Reading
Through Christ’s resurrection we have new birth and living hope; trials refine faith, leading to joy and salvation.
Readings: Acts, 1 Peter, John
Reflection:
Do you want to live forever, and if so, what would that look like? For most of us, it is not enough for us to “live on in people’s memory.” That isn’t real existence, it is an echo at best. Our desire to live forever is rooted in the sense of self, that “I” want to live forever. That sense of self, what we mean when each of us says, “I believe,” in contrast to what “you” or “he” or “she” or “they” believe.
This sense of self, what we mean by the word “I,” is rooted in our personhood. Each of us is a person. That is different from our personality. Our personality is the sum of our likes, dislikes, sense of humor, and so on. We are always the same person even if our personality changes over time. A person in contrast is a unique identity, an irreducible self. It is unrepeatable and distinct from every other person. When you have identical twins, who thus have the same DNA, you still have two distinct persons. Their personalities may be similar, but they are two distinct identities.
That is how we can believe in only one God who is yet three persons: the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit, the Son is the not the Father or the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. Yet, these three identities share one existence.
Why reflect on this? Jesus suffered, died, and rose from the dead. He did it to save us from sin and death, and ultimately to offer us life with himself forever in heaven. Jesus wants you, as a person, to be with him forever. It is personal. Through Jesus, the Son, we share in the very life of the Trinity. It is personal. When Jesus appear to Thomas to answer his doubt, it was about personal relationship.
If you want to live forever, what do you hope heaven looks like? A golf course? Or better, a never ending relationship of love between persons: you with God in Jesus, and through Jesus with everyone else.
Reflection Questions
- What do you truly hope for, when you hope for everlasting life?
- What does it mean to say that God made you a unique person, no matter what your personality may be?
- In what ways are you currently growing in your relationship with Jesus?