into a trance by the Memorial of his Passion.

Methodius: Banquet of the Ten Virgins.

Easter Week Wednesday (April 15th, 2009)

The will of the Creator shall gather together man's dust, shall renew it, and make of it the temple of glory; the body shall lead his companion, the soul, into the bridal chamber and there comfort her; and the body filled with sorrow in Hades shall rejoice, and the body that hath despaired shall give praise for his redemption, and that over which the foolish despaired shall receive great mercy.

St. Ephraem Syrus: Hymns.

Easter Week Tuesday (April 14th, 2009)

. . . Whereas now their souls (of just men) be only in heaven, at the day of judgement this further increase of joy shall they have, that their bodies also shall be partakers of eternal bliss, and they shall in their flesh receive joy.

St. Gregory the Great: Dialogues.

When the glorious and holy flesh shall clothe us again, our whole persons shall be more admirable by being more complete.

Dante: Paradise.

Now was I come up in spirit through the flaming sword into the Paradise of God.  All things were new: and all the creation gave another smell unto me than before, beyond what words can utter.

George Fox: Journal.

To it (the pure soul) all creatures are pure to enjoy; for it enjoyeth all creatures in God and God in all creatures.

Eckhart: Sermons.

Easter Week Monday (April 13th, 2009)

In the kingdom of the Son the Father also reigns; and in the kingdom of the Father the Son also reigns: for the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father; and in whomsoever the Son dwells, in him also the Father; and in whomsoever the Father dwells, in him also the Son dwells, as it is written: "Both I am My Father will come to Him, and make Our abode with Him."  Thus as there is one dwelling, so also there is one kingdom.  Yea, and so far is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son but one, that the Father receives what the Son delivers, and the Son does not lose what the Father receives.

St. Ambrose: On the Faith.

Easter Sunday (April 12th, 2009)

God comes to us without any purpose of departing from us again; for the spirit of life that God breathed into man, that departs from man in death; but when God had assumed the nature of man, the Godhead never parted from that nature; no, not in death; when Christ lay dead in the grave, the Godhead remained united to that body and that soul, which were disunited in themselves; God was so united to man, as that he was with man, when man was not man, in the state of death.

John Donne: Sermons.