THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS: A SOURCE OF HOPE
             "The Lord has been raised! It is true! He has appeared to Simon,"(Lk 24:34).
             The resurrection of Christ is the basis of the kerygmatic proclamation during the early Church. It is in the same virtue that the first Christian community draws their inspiration to proclaim Jesus as LORD despite the paradox of his cross. St. Paul himself clearly affirms the importance of the resurrection when he said that "If Christ was not raised, your [our] faith is worthless," (1Cor 15:17).
             It may be a sad reality that many of us Filipino Catholics have solely focus our faith devotion to the suffering Christ. Worthy to mention are the devotion to the Nazareno, the Santo Entiero, the Crucified Jesus, the Pieta, the Jesus praying at the Gethsemane and many others. This is understandable however given our situation of poverty and suffering. Nevertheless, "it can obscure the full and adequate understanding of Christ, as our Risen Savior," (CFC 616) if we will defer in the mysteries of Christ suffering and not transcending our faith to the risen Jesus. Indeed, we Filipinos are instinctively "compassionate" with the suffering Savior. But the once-and-for-all event of Christ rising from the dead appearing to his disciples is not something familiar to us. Hence we are all called to understand the full truth and reality of Christ resurrection, (CFC 617).
             Our catechism teaches that the resurrection of Jesus is the basic proclamation of our Christian faith. For through his glorious triumphant, death is conquered and our life is restored. Christ resurrection confirms that he is truly the Lord and God whom Thomas the apostle adored, (Jn 20:28). Thus, the resurrection gives us new hope in this world of suffering, for Christ is the LORD of Life and we are all sharers of this new Life.
             Fittingly to say, this must be the right understanding and right appreciation of the nob...