Facebook IconInstagram IconSpotify

The Resurrection

By Sister Sandra Ann Weinke
Sandra Ann Weinke, SSND

The Resurrection of Jesus is one of the deepest mysteries of our faith, and yet, we want to understand what it is that we believe. To do this, it is important to ask three questions:

  • What happened to the disciples?
  • What happened to Jesus?
  • How does this affect us?

From scripture, we know that something happened to the disciples after the death of Jesus that caused them to proclaim ‘He was alive.’ Although, in the appearance stories that are recorded in the Gospels, Jesus is not always recognized immediately. His new existence was a glorified one. As a result, the writers of the Gospels had to use images and symbols to express this ‘new life.’

Something did happen to Jesus, too, although no one witnessed this as a historical event. There is the evidence of the cloths lying in the tomb, and the empty tomb, but the event itself is beyond what we can see or hear. We believe that God raised Jesus to a new life that was beyond this life, yet not totally separate from it. Jesus was exalted and glorified and the disciples experienced him as ‘alive.’

We look at ourselves and ask, “How does this relate to me?” If we profess to be Christian, we believe that Jesus is truly alive. He is alive in our lives, our hearts and even our bodies at the time of Holy Communion in the liturgy. We have a relationship of love and friendship with him that is somehow different from any other human relationship.

As for the event of resurrection itself, we are also in hope of rising to new life, just as Jesus was. He was the first to go before us, but we also live in the hope of being raised after death. Saint Paul tells us that if we do not believe that Christ has been raised, our faith would not mean anything. The truth of Resurrection is essential to our faith and gives us great hope and freedom.

The experience the disciples had of Jesus ‘alive’ after his death, and their experience of his presence and his companionship, is essentially the same as our experience of Jesus in our own lives. He said to his disciples that he would be with them always. Jesus also says to us, “I will be with you until the end of time.”

 

Read more reflections from sisters on religious holidays.

 

Want to learn more?

*
*
*

School Sisters of Notre Dame

320 East Ripa Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63125

Phone: 314-561-4100

info@ssndcp.org

 

© 2022 School Sisters of Notre Dame

Donate
Events
News