Resurrection, icon

Resurrection, iconWhat have you ventured for Christ?

The Life of Faith in the Light of the Resurrection by Fr. John Henry Hanson, O. Praem.

Faith in the risen Christ, glorious yet unseen, is no less crucial for us than it was for the Lord’s first disciples. We who live centuries after the historical fact of the resurrection also want its power to compel us into the world as fearless witnesses, just as it did for them. But although the same experiences enjoyed by the Apostles at the time of the Lord’s rising may not be ours, we have to live as though they were. And this presents us with a problem.

It is invariably by personal contact with the Savior that the reality of the resurrection penetrates the disciples’ hearts. They are skeptics until seeing, hearing, and touching the reality. Reports of Jesus risen and alive are initially met with decided disbelief—so was Mary Magdalene’s story of an empty tomb and dazzling angels just an “idle tale” until the tale’s Hero appeared and called the apostles to faith. At the Savior’s urging, they both contemplate and handle His risen body with its five wounds and so arrive at a joyful recognition of their Lord (Lk 24:36-40).

Short of extraordinary visits from the Savior, such as are enjoyed by select Saints, we do not have contact with Christ under the natural appearances of His humanity. But whatever disadvantage we might suffer living many generations after the apostles, we should recall our Savior’s blessing pronounced upon those who, like ourselves, live by faith in Him who loved us gave Himself for us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn 20:29).

Since the vast majority of Christians must live without sight of the Lord, then faith is the Christian’s domain—and we’re never more in our element than when we’re walking by faith, choosing by faith, venturing life and reputation on our faith in Him whom we love but have not seen. Faith in the risen Christ means living with the resurrection as the radical hope that underwrites everything we do (or do not do) in the name of the Gospel.

Blessed John Henry Newman makes this a point of examination in a particularly challenging sermon from his Parochial and Plain Sermons (vol. IV, no. 20). In “The Ventures of Faith” he asks if our faith so roots us in Christ that our fortunes rise or fall along with His:

Let every one who hears me ask himself the question, what stake has he in the truth of Christ’s promise? How would he be a whit the worse off, supposing (which is impossible), but, supposing it to fail? What have we ventured for Christ? What have we given to Him on a belief of His promise? The Apostle said, that he and his brethren would be of all men most miserable, if the dead were not raised. This is the question, What have we ventured?

Of all of our Lord’s promises, eternal life enjoyed with Him is surely the greatest. But our hope for this is grounded upon the historical reality of Jesus’ passage from death to life. The Lamb once slain and laid out dead in a tomb, rising up through His stained burial shroud, passing through the sepulcher’s wall, and then interacting with His disciples in the most human ways—the resurrection is as concrete as all of that. Our response to it in faith must be as equally concrete.

Do you conduct your life as though Jesus had never left the tomb? Are you sad or lethargic in your Christian journey? On the other hand, is your path to Christ too comfortable?

Look not only at the choices you make each day, but more significantly at the faith or hope or love that underlies your aspirations. Because in truth, every minor or “mundane” choice we make reflects a deeper conviction about the general direction of our lives. How we treat our neighbor, the integrity with which we work, the time we set aside for prayer, each reflects a conviction about what is ultimately important to us. Just as our Lord tells us that our heart and treasure are in the same place, so do our choices reveal our hidden, but true, desires.

How and where do you spend your time? Do you neglect duty for the sake of pursuing an ambition that takes you away from Jesus, or which you would still pursue if He had not risen? Whether Jesus is alive or dead means everything; it is truly a matter of life or death for us. Do our lives reflect that He lives forever, that we are slowly but surely approaching our own death, and that afterward the only works that will survive will be those done in God, for the sake of our hope in Jesus?

Newman soberly concludes in the same sermon:

I really fear, when we come to examine, it will be found that there is nothing we resolve, nothing we do, nothing we do not do, nothing we avoid, nothing we choose, nothing we give up, nothing we pursue, which we should not resolve, and do, and not do, and avoid, and choose, and give up, and pursue, if Christ had not died, and heaven were not promised us. I really fear that most men called Christians, … would go on almost as they do, neither much better nor much worse, if they believed Christianity to be a fable.

This conclusion need not be true of us, although Newman’s sadness at the prospect of its truth shows how possible it is. Taking an honest look at our lives, tracing out the steps of each day, looking at the milestones of our decades, we can rid ourselves of those interests that are not those of Christ. We can measure our desires and hopes against the death and resurrection of Christ and the hope of eternal life, and see where we stand. Does our life stand or fall on the promises of Christ? Would we be most miserable if Christ had not risen and we “believed Christianity to be a fable”?

Name what you have ventured for Christ and you will find the answer.

 

Like this article?

Leave a comment



[]
1 Step 1
Name of the Petitioneryour full name
Name (of the person in need)your full name
Short Description of the Need, for ex. heart disease, spiritual conversion, finding employmentPrayer Intntion
0 / 300
Previous
Next

The sensum fidelium is a confirmation of authentic doctrinal development in contrast to corruption of doctrine. It can also be described as a spiritual instinct for Catholic truths.

We became more intimately acquainted with the daily life, prayer, and study of Newman, the simple yet pleasant home where he and his Oratorian brothers lived.

The saints live in sackcloth, and they are buried in jewels.

Dominic Barberi and John H. Newman were united in their mutual quest for the virtues of personal humility, charity and good humor.

To us has been entrusted the vocation of conquering souls for Christ and of transforming society.

