Jesus led His Apostles to believe in His Resurrection by His being present among His followers for forty days in His resurrected and glorified body, by eating with them, by speaking to them, and by allowing Himself to be touched and felt. Clearly He, Whom they saw, touched, and heard, was neither a disembodied spirit nor an illusion.
The Holy Spirit, by the means of the inner gift of faith, confirmed the Apostles in their outward acceptance of Jesus’ Resurrection, as evidenced by St. Thomas and all the Apostles during the early days and years of the Church.
To believe in the bodily Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is to believe that God, Who became man, has conquered sin and death. We must also believe that this victory is made available to us through His Church.
When Christ passed from death to life, He made possible our passing from the death of sin to life in Him. Being the firstborn of the dead, Jesus Christ offers eternal life to all. In Him we are made spiritually renewed persons. We receive the new life of grace in Baptism, where we become God’s children. St. Peter says, “Blessed …
The risen Jesus helps us by: (1) giving us the supernatural life of grace and (2) pouring out His Holy Spirit upon us. 1. The risen Jesus helps us by giving us the supernatural life of grace. By dying and rising, our Lord Jesus saved us from death and restored us to life. He continues to give us the supernatural …
The Ascension of Christ means that Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their [the disciples’] sight” (Acts 1:9). His glorified body and soul, which had risen from the dead, now ascended into Heaven.
The two distinctive aspects of the mystery of the Ascension are: (1) the fullness of the glorification of Jesus’ victorious humanity in Heaven and (2) the completion of His visible ministry on earth.
Through His Ascension, Christ has claimed for us a participation in His divine life. He has ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for us. However, He has not abandoned us here on earth.
Christ is present with the Church through God the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit that Christ is present to us in the sacraments, especially in the Holy Eucharist. He is also present in the souls of all who love Him and who are striving to do His will.
Yes, Jesus stated that it was necessary for Him to suffer in order to bring us eternal life. Thus, He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). After His Resurrection, Jesus said, “Was it not necessary …