To All those who Think, Live and
Appropriate the Resurrection Faith,
“Always be ready
to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” (1
Pet 3:15).
“And if Christ
has not been raised, then empty is our preaching; empty too, your faith” (1 Cor
15:14).
In early church fathers,
particularly in St. Augustine and St. Anselm we find this peculiar aspect of
seeking to understand. This is clear from their theological formulae.
Augustine’s formulae crede ut intelligas
“I believe in order to understand” Intellige
ut credas, “I understand, the better to believe” and St. Anslem’s fides quaerens intellectum “faith
seeking understanding,” credo ut
intelligam “I believe in order to understand” put us on the right track to
understand the mysteries of our faith, especially our faith in the resurrection
of the Son of God.
In
my theological formation one happiest thing that I would take with me is the
experience of a seminar on “the Resurrection of the Son of God” under the
expertise of Br. Abraham Antony, SDB. The main focus of the seminar was on the
New Testament evidences, particularly the first letter of St. Paul to the
Corinthians (15), and the gospels. Several insights dawned on our minds as we
were grappling with the texts of the New Testament. We unearthed the following:
The
creedal formula: the short phrases used by the early
Christians to express their faith in Jesus (Christ is risen, alleluia). In 1
Cor 15:3-5 “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures;
that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the
scriptures; that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve” is the earliest
creedal formula that we have in the NT. In the Gospels we see that there is a
shift in the expression of the creedal formula into creedal story. This shows
the enthusiasm of the NT writers to express the experience of the resurrection
in new ways, to make it lasting in the minds of the hearers.
The
use of the ‘divine passive’: St. Paul uses the passive voice
in referring to the resurrection. Such a usage is called the “divine passive”
because God’s agency in the action is implied [that he was raised on the
third day” (1 Cor 15:4)]. The Resurrection is an action of God. Take another
instance of the rolled away stone from the gospel of Mark, “when they looked
up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back” (Mk 16:4). Here too we see the
use of the perfect passive. In the gospel of Matthew the stone was rolled away
through the agency of an earthquake/an angel of the Lord. Here in mark what is
implied is a divine agency. God is the main actor in the drama of salvation.
Now
what is the credibility of our resurrection faith? Many people today
treat the resurrection as a mythical story. Some others consider it as a symbol
of the continuation of Jesus’ activity through the apostles, Christians. These
are spurious claims. What is important is to consider the historicity of the
event. The myths are ahistorical in nature. In the resurrection narratives we
have the mention of the places like Judea, Jerusalem, and Galilee. They are
historical places. No one would dare to accept martyrdom for a mythological
story. The early Christians and Christians even today lay down their life for
their faith in the resurrected Lord. This is the credibility of the
resurrection. The resurrection faith helps us to live with this conviction,
“you are not your own. For you have been purchased at a price” (1 Cor 6:19,20).
The victorious Lord is in Control of our lives and not we. He leads us, shows
us the way and he has promised us, “I am with you always, until the end of the
age” (Mt 28:20).
Another
important aspect of our faith is the dimension of ‘living with the mystery.’
The resurrection of Jesus is a mystery, the truth that cannot be contained in
limited linguistic categories. Next Sunday (27/04/2014) Bl. John Paul II will
be declare a saint together with Pope John XXIII. In his encyclical Redemptor Hominis, Pope John Paul II
applies the term “mystery” to Christ about 50 times. Hence, it is a forceful
reminder that in our pilgrimage of faith, we must be content with glimpses,
parables and partial insights.
Now
is the time to appropriate the faith that we received. Wish you a Very Happy
Easter 2014.
May
the Peace of Christ pervade you with a lasting joy that you may live and
proclaim the joy of the Gospel.
Yours
Lovingly in Christ,
Cl.
Vayalamannil Aneesh Chacko, SDB.
20/04/2014.
