To Rise Again

Whenever we recite the Nicene or Apostles Creed, we profess our belief in the Resurrection of the Dead. To deny that we will rise again is to deny a fundamental truth of our faith that the Church has always believed and will hold true until the end of time.

Yet it may come as a surprise to learn that it took many centuries for those who lived in the time of the Old Testament to believe in the resurrection of the dead. In the first books of the Old Testament, you will not find any references to the dead rising to new life. This truth of our faith was slowly revealed to God’s people over many centuries, most notably in the teaching of the prophets and what are known as the wisdom books of the Bible.

When Our Lord brought Lazarus back to life, it was a sign that the greatest tragedy of all, death itself, had been overcome and that one day we too would experience what happened to Lazarus, but more significantly, that we will rise in the manner of Christ’s resurrection to glory.

Let us take time this week to consider what the resurrection of the dead will be like and ask God to strengthen our hope in this great mystery that will unfold at the end of all things.