LESSON: The Resurrection Is What Makes Us Different

Among the vast array of humanity's greatest heroes, only about Jesus Christ can we say: "He rose again on the third day, in fulfilment of the scriptures."

In Christ and in his resurrection, a new hope dawns for all mankind. The hope that if we stay united to him through faith and grace, we will rise with him. Rise from our very tombs and live with him forever in the never-ending adventure of heaven. No one else offers such a hope, because no one else has risen from the dead to be able to offer it - only the Lord.

The Resurrection is the definitive watershed in the history of religions; it makes Christianity absolutely unique. In the Resurrection, reality becomes more wonderful than myth. Only the reality of the Resurrection can explain the reality of the history of the Church: A few weak, non-influential, and uneducated fishermen from Galilee, suddenly become world travellers. Phenomenally successful preachers, and valiant martyrs.

And the Church they spread continues to spread after they die. Holding fast to the exact same doctrine they preached, century after century, in nation after nation. Only the abiding presence of the Lord can explain this. Only the resurrection explains the abiding presence of the Lord. This is what makes us, as Christians, different.

St. Ignatius Loyola's famous little book, The Spiritual Exercises, contains several contemplations on the Resurrection. One of these deals with what St Ignatius thought would have been Jesus' very first appearance after rising from the dead - an appearance to his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

This appearance isn't mentioned in the Gospels, but St Ignatius considered it to be common sense. In fact, as a caption to this section of his book, he wrote, "Don't be stupid." And indeed, Mary's name doesn't appear on the list of women who went to the tomb on Easter morning. Why didn't she go with them, as she had done at the burial? Maybe because Jesus had already risen and appeared to her.

Mary's great virtue is faith. She believed that "what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled." She had heard Christ's prophecies: "The Son of Man will be killed and rise on the third day"; "Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days." Mary meditated on this in her heart, and we can imagine how eagerly she was looking forward to seeing the risen Lord. When Jesus finally appeared, we can imagine how lovingly she embraced him.

What might they have talked about? Maybe they spoke about Mary's new mission - now she was the spiritual mother of the whole Church. Maybe they spoke about the Scriptures that Jesus had fulfilled through his passion, death, and resurrection. Maybe tears of joy were enough all on their own.

And that joy was of a whole new kind - it was the joy of the resurrection, an everlasting joy that neither death nor suffering could tarnish ever again. And that's the joy that every Christian can look forward to, because of Easter; it's what makes us different.

Today we should relish this joy of Easter, thanking God for letting us share in this victory, for giving us this hope. But let's not stop there. Let's not just enjoy Easter, let's let it change our lives. Christ's resurrection is not just a nice idea; it is the power of eternal life at work in us. Why not do something to plug into that power?

Almost every one of us tried to live Lent in a special way. Most likely we gave something up for Lent. That was a practical way to give the special graces that God sends during Lent some room to work in our souls. So, if we gave something up as a way to help us live the penitential season of Lent, why not take something up as a way to help us live the joyful season of Easter?

St Paul encouraged us to "think of what is above, not of what is on earth." Why don't we make an Easter resolution that will help us to do that? It could be something simple: like inviting a friend or family member who has forgotten about Christ's victory to come to Mass on Sundays and then inviting them over for brunch or lunch.

Sometimes we feel have no idea to spread out the Good News of our Lord. So, let ask help from the Holy Spirit. If we ask the Holy Spirit, he won't be stingy. He just needs us to decide to let Easter make a difference in our lives, the way it should. Our souls need that as much as they needed the time of penance and contrition that we lived during Lent.

The Church is a wise mother in giving us six weeks of Lent and eight weeks of Easter. Today, as we receive the risen Lord in the Eucharist, let's promise him that we will find a way to benefit from that wisdom.