Through his death and resurrection, Christ redirects everything to God anew
We are pleased with the enormous technical progress as : invention of the steam engine, use of electricity, the release of atomic energy, constructing computers. We watch a man land on the moon, slot machines on Mars. We also strive for social progress, to strengthen peace and fraternity among peoples, to deepen the family bond, friendly and national.
Despite the enormity of the good, that surrounds us, however, there is still much evil, which makes us fear and fear. We keep hearing about the deepening separation between people, about mutual harm, about the increasing enrichment of some nations with the simultaneous economic and social backwardness of others. Social progress has not kept pace with technological progress. Evil is still not removed from the world. Why ?
The teachings of St.. Paul about the new creation
Where does evil come from, which we see in the modern world ?
Revelation tells us, that God's plan was different : people were to live in harmony with their Creator and with each other. They were also to process the world for the common good and thus direct it towards God. Unfortunately, they chose a different path, contrary to God's will. They have sinned against God, and because of their sin they broke with God, violating the social order at the same time. With their sin, hatred arose in the world, selfishness and harm. Misfortunes have entered the world, war, suffering and death. The order God had established was broken through sin.
Only after Christ's death and resurrection did something happen in the world, which exceeded the wildest human expectations. This is how God tells us about it through St.. Paul :
,,So if anyone remains in Christ, he is a new creation. To, what's old, has passed, and behold, everything has become new. All this comes from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. For in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not considering their sins to people, and passing on to us the word of reconciliation " (2 Disease 5, 17-19 - by. 4 Sun. great post, year C). St.. Paul says, that the old things are gone forever, it means, that the fallen state has passed, state of bad. Every Christian has been called and gifted by Christ to live a new life with God and to bring about unity among people. Jesus Christ, through his death and resurrection, gave rise to "a new creation". He just, as the new Adam, on behalf of all people, he responded to God with love for His love. With his obedience, he overcame evil and turned the world towards God.
The work of Christ is God's great gift to mankind. It is also their task. For people united to Christ are called and capable of working with him. They are to love God, live in mutual love and unity, just like it was in the beginning. They are also to process the world for the common good and thus direct it towards God, as the first men were to do. Thus a saving work, started in Christ's death and resurrection, continues. It will reach its fullness in the second coming of Christ.
The liturgy of light is a sign of the new creation
Jesus Christ, as the beginning and source of the "new creation", he is present in his Church. This truth is solemnly remembered and lived by the whole Church each year on the Easter Vigil. The faithful then gather in the temples for vigilance. It begins with the liturgy of light. The priest blesses the fire and lights the Paschal candle from it. Lighting the paschal candle is a sign of the "new creation". It signifies the transition from the old creation to the new, from the slavery of sin to the freedom of God's life, from death to life. The deacon brings this new light in procession to the dark church with solemn singing : "Light of Christ". There, the faithful from the burning paschal, which is a sign of the risen Christ, all the candles are lit.. The interior of the temple is filled with brightness, which awakens joy and joy. Finally, on this night, the Easter message resounds, in which the deacon calls angels and men, and also the whole earth for joy.
"Rejoice now, hosts of angels… Rejoice, servants of God… Rejoice, earth illuminated by such immense splendor ". Then the deacon, glorifying God, mentions the great works of God accomplished in the Old Testament : delivering the Israelites from captivity on Passover night and carrying them across the Red Sea. It does it because of that, to make this riches more visible to the faithful :
,,truly a blessed night, each one was worth knowing the time and hour of Christ's resurrection. […] On that very night, Christ, breaking the bonds of death, he emerged victorious from the abyss…”
That night, Christ conquered evil.
Easter, that is, Passover, it is therefore the prime feast of Christians, because in Christ's death and resurrection it is, what's old, has passed, "Everything has become new".
We are the work of Christ. In and through him we have become a "new creature", that is, we have been gifted and called by God to a new life.
How will I answer God ?
Through baptism, I already participate in the "new creation". It takes place in every victory of good over evil. The full victory of good will be revealed in the second coming of Christ.
How I contribute to the victory of good in my peer group, in my family ?
■ Think :
1. Jak we współczesnym świecie przebiega walka dobra ze złem ?
2. Co św. Paul calls "new creation" ?
3. Co jest początkiem i źródłem „nowego stworzenia” ?
4. Kiedy „nowe stworzenie” osiągnie swoją pełnię ?
5. Kiedy i w jakim znaku liturgicznym chrześcijanie wspominają i przeżywają swój udział w „nowym stworzeniu” ?
■ Remember:
1. What Jesus Christ did through his death and resurrection ?
Jesus Christ reconciled people with God through his death and resurrection, he restored unity among people and directed the whole world anew to God.
■ Task :
Think and write, what are the tasks facing a Christian in today's world ?