The gospels present Jesus as someone who has a profound message for humanity and our relationship with God. His social message is challenging: equality, service, deep respect for the other, deep respect for human life, respect for creation, the value of the individual, the importance of listening, healing, peace and forgiveness.
On immediate reflection, the religious message of Jesus is mind-boggling. He taught about, and represented in himself, a God who is deeply involved with humanity and who offers us great hope. His radical message and startling life was followed by a transforming event, Resurrection, not just for one man but for all people. Think about that for a moment.
Jesus’s offer of eternal life is open to all. Without the Resurrection, Jesus may have been regarded as someone who proclaimed an important liberating and life affirming message. But, the Resurrection of Jesus, His being raised from the dead, never to die again, has moved His message to a new and unimaginable plane.
[ Thinking Anew: Alleluia – Christ is risenOpens in new window ]
The change brought about by the Resurrection is incredible, something Pope Benedict XVI referred to as a cosmic event. The change is such that many refuse to believe it could possibly be true. For those who believe, the message of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection is always “good news” and is full of hope.
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‘Where all seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force’
— Pope Francis
Following Jesus is not easy – it can be very challenging. It is important not to mistake the challenges of the gospel – a gospel of love, mercy and hope – for what some have manufactured of it: a gospel of exclusion and judgment. The challenge of the gospel is not to exclude, rather to be faithful to it in finding ways of being inclusive, understanding and merciful.
Tragically, our own history has shown that exclusion and severe judgment trumped mercy, understanding and even basic respect. Prevailing judgmental narratives can trap people into negative, blinkered views of human actions. This can lead to severe human suffering. I think here of some experiences related to mother-and-baby homes and I think of the shameful attitudes toward LGBT people.
I also think of people who have come to our country for a variety of reasons. The welcome extended to them, at local level, is warm and genuine. This has been marred by a minority myopic and aggressive narrative lacking in basic human respect, never mind welcome.
We are not called to heap up burdens on people. Instead, like Jesus, we are called to ease them, to help lessen them, to live life, enjoy life and to cherish the individual. During our lifetime, we are invited and challenged to do good, to tap into an innate goodness that is in each of us, and make a positive and hope-filled difference.
[ Thinking Anew: This is indeed a terrible LentOpens in new window ]
The Gospel from St Luke at the Chrism Mass refers to proclaiming liberty and new sight, and to setting the downtrodden free. So what good news can we bring in the Lord’s name? The good news of each individual being valued by God and his people, regardless of circumstances. That is key: being valued and bringing with it listening, kindness and mercy towards the individual.
It is important to be aware of the good that is being carried out by our fellow human beings. The joyful and happy stories; the successes that are against the odds; the turn-around stories; and the deserts and mountains of life that have been successfully crossed by people.
His radical message and startling life was followed by a transforming event, Resurrection, not just for one man but for all people
What liberty and freedom do we proclaim? The liberty that comes from forgiveness, from the Lord’s mercy, the liberty that comes from realising that our origin, our present and our destiny are with God. What new sight do Christians propose in the Lord’s name? The new sight that sees that each is made in the image and likeness of God and so can do great things for him.
Each is called to participate in God’s ongoing work of creation and recreation in the world.
Is the Christian message relevant in today’s increasingly secular world? Yes, it is. Now more than ever.
[ Thinking Anew: person who speaks the loudest is not always the most virtuousOpens in new window ]
The Christian message – the good news of Jesus Christ – is very relevant and will always be relevant for human beings. Christian belief in the Resurrection is a proclamation of hope for humanity. The events we recall in our ceremonies at Easter culminate in the celebration of the Resurrection, of which Pope Francis has said, “Christ’s resurrection is not an event of the past; it contains a vital power which has permeated this world. Where all seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force.”
The Resurrection highlights the importance of human life to be lived and cherished in every circumstance. Human life is special to God. He created it. He lived it and He changed it.
So today, Easter Sunday, we rejoice that the Lord has been raised, and we rejoice that we share in that Resurrection. The Lord is risen, Alleluia.
Archbishop Francis Duffy is Archbishop of Tuam
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