The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centrepiece of the Christian faith. Spiritual guide Gordon Vassallo reminds us what we are actually celebrating beyond the Easter eggs and other treats.

After experiencing an unfair trial, a night of merciless beatings, a struggle to carry the burden of the cross on Calvary’s hill, a torture of nails, thorns and a piercing in the side, Jesus bows his head and dies. It is done. He has finished the works of his Eternal Father.

If Christ had not been raised, then our faith would have been without substance

But on the third day, death could not sting him and the grace could not hold him. Jesus got up in victory... because the spirit of life, for those who believe, cannot be wrapped securely in grave clothes and entombed in solid rock.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centrepiece of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul even goes as far as to say that “if Jesus has not been resurrected then the Christian faith is worthless and futile” (1 Corinthians 15:14-17). This is the faith of the Christian, proclaims Paul, “that if we have been united with Christ in his death, (by renouncing our selfishness and sin) we will certainly be also united with him in his resurrection” (Romans 6:5). For “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4).

Easter resonates our own forthcoming victory over death, over earthly trials and suffering, as we journey the pilgrimage of this temporal world. If Christ had not been raised, then our faith would have been without substance. Similarly, if Christ has not risen in us, in the very core of our mind, heart and soul, then our faith is still unyielding to the promptings of Divine Love.

But if we accept Christ as our Lord and Saviour, as “the Way, the Truth and the Life”, then we find resolute hope in his promise that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

But for those who do not believe in “the Way, the Truth and the Life”, in the resurrected Christ, then no explanation would be sufficient. It is a matter of faith, empowered in us through our baptism; a faith sustained by Christ’s own words in the Gospels.

Like the Apostle Thomas doubtfully uttered to the rest of the apostles: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). The risen Christ, on his appearance to Thomas, replied: “Because you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:26-29).

The truth of the resurrected life is found not so much in a historic time and place, but in the present reality of breaking open our own prison doors that hold us captives to sin, captives to inordinate desires and over-attachment to temporal things, captives to lust, pride and debasement of our dignity, captives to the culture of death, which enslaves the flesh and blocks our Divine calling. Christ’s victory over death echoes our own victory when we break the chains of oppression through the life-giving transformative power of God; when we carry our cross daily, painfully yet with a serene joy that transcends human understanding.

Together with the Apostle Paul we can proclaim: “Now that I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Easter gives our life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what our circumstances are. The resurrection of Christ is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless.

Testimonials

What is the significance of Easter in your personal life in a highly enticing secular world?

From left: Pauline Bartolo, Robert Gatt and Maria Theresa Portelli.

Pauline Bartolo
When I think of Easter, I think of rebirth, resurrection and hope. We live in the beautiful world that God gave us – and He provided enough so that all beings on Earth can unite and live in peace. However, around us we see war, poverty, exploitation, greed. With my actions, my small being, I hope to contribute my little part so that our world can be reborn to a fairer and just place!

Robert Gatt
Christ’s victory over death is a victory for all humanity. Without it, our Christian Catholic faith wouldn’t have made any sense. The message that such victory conveys has to be embraced by one and all, irrespective of our religious beliefs. Indeed, Christ’s relevance in today’s world is marked by the permanence of such victory, as opposed to the finite nature of all other earthly objects and events.

Maria Theresa Portelli
This time of the year reminds me of when I was young at school, when we were gathered to listen to the Lenten sermons delivered by a priest trying to cheer up the children with his words. Nowadays, being busy, with all the phone calls to make and e-mails to reply to, I am reminded of the dire need for stillness. The 40-day journey leading to Easter gives me the opportunity to try and find time to enter my private room and find at least five to 10 minutes where I can encounter not only God but also my true self. Sometimes, this is difficult because I can hardly wait to get busy again. But, I write it in black and white in my daily calendar so that nobody else can take away this period of time. Easter for me is also a celebration of life, both of mine and of others, as a gift from above which we have to live fully.