The Paschal Mystery: Life out of Death

I recently heard Holy Week described as the “Super Bowl of Christianity, the World Series of the Lord, the March Madness of God, the World Cup of our faith.” You get the picture, crass as it may be. This week is the most important week of the Christian faith, when we enter into the paschal mystery.

What is the paschal mystery? The word “paschal” comes from the Hebrew term pesach, or Passover. “Mystery” refers to the Divine truth and life as contained in Holy writ and interpreted through the ages in the Church. The paschal mystery represents the redemptive “Passover” plan of God which finds its culmination in the passion, death, resurrection, ascension, Kingdom reign and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It subsumes all human reasoning and experience into the truth and life of the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And it beckons us, each of us, to die with him and in him, and to be resurrected with him and in him. “Dying you destroyed our death; rising you restored our life; Lord Jesus, come in glory.” (from the Roman Missal in English)

As we enter into the core of Holy Week, let us remember the costly, immense sacrifice of our Savior, bearing our disgrace, shame, humiliation and sorrow. But let us also enter into the victory of Christ, celebrating the fullness of the paschal mystery that reconciles all humankind to God.

Remember.