Reflection on Chapter Nine - Jesus of Nazareth Part II (Pope Benedict XVI)
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Many times I wonder what Christianity would look like without Jesus’s resurrection. Would there be a unique Christian faith at all if his prophecies were left open ended at the cross with no direct testimony or post-event encounter with the person himself? Would the word from the angel at the tomb to Mary Magdalene be sufficient to sustain our belief that Jesus is with the Father? Probably not. The disciples on the way to Emmaus would never have turned back to Jerusalem and we would still be searching for meaning and answers.
The other point is how can we understand what life is, after death. The closest I can relate to is the rising of Lazarus – a man ‘resuscitated’ by Christ from death (gospel reading for the 5th Sunday of Lent this year). But Christ in his glorified resurrected body, is still very much a mystery beyond my human understanding. Maybe we would be like him (walking through doors and still eating fish), but how do we deal with a timeless eternity and still keep our consciousness/awareness? Our full understanding will only come after going through the experience. So, for now, I just have to be patient with a complete trust in God. Of course, with all the daily struggles living in a chaotic world, it is very much easier said than done. But surely He will unveil the mystery and quite sure, it will be a pleasant surprise … much more than anything we can ever imagine.
Interesting that St. Paul had his life-changing personal encounter with the resurrected Christ many years later inspite being a hard-core Pharisee and persecutor of the early church. I firmly believe that we too have our ongoing encounters. Just that I may not realise it yet. This wonderful book (Chapter 9 in particular) by Pope Benedict is a story of his own encounter. By reading and reflecting on his thoughts, it is my encounter too.
