Water, Water Everywhere…
There are a few very important liturgical aspects of Easter that I’m sure you’ve noticed. We’ve just finished the Octave of Easter filled with feasting, bright white linens, and plenty of “Alleluias.” The Octave of Easter is the eight days in which we feast and celebrate our risen Lord with particular joy and vigour—from Sunday to Sunday. Who needs to diet anyway?!
This Octave takes precedence over all other days, so you may also have noticed that there were no other calendar observances during that time as we focused entirely on the glory and redemption of the Resurrection. We still have a lot of Easter days ahead to celebrate—six more weeks, as a matter of fact.
There will now be a single “Alleluia” at each worship dismissal until the Day of Pentecost, when it is doubled once again. And here’s a gentle reminder: the Day of Pentecost is not the beginning of a new season, but the final day of the Easter festival—“uniting the events of the Resurrection and the empowerment of the Church” (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Abingdon Press, p. 99).
The Importance of Water in Easter
As we sing and shout our “Alleluias,” we may wonder why Jesus’ resurrection fills us with such joy. The answer is both simple and profound: because Jesus has new life in glory in God’s kingdom, so do we. And this astonishing gift is given to us through the mystery of baptism.
Water is the most obvious symbol—though not the only one—of baptism. The word “baptism” comes from a Greek word meaning “to plunge.” And if you know your Bible at all, you’ll know you cannot get far without encountering water.
From the Spirit of God moving over the waters at creation, to Noah and the flood, to Jonah in the deep—life-giving and life-taking images of water overflow from the Hebrew Scriptures and continue throughout the New Testament.
Jesus adds yet another dimension to water as a symbol. When he kneels to wash his disciples’ feet, water becomes not only a sign of cleansing but also of servanthood born of the love we are commanded to show one another.
There are so many references to water throughout Scripture—some you may never have noticed. In Mark’s Gospel, when Jesus wants his disciples to find the place where they will share the Passover meal, he tells them to look for a man carrying a water jar. They are to follow that man to the prepared room (Mark 14:13). Through the waters of baptism, we, too, are led into the presence of Christ.
With all this in mind, I pray that throughout this Easter season you will see plenty of water flowing into the baptismal font—and that you will feel its meaning afresh.
For Your Devotions
Thursday, April 16, is the commemoration of Mollie Brant (Konwatsijayenni), Matron among the Mohawks, who died in 1796. Born into a family of Mohawk leaders, Mollie learned to speak fluent English at the Anglican mission school she attended and later married Sir William Johnson in a Mohawk ceremony.
During the American Revolution, Mollie persuaded her people to remain loyal to the British Crown. Because of this, her home was destroyed by rebel forces, and she and her people eventually relocated to Kingston. There she was granted a pension and a new home by the British government. She became a founding member of St. George’s Anglican Parish in Kingston.
To learn more about Mollie Brant and to pray the collect appointed for her commemoration, see pages 144–145 in For All the Saints (Anglican Church of Canada): https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/For-All-The-Saints.pdf
The Rev. Susan Montague Koyle