NOTE: The Church has written much about the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. Every time we are at Mass, we celebrate the Paschal Mystery. The Eucharistic Prayers prayed by the priest at Mass attests that it is not only Jesus who offers himself up to the Father as sacrifice, albeit a bloodless sacrifice at Mass, for the redemption of humanity. The Eucharistic Prayer also states that we, who are the gathered as the Body of Christ, also offer up our lives in sacrifice with Jesus to the Father for the sake of humanity. We who have been baptized are intimately joined to the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. Below is the article I wrote for the March edition of the Knights of Columbus See See.
We often hear the words “Paschal Mystery.” What do these words mean? They mean the passion, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Paschal Mystery does not only apply to Jesus. It applies to us as well. St. Paul tells us that when we were baptized, our lives were immersed into the Paschal Mystery of Jesus. Within the events of our lives, all of us will experience the suffering, the dying, and the rising of the Paschal Mystery not just once, but numerous times. The Paschal Mystery is present in the losses of our lives, e.g. injury and sickness, unemployment, divorce, the death of someone significant to name a few. The Paschal Mystery is also present in the joys of our lives, e.g. weddings, birth of children and grandchildren, and anniversaries.
The Paschal Mystery teaches us that the path to the resurrection is always through the cross. This flies in contradiction to the thought of many in our present age who want the resurrection without any crosses. It is the crosses in our lives that give meaning to the resurrection. It is the crosses in our lives that shape and mold us and teach us the difference between that which is essential to eternal life, and that which is not. However, we must not make the mistake to emphasize the cross and ignore the resurrection. As we pass through the “crosses” of our lives, we are to focus our gaze not on the crosses that we bear, but, rather, the resurrection that awaits us. This is the lesson of Holy Week. As Jesus entered into his passion and death, his eyes were focused always on the resurrection that was to come. As we continue our Lenten journey with its sacrifices, may our eyes always be focused on the promise of what is to come, namely, Easter.
