Editor’s note: At our last Christianity 101 class with deacon Jonathan Beck, we read the story in Genesis about the Flood, the second reading for the Great Easter Vigil coming up on Saturday, April 16. At the end of class, our cathedral dean, Leander S. Harding, shared his poem below. Hearing it made me aware of the parts of his sermons that sink me into contemplation as poetry. As Deacon Jonathan said, the Great Easter Vigil is the Church’s great masterwork. It is our epic poem that draws us in and carries us through God’s work in salvation through Christ.

- Brynna Carpenter-Nardone

Noah and Christ

During the Easter Vigil we hear the story of Noah and the Flood.

The world had become wicked and God determined to begin again

and wipe it clean. He bade Noah take with him into the ark

the only life that would survive. And Noah took all the green things

and the animals both clean and unclean and his wife and children.

The rain came and the Flood rose

obliterating everyone and everything.

Only what was in the ark would come forth

and live. The rain has come again,

bloody rain from the cross of Christ, washing everything.

There is nothing that can survive that deluge

and live again save only

what this new Noah takes with him into the ark of his tomb.  

Oh Lord, gather us, your spouse, your children,

 your most unclean animals, into the ark of  your death

 that we may be saved from the Flood and come forth with you

into the new world of your resurrection.

Only thus shall we live.

See a list of our Lent and Holy Week services