Unit 8: Sacramental Life in Christ
Section 2:
The Paschal Mystery
The Paschal Mystery
• What does Jesus’ life reveal to us about the
nature of God?
• What does Jesus’ life teach Christians about
the ideal way of how to live one’s life as a
Christian?
– It depends, first we need to know that Jesus’ life
can be defined or summarized by the Paschal
Mystery
The Paschal Mystery
• What is the Paschal Mystery?
– The Passion
• The suffering of Jesus
– Death
• The crucifixion and entombment of Jesus
– Resurrection
• Jesus risen to new life after death
– Ascension
• Jesus re-joining God in Heaven
The Paschal Mystery
• What is the Paschal Mystery?
– The Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of
Jesus Christ
• But, the Paschal Mystery does not just refer to the
historical experiences of the divine person of
Jesus
• The Paschal Mystery is also something that all
Christians are called to experience and “remember” in everyday life in order to truly live the
life of a faithful Christian
– Let me explain with a story from CFX Alabama 2008
The Paschal Mystery
• CFX Alabama 2008
– March 16 – 22, 2008 (Holy Week, 2008)
The Paschal Mystery
• CFX Alabama 2008
– March 16 – 22, 2008 (Holy Week, 2008)
• And this is how Christians experience the Paschal
Mystery in everyday life in the modern world
– Jim suffered the Passion of the loss of his job and
psychological depression
– Jim experienced a figurative Death when he was
entombed in his house for over three months
– During that week, Jim was restored to life and
experienced the joy and hope of the Resurrection
– We can be quite certain that Jim continued to
experience Resurrected life and the Ascension in the
days, weeks, and months since our departure
The Paschal Mystery
• Another good example of how Christians
experience the Paschal Mystery in everyday
life in the modern world is found in the
movie On the Waterfront (1954)
The Paschal Mystery
• On the Waterfront (1954)
• Another example of the Paschal Mystery in everyday life in
the modern world
– The longshoremen suffered the Passion of dishonest and greedy
union bosses and their corrupt hiring practices
– The longshoremen were Crucified for standing up for themselves
and speaking out against the influence of the Mob on the waterfront
and, sometimes, even faced literal Death
– The longshoremen experienced the joy and hope of the
Resurrection when Fr. Barry helped them regain their dignity,
overcome the opposition, and take control of the waterfront
– The longshoremen experienced the Ascension as they continued to
take control of their lives and as their control of the waterfront
solidified
The Paschal Mystery
Letter to the Romans 6: 3-11
3
Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were
baptized into his death? 4 We were indeed buried with him through
baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. 5 For if we
have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also
be united with him in the resurrection. 6 We know that our old self was
crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that
we might no longer be in slavery to sin. 7 For a dead person has been
absolved from sin.
8 If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with
him. 9 We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death
no longer has power over him. 10 As to his death, he died to sin once
and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. 11 Consequently, you too
must think of yourselves as (being) dead to sin and living for God in
Christ Jesus.
The Paschal Mystery
Letter to the Romans 6: 3-11
• Baptized into the life of Christ Jesus and the
Paschal Mystery
– The Sacrament of Baptism unites us with the
Person of Jesus
– Into his Death by crucifixion and burial
• Die to our old self and enslavement to sin
– To live in the newness of his Resurrected life
• Raised to new life to live for God
The Paschal Mystery
• The Sacrament of Baptism unites us with the
Person of Jesus and the Paschal Mystery
• Through Baptism, the Christian is called to
emulate the Person of Jesus, imitate his words
and deeds, and accept the tragic suffering
(Passion and Death) as well as the joy and hope
(Resurrection and Ascension) associated with the
Paschal Mystery
• In brief, through Baptism, Christians are called to
live out the Paschal Mystery in their everyday life
and be the Sacrament of Jesus to the people of
the world
The Paschal Mystery