The best news of all time

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

HELLO! Happy Easter to all!

Once again, we are on this most resplendent and happy day when we commemorate and celebrate the final conquest of sin and death with the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It marks the fulfillment of God’s salvific plan and forms the very foundation of our Christian faith. Remember St. Paul saying: “If Christ has not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is also in vain.” (1 Cor 15,14) We come to believe what Christ teaches us because he conquered death through his resurrection. He must be God whose words we should believe.

This is the best news of all time. We are assured of victory in Christ as long as we show at least a little of faith in him and also a little of repentance for whatever mistake and sin we commit.

Let’s always remember that time when one of the thieves who was crucified with Christ expressed his desire to be with Christ in Paradise. He did not even explicitly say sorry for all the crimes he committed. But Christ did not delay in saying, “This day you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk 23,43) That’s how magnanimous God is with his mercy for us!

But we should avoid tempting God by getting ourselves spoiled by his ever-available mercy. Rather, we should make use of that assurance of his love that can conquer whatever evil there is in the world, to do a lot of good, to fill ourselves with the love that is nothing other than the love of God for all of us. Tempting God would just be fooling ourselves and would surely earn us harsh punishments.

Let us process slowly this truth of our Christian faith that with Christ’s resurrection we have been made a new creation. His resurrection unites us with his death and resurrection, enabling us to die to our old sinful selves and live a new life in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit for transformation, purpose and hope in God’s coming new world.

As a new creation through Christ’s resurrection, we are given a fresh start where the old ways of sin pass away and are replaced by a divine life that is made possible by acquiring anew our identity in Christ.

We, indeed, need to meditate and process slowly this tremendous transformation that is given to us because, for sure, we would most likely consider these effects of Christ’s resurrection on us as just incredible.

We need to realize that Christ’s resurrection which came as a result of his passion and death on the cross can also take place in our life if we also experience the cross of Christ. St. Paul said something pertinent to this when he said: “If we have been united with him (Christ) in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Rom 6,8)

The death referred to in his regard is our death to sin. This means a spiritual transformation where we are no longer controlled by sin by identifying ourselves with Christ’s death and resurrection through faith and repentance. Death to sin means we offer ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness, actively putting our sinful desires to death while living only for God.

Of course, struggles with sin can continue. Death to sin does not mean an instant sinless perfection. It simply gives us a new direction in life. Thus, as a new creation, we should live our life, with all its drama, only with Christ and for Christ.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com