There is a great silence on the earth today. The earth
trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has
raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. Greatly desiring to
visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to
free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of
Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the Cross, the weapon that had won him
the victory. . . . I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. I
order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in
hell. Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly
paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in
heaven.
592. A third implication of Christ’s
descent to the dead is the fundamental Christian truth that all who are
saved are redeemed by Christ’s Passion and Death, whose effects are not
limited by time or space (cf. CCC 634-35). This universal scope of
Christ’s redemptive work grounds the possibility of salvation even for
those who have never heard of the “Good News” nor known Jesus Christ (cf. LG
16; NA 2).
593. Finally, we know that Jesus Christ,
the Son of God-made-man, is “the first-born of the dead” (Col 1:18). For St.
Paul explains how Christ, raised from the dead, is “the first fruits of those
who have fallen asleep. Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will come
to life again, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits and
then, at his coming, all those who belong to him” (1 Cor 15:20, 23).
INTEGRATION
594. The Creedal doctrine on the
Sufferings and Death of Christ proclaims central truths of our Christian Faith:
God as redeeming Love, and Christ our Savior, responding to our sinful human
condition. Christ, the Word-made-flesh, whose glory is that of the Father’s
only Son (Jn 1:14), never reveals the Father more intensely than when
dying on the Cross, loving to the end, crying out “Father, into your hands I
commend my spirit” (Lk 23:46). The glory of God shines through the
Crucified Christ as nowhere else! “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you
will realize that I AM. . . .The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me
alone.” “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to
myself” (Jn 8:28; 12:32).
595. Christ’s
redemptive Death is, of course, the ground for the center of Christian worship,
the Eucharist. The Easter Prefaces proclaim that Christ, our
Paschal sacrifice, is “the true Lamb who took away the sins of the world. By
dying he destroyed our death; by rising he restored our life.” The Easter
Proclamation (Exsultet) even dares to proclaim:
Father, how wonderful your
care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.
O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
Which gained for us so great a Redeemer!
596. By his Passion and Death Christ reached
down into the deepest roots of human
alienation — our separation from God, from ourselves, and from one
another. The love of the crucified Christ becomes the norm, the source, the means, and the final
goal of all Christian morality. Christ tells us: “If a man
wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self, take up his cross, and
follow in my steps” (Mk 8:34). For “This is my commandment: love one
another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12).
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
597. What is characteristic of the Christian “Good News” of
salvation?
Central
to the Gospel is Christ’s Cross of salvation. The Cross is the symbol of
Christ’s Paschal Mystery (dying to rise to new life) and Christian
discipleship:
“Whoever
wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross each day and
follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for my sake will find it” (Lk 9:23-24).
598. How
did St. Paul
summarize the Gospel?
St. Paul summed up the Gospel he preached and had received by stating:
“Christ
died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
. . . he was buried; . . . he rose on the third day in accordance with
the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:1-5).
“We
proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and an absurdity to
Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Gentiles alike, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:23-24).
599. How
do the sufferings of Christ save us?
Christ saved us not by the physical
sufferings taken separately, but by his perfect love for his Father and for us
which was expressed in his sufferings and death for us.
600. Why
did Christ suffer and die?
Jesus freely and consciously went to his
death to fulfill the mission he had from his Father. He saw himself fulfilling
the Old Testament prophecies by “giving his life in ransom for the many” (Mk
10:45).
“Our
Savior Christ Jesus. . . sacrificed himself for us, to redeem us from all
unrighteousness and to cleanse for himself a people of his own, eager to do
what is right” (Ti 2:14).
601. How
does the Creed describe Christ’s redemptive sacrifice?
The
Creed describes five acts of Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice: he suffered,
was crucified, died, was buried, and descended to the
dead.
602. How
did St. Paul
summarize Jesus’ saving work?
St. Paul described “the redemption wrought in Christ Jesus” in four steps:
• Jesus offered a sacrifice as both priest and
victim;
• to expiate for our sins (cf. 1 Cor 5:7;
Gal 1:4);
• creating a new Covenant with God in his
blood;
• for us and for our salvation (cf. 1 Cor
11:25; Rom 5:6).
