No – The Triumph of Christ Conquers Death

A few weeks ago, in the ancient Easter sequence, we proclaimed, “The Lord of Life, having died, reigns alive.” This short sentence encapsulates the central mystery of the Christian Faith: that God conquers our death so that we might receive His life.

As such, the denial of the finality of physical death affects every aspect of our lives: Christians live no longer for ourselves, but for God (2 Corinthians 5:15), we love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44), we take up our Cross and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). We make the words of St. Paul our own: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

So, while physical death is still tragic — even Christ wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35) — we maintain hope, echoing St. Paul’s words, “Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).