Another article of faith that we Catholics profess as expressed in the words of the Nicene Creed is that Jesus “rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.”
In 1 Corinthians 15:17, St. Paul said that If Christ had not risen from the dead, our faith would have been in vain. Thank God for the resurrection of Jesus. The Roman officials certified that Jesus died on the cross. He was buried in a sealed tomb and guarded by soldiers. When friends came to anoint his body, they found the tomb empty. For forty days, Jesus appeared to his followers, assuring them that he had risen and that he would send the Holy Spirit to help them.
At the resurrection, it was not merely that the human body of Jesus became alive again as it was alive before the crucifixion. Rather, he passed through death; his human body was transformed into a glorified body. Jesus, as a human, was freed from the limits of space and time.
The Ascension did not deprive the disciples, and does not deprive us, of Jesus’ presence. When we say that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, we mean that Jesus is everywhere just as God is. He became available to people at all times as Savior and Lord, able to speak to us in the Bible, to touch us in the sacraments, to be with us when we gather in his name, and to be present in our hearts when we pray.
The full meaning of our life will be known only at the end of time. For example, we may introduce someone to Christ who in turn helps others to spread the gospel through the ages. Events such as this add chapters to the story of our life on earth and will be brought to light in the final judgment.
The Church has not made dogmatic statements on how the world will end. The Church would prefer that we avoid useless worry over when the world will pass away or how it will occur. What is important is that we always be prepared to meet Jesus.
Finally, the kingdom of Christ is a family of love that cannot be limited by earth’s boundaries. Our Church teaching has called this the communion of saints and consists of believers on earth, the saints in heaven, and those who are in a state of purification after death (the souls in purgatory).
As you recite the creed in this mass, may the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, dwell within you and give life to any aspect of your life that has become grave-like, weak or paralyzed, amen!
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