Every year we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, the central mystery of our faith. The fact of Christ's victory over death is explicitly manifest in this event of His glorious resurrection. St. Paul emphasizes the centrality of this mystery of faith when he says "If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... [and] we are of all men most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead" (1 Cor 15:14ff). In light of its great importance, how deeply do we reflect on this central mystery of the faith--this cornerstone of the Christian life?
The reality of this magnificent mystery came home to me more clearly than ever this past Easter Vigil. I was able to witness my son-in-law, Mark, come into the Catholic Church and receive the sacraments of Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. I flew to Oklahoma for the celebration and was most pleased to be able to spend time with my daughter and her family. The Easter Vigil ceremony was very well done, and Mark was among a group of 19 who were either baptized or came into full communion with the Church. The highlight of the evening for me, other than witnessing the joy of my son-in-law and his family, came during the homily given by Fr. Larkin. The manner in which he preached on the Resurrection of Christ was superb; it had a significant effect on me. I have reflected on Christ's Resurrection many times in the past, however this was one of those times when God touched my heart in a very special way. The event came alive to me like never before.
God often gives these experiences, or gifts, to us when we least expect it. I am reminded of a story told by Frank Sheed, a noted apologist, who described his experience of coming to see the beauty of the truth of the Trinity in a similar way. In his popular book "Theology for Beginners," he relays the following: "I suppose that most people who have made an effort to hear what God is telling us about his innermost self have had the same experience as I. The first time I heard a really competent lecture upon the Trinity, I followed it well enough, admired it, but made nothing very much of it. A year later I heard a second lecture, and this time I thought I grasped all that the lecturer was saying; I was lost in admiration at the intellectual perfection of the doctrine's structure, and from that time on I could have told anyone else the doctrine as it had been told to me. But in no sense was it alive in my mind; it was simply an intellectual possession, something I could visit when I felt like it and enjoy visiting, then put away again into the back of the mind. It was a year or two later that another series of lectures came my way, and the doctrine was at last alive. For most people something like that happens--first an intellectual response, then a vital response, till the doctrine possesses the mind, and the mind would be desolate without it."
How often does an aspect of our faith reside in our intellect, yet not empower us in our lives? This is something I struggle with from time to time. However, being able to witness my son-in-law, Mark, embrace the truth and beauty of Christ as expressed in our Catholic faith, was a most memorable moment for me. We all need other believers to witness to us and to be examples of this life-giving treasure which we have been privileged to share.
He is truly risen and this reality is meant to live in our hearts and motivate our lives.
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