“He is risen, He is not here.” (Mk 16.6) The resurrection of Our Lord is presented very clearly in the gospels as something that happened physically. The centurion, with his lance, made sure that Jesus was really dead; when He appeared to the apostles, Jesus showed them the wounds in his hands and his side.

It is true that our faith in the resurrection goes beyond the affirmation of a physical fact. We believe that Our Lord is glorified, and that he is the source of our life of grace, but as St Paul pointed out, this faith is empty if we do not believe in the fact of the resurrection.

Cardinal Ratzinger explained that in today’s world, Christianity makes a claim that is challenging: it is even scandalous to some. The claim is to truth. At the call of Moses, the scripture records that God said “I am”, rather than presenting belief as merely a viewpoint. As Christians, we respect the faith of others, we try to exercise charity and foster peace, but these very characteristics of the Christian life are founded upon the affirmation that Our Lord is risen, and that He lives and teaches in His holy Catholic Church today.

At Easter we must ask ourselves once again the question of faith. Do I believe that Jesus Christ has indeed truly risen from the dead, that He is alive today, and that He is our unique Saviour? If I claim to believe this, if I recite the words of the Creed, does it make a difference to my life? Do I actually live in hope of an eternal life won for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?