603. How
does Christ’s saving love redeem us?
Christ
redeems us in two basic acts:
• He removes our subjective guilt by
bringing us God’s pardon and forgiveness, and
• He restores the objective moral
order broken by our sins through his loving act of reparation.
604. How
can Jesus’ Suffering and Death save us?
Because
of his corporate solidarity with us sinners, Jesus could take away “the
sin of the world” (Jn 1:29) as the “suffering Servant” foretold by the
prophet Isaiah.
605. What
is the meaning of the sentence “Christ died for our sins”?
It
means Christ died because of our sins, and to overcome our
sinfulness and its effects in the world. Thus he made possible our own
repentance and sacrifices, to share in his redemptive work.
606. What special qualities mark
Christ’s Redemption?
Christ’s
redemptive Death is different from all others in that its effect is: a) universal,
touching all; b) eschatological, reaching to eternal life; and c) empowering
us to share in his redemptive work.
607. What is the significance of
“universal” in describing Christ’s Redemption?
Christ
died “not for our sins alone, but for those of the whole world” (1 Jn
2:2). Thus,
• there is no salvation apart from Jesus
Christ,
• who won objective redemption for all
sinners,
• by his loving obedience to his Father’s will
and his love for all mankind;
• calling all to true subjective
repentance for sin and loving service of their neighbor.
608. Why does Scripture emphasize
redemption through the “blood of Christ”?
In
the Old Testament blood symbolizes life, cleansing from sin, and seal of the
Covenant with God.
In
the New Testament, Christ’s blood brings new life, taking away the sin of the
world, and establishing the New Covenant (cf. Mk 14:24).
609. Is it Jesus alone who saves
us?
No,
it is the Father who sends His only begotten Son to redeem us
from our sins, and to give meaning and purpose to our lives through the
fellowship inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Thus
our redemption, like our creation and sanctification, is a work of the Triune
God: Father, Son and Spirit.
610. What does Jesus’ redemption
demand of us?
We
are called to radical conversion of heart:
• trusting in God, our loving Father,
• who grounds our own innate dignity and worth,
• as well as that of all persons, and
• calls us to follow Christ His Son in
self-giving service and simplicity of life.
611. How does Jesus help us toward
this radical conversion?
Jesus
leads us to:
• basic trust in God as our heavenly Father,
• deeper, more authentic self-respect,
• acceptance of others as His beloved children,
and
• authentic hierarchy of values in everyday
life.
612. How
does this help of Jesus reach us today?
Jesus
“frees” us today by touching us
• through his inspired Word in Scripture;
• in his saving symbolic acts, the Sacraments;
• through the service and witness of his
disciples in the Christian community; and
• especially through his Holy Spirit,
indwelling in each of us.
613. What is the meaning of
“Christ descended to the dead?”
This
means that Christ really and fully entered into the human experience of death,
that his salvific ministry is universal, extending to all who had died before
him, and that he is truly the Savior of all, including even those who have
never heard of his “Good News.”
Chapter 12
Christ Is Risen
and Will Come Again
This is the Jesus
God has raised up, and we are his witnesses. Exalted at God's right hand, he
first received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, then poured this
Spirit out on us. This is what you now see and hear.
(Acts 2:32-33)
If Christ was not
raised, your faith is worthless. You are still in your sins. . . If our hopes
in Christ are limited to this life only, we are the most pitiable people.
(1 Cor 15:17,19)
OPENING
614. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is
the primordial Christian proclamation. The early Christian kerygma
stands or falls with the resurrection and exaltation of the crucified Jesus as
LORD (cf. CCC 638). Even today, when we read the Gospel accounts of
Christ raised from the dead, we experience the incredible joy and excitement of
that unique, world-shaking event. “The Lord has been raised! It is true! He has
appeared to Simon” (Lk 24:34).
This
chapter presents the Resurrection and Ascension, the climax of our Lord’s
Paschal Mystery, together with the creedal truth of Christ’s Second Coming at
the Parousia.
