Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.
For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:3-11)
If we are dead to sin – when we refuse to no longer sin – we are living for God in Christ Jesus. That’s the epistle’s main message. Being dead to sin means our old self has been crucified. We are no longer a slave to sin. Therefore, when we look at Jesus on the cross, are we considering how we sin and contribute to his death by our refusing to unite and rise with him? We have a choice to make when we look at the cross, or when we kiss it on Good Friday.
Of course, we still sin regardless of how fervent we promise to sin no more. That’s why seeking forgiveness is so important. When we seek forgiveness, we seek to roll away the stones from our tombs, come out, and be transformed. Those who forgive us roll away our stones and can be overjoyed at our “resurrections.”
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men.
Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:1-10)
“He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.” This is a remarkable statement told to the women by an angel who rolled away the stone. Just as remarkable, the women met Jesus on their way to the disciples.
Bishop Robert Barron is quite vocal and emphatic on this passage. He said in the World On Fire Bible: “The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the be-all and end-all of the Christian faith. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, all bishops, priests, and Christian ministers should go home and get honest jobs, and all the Christian faithful should leave their churches immediately.
As Paul himself put it: ‘If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain’ (1 Cor. 15:14). It’s no good, of course, trying to explain the Resurrection away or rationalize it as a myth, a symbol, or an inner subjective experience. None of that does justice to the novelty and sheer strangeness of the biblical message.
It comes down finally to this: if Jesus was not raised from the dead. Christianity is a fraud and a joke. But if he did rise from the dead, then Christianity is the fullness of God’s revelation, and Jesus must be the absolute center of our lives. There is no third option.”
Yes, this message is novel and strange. Unfortunately, Bishop Barron appears to leave no room for doubt. He appears to insist on an all-or-none acceptance of Matthew’s description of what happened. If so, then millions of unsure or doubting Catholics should leave their churches, and immediately. Of course not!
Did Jesus rise from the dead? That’s truly remarkable and something we want or need to believe. Is there room for doubt? Certainly, and most Catholics I suspect at times do wonder. Nevertheless, we come back to the man Jesus and our God and pray it all happened as told to us by Gospel writers and Paul who tended to emphasize Christ rather than Jesus the man. A good example is provided by 1 Corinthians 15.
As former pastor and author Brian McLaren said in his 2021 book “Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What To Do About It:” “There’s a way for people to be spiritually curious and intellectually honest.” He proposed “a model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith.”
McLaren said: “Let’s grant one another permission to doubt. And let’s see the doubt in ourselves and each other not as a fault or failure to be ashamed of, but as an inescapable dimension of having faith and being human, and more: as an opportunity for honesty, courage, virtue, and growth, including growth in faith itself.”
Unfortunately, Father Barron seems to cast off those who doubt, although I suspect his other writings are more forgiving, sympathetic, and pastoral. I have great respect for his intellect and leadership as a bishop. I have many of his books, and I listen to his homilies.
Can we have a full and abiding faith in Jesus’ resurrection and his real appearances to his disciples after his death? Sure. Nevertheless, it can be a struggle since the stones across our tombs are large and heavy. But, we try to roll them away, and with the help of priests and deacons, family, and other worshipers we make progress. We see light.
Christianity is not a fraud and a joke! There is a third option involving prayer, an understanding of the history of Christianity, and being guided by what Jesus said back then and to us even know. He is our Christ who leads us out of darkness and gives us hope for eternal life.
Deacon David Pierce
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