The Resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone of our Christian faith. St Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians, (15:14), that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, our faith will be empty and useless. But the Resurrection of Christ is not merely something "out there," not merely an historical fact at which we gaze admiringly. It is a present reality in which, through Baptism, we are intimately involved. "If we have been united with him through likeness to his death, so shall we be through a like resurrection" (Romans 6:5).
Our sharing in the crucifixion-Resurrection of Jesus brings about a mysterious change in our very being. Paul expresses it in a startling way: "I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me" (Galatians 2:20). The English poet Andrew Young, in his poem "Nicodemus," arrives at the same conclusion:
Why do I kneel before your empty tomb? You are not here, for you are everywhere;
The grass, the trees, the air, the wind, the sky, Nothing can now refuse to be your home;
Nor I. Lord, live in me and I shall live.
This intimate union between Christ and the Christian calls for a new way of life. We must change our behavior. Saint Paul writes that we should put to death whatever in our nature is rooted in earth (see Colossians 3:5), precisely BECAUSE we share the new life of Christ. Corruption and wickedness must yield to sincerity and truth. He invites us to put teeth into today's annual renewal of baptismal promises. Putting teeth into our baptismal promises will challenge each of us in different ways. The goal is "Easter living" all year long.
Wishing each one of you, your families and friends all the joys of the Risen Christ. Happy Easter!
