A Bible Reading Psalm 113: 1 - 7, 9b
Praise the Lord. (Hallelu Yah in Hebrew)
Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
Praise the Lord. (Hallelu Yah)
A Thought
“We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song.” This is one of those sayings frequently credited to St Augustine in the 4th century. It is a phrase repeated throughout church history to the present day. However, in some church traditions we are not allowed to use the ‘A’ word at all during Lent, so that we can proclaim it with even greater gusto on Easter Sunday.
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
And there is nothing quite like a joyful rendition of ‘Jesus Christ is risen today’ or one of the other great Easter hymns with their repeated alleluias at the end of each line or the end of verses. In these unprecedented times, we may not have been able to celebrate Easter day together in the normal way, but we are still able to sing Alleluia!
Psalm 113 was one of the Hallel Psalms associated with the festival of Passover. As we reflect on these words, let’s also bring to mind all those great Easter hymns to lift our spirits and remind us who we are in Christ. After the darkness and sadness of Good Friday and Holy Saturday, resurrection life bursts forth on Easter Day. Jesus is alive! He has overcome the power of sin and death once and for all, and we can all join together once more in a glorious cry of Alleluia!
A Prayer
God of glory, by the raising of your Son you have broken the chains of death and hell. Fill us with faith and hope, for a new day has dawned and the way to life stands open in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Hymn for Easter
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