615. Christ’s Resurrection is far from being
merely the personal miraculous return from
the dead which one might expect of the crucified God-man. The actual
event of Christ rising from the dead was the real starting point and foundation
for the beginnings of the Christian Faith:
• for the Christian community, the
Church;
• for adequate understanding of
Christ, his Passion and Death;
• for how Christ fulfilled the Old
Testament prophecies;
• for the apostolic commission to
preach Christ to the whole world.
Simply put, without
Christ risen from the dead, there would be no Christian Faith.
CONTEXT
616. We have seen how many Filipino Catholics
focus almost uniquely on the crucified Jesus. This is understandable, given our
own situation of poverty and suffering. Nevertheless it can obscure the full,
adequate understanding of Christ, our Risen Savior. We have developed some
beautiful religious celebrations at Easter. There is the Salubong, which
dramatizes the meeting of the Risen Christ with the Blessed Virgin Mary, his
Mother. In it, we can see how Mary’s deep sorrow is turned to inexpressible
joy. Or the custom of depicting the sleeping Roman soldiers, awakened by the
chanting of the Easter “Glory” and the great noise of the ringing Church bells
announcing: “Jesus has Risen!” The soldiers run out of the Church in great fright
and consternation.
617. But these Easter celebrations lack the
sharp, personally-felt dimension so prominent in Good Friday celebrations, and
Christmas devotions. We Filipinos can instinctively “compassionate” with a
suffering Savior, and a young Mother with her new-born Babe. But the
once-and-for-all event of Christ rising from the dead and appearing to his
disciples is different. It is not something “familiar” to our ordinary
experience. So a special effort is needed by us Filipino Catholics of today if
we are to become more aware of the full truth and reality of Christ’s
Resurrection. For this is the unique key to deeper personal understanding of
the living Christ, and of our authentic living out the Catholic Faith.
618. Another aspect of our present Philippine
context is the strident teaching and preaching of various Fundamentalist
groups. They seem particularly fascinated by the Second Coming of Christ, and
create imaginative scenarios concocted from various biblical texts about
Armageddon and the end of the world. An accurate Catholic understanding of the
Creed’s “He will come again to judge the living and the dead” will greatly help
to dissipate the nervous anxiety and unrest such teaching can cause.
EXPOSITION
619. The following pages shall first take
up the importance and nature of Christ’s Resurrection; second,
investigate its New Testament witness; third, study Christ’s Ascension;
and finally, look at Christ’s promised Second Coming.
I.
IMPORTANCE AND NATURE
OF
THE RESURRECTION
A. Salvific
Importance
620. St.
Paul clearly affirmed the singular importance of the
Resurrection in declaring: “If Christ was not raised, your faith is worthless”
(1 Cor 15:17). This means that if Christ is not risen, Paul and all
Christians would “then be exposed as false witnesses of God, for we have borne
witness before Him that He raised up Christ” (1 Cor 15:15). In brief, if
Christ be not risen, we are all idolaters!
But the
truth is: Christ IS risen, and his resurrection has revolutionized both
the very notion and image of God, and the ultimate meaning and goal of our very
own lives.
621. We can sketch the meaning and salvific
importance of Christ’s Resurrection in five points (cf. CCC 651-55).
First, his Resurrection confirmed everything Christ had done and
taught. It fulfilled both Jesus’ triple prediction of his Passion,
Death and Resurrection in the Synoptics (cf. Mk 8:31; 9:30; 10:32), and
his triple prediction of being “lifted up” in John’s Gospel (cf. Jn
3:14; 8:28; 12:32). Christ’s exaltation vindicated all he claimed to be, as
he himself asserted in his trial before the high priest (cf. Mk 14:61f).
622. Second, through his Resurrection,
Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies promising a Savior for all the
world (cf. Ps 110; Dn 7:13). The history of God’s
Self-revelation, begun with Abraham and continuing through Moses, the Exodus,
and the whole Old Testament, reached its climax in Christ’s Resurrection,
something unprecedented, totally new.
