HE IS TRULY RISEN
St Paul is right—unless Jesus has risen from the dead, the Gospel is empty of power. If He remains in the tomb, death triumphs and sin is victorious. This is why the Cross is so central to the proclamation of the Gospel. Without the death of Jesus (which demonstrates the ultimate power of sin to cause death), God does not have the opportunity to win over death. God raised Jesus from the dead, which tells us that sin has been conquered and that death has been neutralized. We no longer need to fear death because we know that death is not the end. God has the final say, and death has been overcome with new life through the resurrection.
We do not simply proclaim the Cross; we also proclaim the resurrection. By dying, Jesus destroyed the powers of sin and death. By rising, He has given us new life. This is the dynamic of the Gospel under which our lives as Christians have been placed. We should never be afraid to place the Cross “front and center” of our proclamation of the Gospel, and so allow the power of the truth to reach out from it and touch the lives of those who need to know the mercy and forgiveness of God.
We should also pray daily that the power of the resurrection be made manifest in our lives. The world will know we are Christians by the love we have for one another and by our willingness to lay down our lives in service of other people. The power of the resurrection can be seen through our commitment to pursue holiness in our lives and do good works. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL
---------- REFLECTION QUESTIONS ----------
Do you live under the power of the Cross of Jesus in your life? Have you allowed the grace and power of the resurrection to transform the way you live?
Holy Spirit, never let me downplay the role of Jesus’ Cross and God’s grace in my life. Help me to truly surrender to His grace every opportunity I get. Amen.
Today, I pray for: ________________________
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