NOTE: Christ in Our Neighborhood is a parish-based program consisting of small Christian communities that gather in the home weekly to discuss and pray through the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. It’s easy to form a community and you can find out more at Christ in Our Neighborhood – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix (dphx.org)
This coming Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, also known as Easter. The question the Christ in Our Neighborhood reflection asks us is: How has Christ’s Resurrection changed your life?
That really is the pivotal question for any believer in Christ.
As St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:14 , if Christ has not been raised, our faith is in vain. Thanks be to God, our faith is not in vain! We have historical facts and witnesses who saw the Lord Jesus die on the cross and then saw Him after His resurrection. In fact, 1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us Christ appeared to 500 people at once after He rose from the dead. So certain were these followers of what they had seen that many went on to give their lives as martyrs for the faith.
Our Lord’s triumph over sin, death and the grave means that the way of salvation was opened for us who believe in Him. It means we don’t have to be slaves to sin — we can have inner freedom that no one can take away. Christ’s victory means we don’t have to live in fear of death. It means we have real hope — deep , abiding hope in a God who saves. The lance thrust in Our Lord’s side led to His precious blood gushing forth in streams of mercy.
That’s life-changing. That’s something we can count on always. Hallelujah, the Lord is Risen!
If you haven’t joined a Christ in Our Neighborhood small group yet, perhaps you are being called to start one yourself. Check out our website today to find out more: dphx.org/Christ-in-our-neighborhood.
Watch the video of the weekly podcast segment featuring Christ in Our Neighborhood with Bishop Dolan by clicking HERE.
To sign up for our weekly Christ in Our Neighborhood newsletter that has everything you need for your next meeting, visit: https://phoenixdiocese.flocknote.com/CION
