Easter

Dear Friends in the Risen Christ,

Can you imagine Easter without the risen Christ? What if Christ had remained dead in the grave? St. Paul responded to this theory by declaring, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain. You are still in your sins” (I Cor. 15, 17).

If Christ had not risen from the dead, there would be no Easter, only “good?” Friday. But not a good day for Jesus and his followers because he, an innocent man, had been brutally killed by an angry mob. He would have passed into the history books as a tragic figure. A world without Easter would be a world without justice where only the clever and powerful survive and the poor and weak are crushed. There would be no hope for humankind beyond this world. The stage would be set for the victory of evil.

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (I Cor. 15, 20). St. Paul and the other Apostles were witnesses who actually saw the risen Christ. They attested to the fact that He appeared to them and showed the marks of the nails. The signs of His passion and death became the tokens of His victory over death. He indeed has risen and our faith is vindicated. From His resurrection follow some wonderful effects.

First, heaven, which had remained closed to humankind, was now open again. Christ broke open the gates of hell and led out all those from the Old Testament who had waited patiently for His coming.

Secondly, Christ’s resurrection makes it possible for all to share in His resurrection. He is the firstborn from the dead, but not the last. We hope to share in His resurrection at the end of the world when “the dead will be raised incorruptible” (I Cor. 15, 52). This is the hope we have for all of our loved ones who have died and for ourselves. For the attainment of this hope we must strive to live in obedience to God’s commandments.

A third effect of the resurrection of Christ is our justification. Christ died for all, “the just for the sake of the unjust” (I Peter 3, 18). By our Baptism into Christ’s death we are joined to Him and our sins are forgiven. We have the possibility of reaching heaven, our true home. The other sacraments also have their power from Christ’s death and resurrection.

In different ways they contribute to our justification so that we can enjoy the friendship of God even here on earth. Besides these and other personal benefits, the resurrection of Christ is
a strong motive for evangelization. The message of the risen Christ is not for us alone; it must be shared with others so that they may know the hope to which we are called, eternal life. This exciting message should be on our lips and in our hearts as we celebrate the joy of Easter. May the graces of this greatest of feasts lead us to proclaim to our brothers and sisters that Christ is alive. He lives for ever. Alleluia!

Fr. Hildebrand