What the Resurrection Means

"Belief in the resurrection of the dead has been an essential element of the Christian faith from its beginnings. 'The confidence of Christians is the resurrection of the dead; believing this we live'" (Catechism, No. 991).

Believe the Unbelievable

by Cathy Donovan

How easy is it for us to believe? The Easter story challenges us to believe the unbelievable and battle logic. Our story of faith asks us to believe that a child, born of woman like any other child, was at once human and divine. That child grew to adulthood and inspired others to follow him. He changed the life of many through his teachings and through his miracles. He died for us so that we would have the promise of life — always — with God. And his resurrection from the dead was the greatest miracle of all.

One of my favorite movies is "Hook," an updated telling of the Peter Pan story. Peter, played by Robin Williams, has "grown up" and forgotten how to fly. The notorious Captain Hook has taken his children, and Peter needs all of his "Pan" skills to go to Neverland and get his children back. His friends, the Lost Boys and Tinker Bell, try desperately to get Peter into shape, which takes a large dose of imagination and an even larger dose of faith.

At one point in the movie, Peter is dueling with Hook and struggling. It is at that point that the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell and Peter's own children lend their support by saying, "I believe in you." Peter is empowered by their faith in him and beats Captain Hook, saving his children and Neverland.

As we grow older, our faith can sometimes begin to wane. As we go through life and experience the pain of loss, the pain of being let down by other people, the pain of day-to-day injustice, it becomes more challenging to believe that light really does conquer the darkness, that goodness will prevail, that salvation through Jesus Christ is the great gift that awaits us all.

What would happen if we reconnected with the uncluttered faith of our younger years? How might our lives of faith be changed? What has gotten in the way of fully believing in the story of Easter? What clutters our view of the cross? How could your faith be inspiration for others?

During this Easter season, take a mini-retreat of a few minutes each Saturday or Sunday (or a day when you don't have to rush off to school or work) — maybe first thing in the morning or at bedtime. Light a candle and enter the silence. Breathe. Ask yourself, "What wonderful things happen when I believe?"

This Is My Body

At Easter, we celebrate Christ's resurrection and the gift of eternal life. The Gospel of John tells us that Mary Magdalene was the first to encounter the Risen Christ:

"She turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?' She thought it was the gardener and said to him, 'Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbouni,' which means Teacher" (20:14-16).

The Gospels clearly say that Jesus rose in a human, bodily form. (And that's important.) The Resurrection wouldn't have been the Resurrection if Jesus had, say, appeared like Obi-Wan Kenobi at the end of "Return of the Jedi." Jesus isn't some disembodied spirit who flickers and glows with a knowing smile and nothing in the way of practical advice. Instead, he walks again among us. In person. In the flesh. There are lessons for us in that choice.

Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself." ~ Luke 24:39

WE'RE THE WHOLE PACKAGE First of all, it tells us that the human body is sacred. Put more simply, it tells us that the human body is good. That, in turn, tells us that there must be something awfully special about us. After all, if a human body was good enough for the risen Lord to reoccupy instead of coming back as some bigger-than-life figure in the clouds, then our bodies — and everything that comes with them — should certainly be good enough for us.

GOD THINKS YOU'RE A "10" More than that, it should teach us that we should love what we've been given. Funny thing about bodies — we only get one. It's important to take care of it. Eat right. Exercise. All that. Yes. But it really boils down to loving ourselves for what we are: tall or short, big or small, straight or curly hair. Our bodies are, indeed, temples, regardless of their current condition.

DRESS IT UP AND TAKE IT OUT The other lesson Jesus' resurrection teaches us is that there is great value and importance to presenting ourselves to one another physically. We live in an increasingly detached world. Think of the impact if Mary Magdelene had known of Jesus' resurrection only because his Facebook status had changed. Doesn't have quite the same oomph. Jesus returned to his friends and his followers. He didn't just send word. He didn't appear in a dream. He presented himself bodily … and in doing so encourages us to do the same. Throughout this Easter season, let's remember to pay respect to our own temples; let's love one another without forgetting the "love ourselves" part; and let's be there for one another … body and soul.