HE HAS RISEN!
April 9, 2023.
The Resurrection of the Lord - A.
“Now that the days of the Lord’s Passion have drawn to a
close, may you who celebrate the gladness of the Paschal Feast come with
Christ’s help, and exulting in spirit, to those feasts that are celebrated in
eternal joy.” (Cf. Easter Solemn Blessing)
A Finnish proverb says: “A new day shows a new way.” And an
English proverb adds: “New meat begets a new appetite.”
Our current Easter is a door that opens us to the eternal
Easter in Heaven. Christ has risen from the dead so that we too, one day may
rise to eternal life in God's kingdom.
We are celebrating today the mystery beyond all other
mysteries. We are celebrating that which we profess at every Eucharistic
celebration, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again in
glory.” Here is the mystery of our faith, the second central mystery of the
Christian faith. After the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, the mystery of God
himself, the Resurrection of Christ is another mystery that not only goes
beyond human reason but also says something greater about God. That God is life
and alive.
The centrality of the Resurrection springs from the fact
that it provides the foundation for our faith, as commemorated by Easter, along
with Jesus's life, death, and teachings. For us Christians, the Resurrection of
the Lord is the guarantee that all the Christian dead will be resurrected at
Christ's Parousia (the second coming).
The Resurrection of Christ is of so great importance and
fundamental that Paul writes: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is
futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Cor 15:17) And the Apostle of the
Gentiles can go on to say: “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are
of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Cor 15:19)
Three main truths emphasize the centrality of the Resurrection
of Christ. With the Lord risen from the dead, our sins are forgiven. In his
Resurrection, he conquered the power of death. And through His Resurrection,
our lives now have an eternal perspective. We are no longer limited to Earth.
We can then feel it clear that Jesus has not risen for himself, but for us,
just as he has died for us. We were the first beneficiaries of the Lord's
Passion and Death. So too, we are the unique and primary beneficiaries of His
Resurrection.
The Catechism says: “The Paschal mystery has two aspects: by
his death, Christ liberates us from sin; by his Resurrection, he opens for us
the way to a new life. This new life is above all justification that reinstates
us in God's grace, "so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory
of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Justification
consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation
in grace. It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ's brethren,
as Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: "Go and tell
my brethren." We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace,
because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only
Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection.” CCC 654
The readings show that the Resurrection is not a myth. That
the Risen Lord is not a phantasm. Peter can attest to his Resurrection telling
the people: "We ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead."
These are not mere details. They are aimed to prove that Jesus had a bodily
Resurrection. For, after he rose from the dead, the Lord still can eat and
touch and be with those who were with him before.
From the fact that the Resurrection of the Lord was a
justifying Resurrection, we are now urged to live as people redeemed and
brought out from sin. St. Paul insists: “If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above...” It is a call to quit all worldliness and earthly things
linking us back to sin. We are called to clear out the old yeast, so that we
may become a fresh batch of dough. The yeast of sin in all its forms is to be
thrown away. We must now live as children of light, the main effect of the
Resurrection on us. This is a call for a qualitative inner and outer
transformation.
Nevertheless, about the Lord's Resurrection, can we speak of
scientific evidence? The answer is no. Mary of Magdala, the first witness of
the Resurrection tells us that her only evidence is the empty tomb. An absence
or emptiness that proves that the Lord is no longer there. Scientifically, the
nothingness or the not there cannot prove the restoration unto life. It could
be the fact of a stolen body or a misplacement. But it comes only to a matter
of faith to see the emptiness as the fulfillment of all the prophecies. That is
the reason why the Resurrection, before any argument, remains a mystery of
faith. So, to those who do not believe, life ends in the tomb. There is no
future. This can justify why the empiricist and hedonistic life of some people
today. Live the present at its fullest seeking all kinds of pleasure. Live
today as the only opportunity. No tomorrow, so eat, dance, rejoice, and be
merry today and now. But as Christians, that should not be our ways or our
lives. For, there is heaven. There is a resurrection. There is a tomorrow. And
Christ is our hope of glory and life. Hallelujah, the Lord has risen from the
dead. Hallelujah!
Let’s sing: “I have risen, and I am with you still, alleluia. You have laid your hand upon me, alleluia. Too wonderful for me, this knowledge, alleluia, alleluia.” Cf. Ps 138: 18, 5-6
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