Sunday, April 8, 2012

The Whole Point. . .

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. . . If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are, of all men, most to be pitied. . .

"For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the Resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. . . Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to him. . .

"Lo, I tell you a mystery.  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. . . For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. . . As it is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.  Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting? . . . Thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

     - from the First Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 15

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The Resurrection is the central, defining event of Christianity, its sine qua non. . .  No Resurrection, no Christianity; it is that simple.  But given the Resurrection, we have all of it. . .

Now, we "groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23); but "then we shall see Him face to face" (I John 3:2). . .

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I wish to all my readers and blog-friends, a happy and richly blessed Feast of the Resurrection!

12 comments:

  1. Blessed Resurrection Day! (How appropriate that I return to the blog world on this day.)

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  2. Hope your Easter was filled with joy, Craig.

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  3. Happy Easter Craig.

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  4. Skip - Thanks; hope your Easter was suitably blessed.

    Phyllis - Your middle name wouldn't happen to be Renee, would it?

    Thank you! Same to you!

    Bijoux - It really was; thanks.

    Hope yours was likewise.

    Schweeney - Thank you! Hope yours was well and truly blessed, as well. . .

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  5. He is risen indeed and as you say, that is the point isn't it?

    We had a great Easter celebration, I hope the same was true for you my friend.

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  6. Dang it! I meant to sign that comment. Yes, Phyllis Renée. :)

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  7. Xavier - We had a great celebration. The Vigil Mass on Saturday night (after sunset) is the liturgical high point of the year (and I got to sing the Exsultet again). A young friend of ours was baptized and confirmed, and received her First Holy Communion at the Vigil, and we hosted a party in her honor afterward. Then Sunday, we had the family Easter gathering for Jen's family, and five of her eight sibs were there (which is probably the most of them that we've gotten together in one place in ten years), including one brother who ended his ten-year estrangement.

    So, yeah - high on the blessedness scale. . .

    Phyllis - I thought it was you. . .

    ;)

    Good to see you back in The Yard. . .

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  8. Thank you, Craig! And the same to you and yours!

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  9. Sounds like your day was complete with many blessings!

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