623. Third, the
Resurrection confirmed Jesus’ divinity. St. Paul preached that Jesus was “designated
Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection
from the dead” (Rom 1:4; cf. Phil 2:7-8). Upon seeing the Risen Jesus,
Thomas cried out, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28).
624. Fourth, Christ’s
death freed us from sin, and his Resurrection brought us a share in the
new life of adopted sons/daughters of the Father in the Holy Spirit.
“If then we have died with Christ [freed from sin], we believe that we shall
also live with him” (Rom 6:8).
625. Finally,
the Risen Christ is the principle and source of our future resurrection. This means Jesus rose not only to a “glorious” higher state of life
himself, but also to become the source of this new life for all. “He will
change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that
enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself” (Phil
3:21). “In Christ all will come to life again” (1 Cor 15:22; cf. CCC
651-55).
626. This importance of the Resurrection is
often missed. Two practical problems
indicate this. Many Filipino Catholics today seem to feel uneasy if asked to
explain the meaning and implications of Christ’s Resurrection. This may
indicate that, many merely accept the fact that Christ has risen from
the dead. But they have no idea of what this means nor do they know how to
“live out” its implication in their lives. No one has helped them see
how Jesus’ Resurrection can be the basic principle and animating force
for a truly Christian way of life. We are saved only if we not only
“confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord” but also “believe in our
hearts that God raised him from the dead” (Rom 10:9).
627. The importance of the Resurrection also
calls for the clarification of some common misleading conceptions. Some
Christians treat the Resurrection simply as a factual “proof” of the Gospel
message, with no particular meaning in itself. But in the New Testament, Jesus’
Resurrection is not only a proof of the Gospel message
__ it IS also the message!
Neither
can the Resurrection be reduced to “making-up” for the crucifixion, as if
Easter were like some recompence for Good Friday! On the contrary, Christ’s
Resurrection is the central event of God’s whole plan of salvation.
This is how God wills to save all persons for all time. In the Risen Christ “a
new age has dawned, the long reign of sin is ended, a broken world has been
renewed, and we are once again made whole” (Easter Pref. IV).
B. Nature
of the Resurrection
628. The Resurrection was basically
Jesus’ passage from death to new, definitive glorified
life. Thus it can be described from three points of view:
1)
as passage: an event in
human history;
2) as the glorified life of the Risen
Christ; and
3)
as effected by the Blessed
Trinity.
629. First,
as an event, Christ’s Resurrection is both historical
and trans-historical. It is historical in terms of the testimony
of witnesses to the Risen Christ, the empty tomb, etc. But it surpasses and
transcends history in that no one claimed to see the event, no one described
how it took place, no one can explain what “risen, glorified existence” is
essentially. Therefore, the passage to such a new state of life is necessarily
a reality discerned through the eyes of Faith, not by the senses (cf. CCC
639, 647).
630. Second,
the glorified state of the Risen Christ is both like and unlike
the historical, earthly Jesus. He has personal continuity with
his prior earthly bodily existence. The Risen Christ re-established direct
relations with his disciples, even with the marks of his Passion. For it was
the Crucified one whom “God freed from death’s bitter pangs and raised up
again” (Acts 2:24).
Yet,
the Risen Christ also showed a clear discontinuity with his earthly
state. In his risen state he transcends the bodily limits of time and space,
and inaugurates the new and final creation, the final destiny of all. The Risen
Christ is the “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . in Christ all will come to
life again” (1 Cor 15:20, 22; cf. CCC 645).
631. Therefore,
Christ’s Resurrection did not mean a return to earthly life. The Risen Christ
is not like Lazarus, the son of the widow of Naim
or the daughter of Jairus (cf. Jn 11:43f; Lk 7:15; Mk 5:41f). They were
revived from death to resume their earthly existence, only to die again (cf.
Jn 11:43-44; CCC 646). Christ arose to an entirely new “glorified”
existence. We recognize this in the fact that “Christ, raised from the dead,
dies no more; death no longer has power over him” (Rom 6:9). Thus we
pray: “Christ is the victim who dies no more; the Lamb, once slain, who lives
for ever” (Easter Pref. III).
No comments:
Post a Comment