Keeping Christ Alive in Us

Easter reminds us that as a result of Christ’s death on the Cross we are all called to die to ourselves – to our old selves – and start a life of renewed faith. Easter, the greatest of all Church feasts, sends out the message that Christ’s rising from the dead is a victory over evil and death. The French bishop and theologian Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet once wrote about his trust for salvation in Christianity: “If I were to look for a truly salvific religion, I would seek that which was founded by one who not only claimed divinity but also rose from the dead.” That religion is ours.

Liturgy

The liturgy of Easter is concerned entirely with the meaning of the mystery of the Resurrection, emphasizing the new morality expected of those united with the risen Christ. The overriding theme of the Easter season (the period between Easter Sunday and the Feast of the Pentecost) is the joy experienced in the realization that “Christ has opened the way to the life of glory.”

The first Sunday after Easter tells all Christians that their faith will make them victorious. The Gospel account records our Lord’s blessing on “those who have not seen but have believed” (John 20:29). The second Sunday of Easter presents Christ as the Divine Mercy, while the third Sunday teaches every Christian’s moral and civil obligations. The fourth Sunday after Easter features Christ as the Good Shepherd while the fifth focuses on the practical living of the Christian life.

The joy of early Christians

The joy associated with Easter is most evident in the early Christian martyrs when they realized that Jesus had brought them hope and life. “Something so tremendous has happened to these people that it permeated their lives and beings,” says Fr. Bel San Luis, SVD, in his book Word Alive. “They reported it as an incontrovertible fact!” And for their tenacity and faith, the early Christians suffered martyrdom – they preferred to be torn apart by lions, or crucified, or burned at the stake, rather than renounce their faith!

Today’s Christians, of course, may not suffer persecution and death the way the early Christian martyrs did (besides, not all of us are called to heroism and martyrdom, although in many parts of the world, Christians are still persecuted). But we can keep Christ alive in us and experience the joy of His Resurrection even in our daily and mundane tasks.

My experience of joy

In my life, for example, I’ve seen Christ alive in my own family, in-laws, neighbors, and even strangers who have rushed to our aid in hard times– it seemed they were always there when we needed them. My husband and my daughter are a constant source of comfort, security, and joy; my mother and siblings have always forgiven me for my idiosyncrasies, faults, and shortcomings; my in-laws have taught me the virtue of humility and were there to comfort us in our hour of grief when my father died twenty-one years ago.

I’ve also seen Christ alive in our neighbors and even strangers whenever we needed help. I particularly remember a neighbor who slid her water hose over the fence to enable us to have water for several days without asking for anything in return. I remember other countless acts of kindness and compassion: I thought for a moment – Christ is indeed alive in all of them!

Unexpected Resurrection moments

And so, Christ too is alive in government officials who live austere, simple lives of service rather than lavish ones (the ones who live extravagant lifestyles usually flaunt them). There are public officials who say “no” to bribes and transactions under the table; family members who bear with one another and control their temper rather than blurt out hurtful words; married couples who choose to forgive their philandering spouses (determined to change for the better); and children who choose to care for their aging parents rather than have them thrown into a convalescent facility or nursing home.

Christ is truly alive is us when we constantly and faithfully practice our belief in the Resurrection. “Purging out the old leaven” (of self) is the most important message of Christianity – and of Easter.