Christ Resurrection is a Promise of Our Own Resurrection
The resurrection of Christ is understood as the promise of the future resurrection of believers at the end of time. His resurrection is the "first fruits," or the beginning, of a general resurrection that will reunify the soul and body, transforming the mortal body into an incorruptible and glorified one.
Christ, who having assumed human nature was true God and true man, was the first to rise into heavenly glory. For this reason, St. Paul refers to him as “first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits; then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to his God and Father, when he has destroyed every sovereignty and every authority and power.” (1Cor 15: 20 -24)
The Resurrection is at the heart of Christ’s act of redemption. For fallen humanity, death was a consequence of sin, and no power to redeem himself; he was under the corruptive influence of Satan. By taking on or human nature and experiencing the sufferings and temptations of human condition, Christ took the sins of the world upon himself. His death was not a consequence of his own sins, as he was sinless, but rather a gratuitous act of self-sacrifice in order to atone for the sins of all humanity throughout all time.
By rising from the dead, Christ made it possible for all humanity to enter into glory in heaven. The grace of the redemption is thus made available to every human person who ever lived or will live. Christ’s redemptive act, the Paschal Mystery, includes the Ascension of Christ, which enables the sending of the Holy Spirit, required for man’s justification.
CCC 1995: “The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the "inner man," justification entails the sanctification of his whole being: Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification. ... But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.”
This justification involves the sanctification of our whole being and enables us to become adopted sons and daughters of God, and thereby brothers and sisters of Christ.
CCC 654: “Justification consists in both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation in grace. It brings about filial adoption so that men become Christ's brethren, as Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: "Go and tell my brethren." We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son, which was fully revealed in his Resurrection.”
The resurrection of Christ is a promise of our own resurrection. This single truth shapes everything about our lives. We live in the expectation of being raised to new and glorious life. Faith in the resurrection gives perspective to the way we live. We know that our death will be followed by a moment of judgement. We will stand before God. We must render an account of our lives with our final destiny in the balance – heaven or hell. This impels us to strive for goodness and holiness.
Confidence in life after death also enables us to bear with the burdens and sufferings that we may encounter in life. Christians are not fatalistic but fervently believe that good can come from the trials of life, provided we accept them trusting in God and allow them to draw us into the mystery of redemption.
—Dn. Gerry Flamm
“Dear children! I want to tell you that this is a time especially for you from the parish. When it is summer, you say that you have a lot of work. Now there is no work in the fields: work on yourself personally! Come to Mass, because this is a time of gifts for you. Dear children, there are many who come regularly despite the bad weather, because they love me and want to show their love in a special way. I ask you to show me your love by coming to Mass, and the Lord will reward you abundantly. Thank you for having responded to my call!”
