Easter Sunday 4.4.21 Sharing in Christ’s victory
The news that Christ is risen is good for us. How so? it is because He rose from the dead in His humanity.
He is the new Adam starting a new humanity in terms of how people think and act.
We share in the humanity of Adam in terms of physical descent.
We share in the humanity of Christ by a spiritual identification.
We can look to the words of today’s epistle: Brethren, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new paste, as you are unleavened: for Christ our Pasch is sacrificed. Therefore, let us feast, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
This, and many similar passages, call us to identify with Christ in the way that we live. If we live out His kindness, compassion, mercy, goodwill etc then we become fit to be His companions, and to share in the new humanity which He represents.
Sharing in His humanity we share in whatever happens to Him, including His Resurrection.
We do not know exactly our degree of identification with Christ but we can do certain things that will move us in the right direction.
Prayer, Penance, Sacraments, Good works – they all help. Putting it all together in a consistent pattern we can be confident of becoming more united with Him and so sharing His final glory.
[Acknowledging at all times that it is only by His grace acting on us in advance that we can achieve any level of holiness.]
So when we hear about the Resurrection of Our Lord it is not some remote piece of news but something that concerns us immediately.
He wants us to give Him a full human response, not just treat him as a meal ticket or source of favours. We really come to want unity with Him, and this amounts to loving Him.
This is the real objective of God in arranging the whole course of events, from Adam to Abraham, to Moses, to Christ.
How much each person wants to be involved is the next issue. Each person must make that decision. It is easy to ignore Him, or - even if we believe in Him - to stop too soon in our quest to understand Him.
He will help us to know what He wants. If we are humble enough to ask His help we will certainly make progress.
It is often lamented that Adam and Eve committed the first sin, from which came so much trouble.
They made a big mistake, rejecting a very good deal; but they were not the only ones. The human race has largely rejected the best offer that could be imagined - that God Himself would come into our midst, offering eternal life, and inviting a response.
And this is an extended offer. It still applies and can be claimed at any time.
Why do we not go the obvious course? Christ stands before us beckoning. It is a standing offer, but there is a time limit.
The new humanity offers more than eternal life. It can apply in this life as well. We are commanded to live holy lives, but we will find that no burden, once sufficiently drawn into friendship through Our Lord.
We imitate Him effortlessly as did Our Lady and all the saints. If we love Him enough, of course we want to please Him.
If we do not love Him enough He can help us to reach that state.
This is where it gets difficult. Those who reject Him largely do not seek Him, certainly not as a high priority. We who do understand how important He is must work harder to help others see what they are missing.
We must give good example at all times, and in the process be advancing our own union with Our Lord.
Christ is Risen indeed - it is good news, and massively relevant to all of us, and everyone else too.
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