My Brothers and Sisters In Christ,
Jesus Christ is Truly Risen!
The resurrection is the center of our Catholic faith, the Church was founded to give witness to this reality: We know that Christ has risen indeed!
And yet the question remains, "What does it mean for my life today?" The answer, in its most simple terms is that, just as the life of Christ was not thrown away and discarded, nor shall our lives be; rather, those who seek to stay close to Christ, who have died with him in baptism, shall also one day be raised with him in glory.
Christ's resurrection means that He has conquered death, and gives that victory to those who believe! It means that death no longer has any power over Him, or over us. "As Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:4). All of us can proclaim with St. Paul "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?"
In this new understanding of death we also find the answer to the question of life. Life itself takes on a new meaning in Christ's resurrection. All of our life must be directed toward sharing it with Christ, so that having lived in him, we may die in him.
But this reality is not easily lived. That is why the Church takes fifty days to celebrate the Easter Season. To reflect deeply on the prophecies from the Old Testament, the Epistles, and the Gospels which speak of his resurrection, and of this new event which changed life and death forever. Wouldn’t this be a wonderful time to retake up our faith and put it into practice again and to allow the resurrected Christ to touch our hearts through the celebration of Holy Mass, even daily Mass!
Once again this Easter we proclaim with simplicity the message which has changed life and death, "He is risen!" He has risen and blessed are they who can say, like St. Paul, "He has appeared to me too." (1 Cor 15:8)
In the Joy of Christ’s Resurrection,
Fr. Derek Lappe