In the chapel with walls adjacent to Newman’s bedroom, still bearing the red brocade of Newman’s day, the sisters preserve his rosary.

One could imagine him ... composing one of his many famous scripture laden sermons of the Anglican period.

Grace is that new law by which we obey the law of Christ in faith, on trust.

Our Books

About Cardinal John Henry Newman

Purchase Book


A Guide to John Henry Newman will interest educated readers and professors alike, and serve as a text for college seminars for the purpose of studying Newman.

Review by Catherine Maybanks
(Catholic Herald, April 1, 2023)

Review by Serenheed James
(Antiphon, April 2023)

Purchase Book

 
Fr Peter Conley takes us on an exciting journey into the spirituality and inner life of Saint John Henry Newman.
 

Purchase Book


Endorsement by Neyra Blanco (Amazon)
I bought this book for my son and he loved it, he wrote this review and urged my to submitted: “I think this book has a very beautiful message, because it shows how the young Newman was so determined to achieve his dream of becoming a priest, but even after his dream he continued to work in the church with passion until the day he died, it’s so admirable that even Newman so old and so weak still had that urge to continued his work of being a priest. And the book is well written with words not too complicated with very enjoyable texts and well illustrated pictures. I highly recommend this book for a 5th grader.  

Purchase Book


What is a Classical Liberal Arts Education? Why is it so important for the development of a person?

Fr. Juan R. Vélez answers these and more questions you might have about University Education in the 21st century. This book is aimed for parents, prospective University students, and educators. It will help you discern why adding Liberal Arts electives to your education will help it form it better, and help the student learn to reason, and not just learn.

He also explains how many Universities have changed the true meaning of Liberal Arts, and the subjects, and gives advise on how to choose College Campus, Subjects, and Teachers.

A wonderful book that every parent should also read way before your children are College bound. A Liberal Arts education can start earlier in life, even from home.

Purchase Book


Endorsement by Christopher Moellering (Goodreads, September 14, 2019)
In Passion for Truth Fr. Vélez gave us an outstanding biography of Cardinal Newman. In this work, he provides a concise overview of his thought and his devotion. This is a great work for someone who, perhaps hearing of Newman for the first time because of his beatification 13 October, 2019, wants to know more about this English saint.Vélez is a wonderful writer in his own right, and the frequent quotations from Newman round out the work nicely. I especially appreciated the frequent citing of Newman’s Meditations and Devotions, which show a different side of his spirituality than his more well-known works, Development of Christian Doctrine and the Grammar of Assent.

Purchase Book


Take Five: Meditations with John Henry Newman, endorsement by Illow M. Roque (Amazon, September 3, 2010)
“There is a time to put direct inquiry on hold and give ourselves to prayer and practical duties.” Sound advice from one of the earlier, thought-provoking reminders in this sparkling gem of a book: Take Five | Meditations with John Henry Newman, written by Mike Aquilina and Fr. Juan R. Vélez and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This particular paragraph, referenced above, which begins with a direct quote from soon-to-be canonized priest, cardinal and poet, John Henry Newman: “Study is good, but it gets us only so far . . .” is actually the 15th in a series of 76 concise, logically organized meditations moving from the elementary to the sublime. Each meditation–one per page–is built upon the great man’s writings and remarkably rich spirituality. Whether taken whole in one reading or in part page-by-page over a course of weeks and months, these wonderfully insightful meditations will open up, even to the busiest reader in the midst of the world, a unique pathway into prayer and contemplation. My advice to spiritual inquirers at all levels, from the novice to the spiritually adept, is to follow the authors’ recommendation to use this book as a guide for daily prayer and meditation. The structure of the book itself is ideal: first, the authors introduce us to Cardinal Newman, the man, where we are given the opportunity to get to know him through a brief sketch of his life and spirituality at the beginning of the book. This is something readers will likely find themselves referring to again and again, prompting many, I suspect, to even wider explorations of this most gifted Christian leader. Then comes the meditations, consisting of a short summary of Newman’s thoughts on subjects taken, as the authors explain, from various salient points for which Newman is justly remembered: The pursuit of objective religious truth; Teaching on the Virtues; Defense of the Catholic Church; A devout spiritual and moral life; and Generosity and loyalty in his friendships, which sets the topic and tone for each meditation to follow. Each meditation consists of an excerpt taken from Newman’s thirty-plus volumes of writings and diaries. Next comes three brief and extremely useful sections entitled: “Think About It,” which establishes a prayerfully resonant tone throughout the book; “Just Imagine,” which provides a vivid, prayerful experience of the Scriptures that tie in, and finally, “Remember,” a pithy summation which the authors suggest may be used as a daily aspiration. Each meditation is given its own page, which makes it ideal for daily reflection for readers on the go. This book is a must have for every serious Catholic who wants to take their faith to the next level, which is to respond appropriately to the universal call to holiness and seek interior union with God.
Fr. Juan Velez

The sensum fidelium is a confirmation of authentic doctrinal development in contrast to corruption of doctrine. It can also be described as a spiritual instinct for Catholic truths.

Prof. Barb H. Wyman

We became more intimately acquainted with the daily life, prayer, and study of Newman, the simple yet pleasant home where he and his Oratorian brothers lived.

Robert Kirkendall

The saints live in sackcloth, and they are buried in jewels.

Fr. Peter Conley

Dominic Barberi and John H. Newman were united in their mutual quest for the virtues of personal humility, charity and good humor.

David Warren

To us has been entrusted the vocation of conquering souls for Christ and of transforming society.

Prof. Barb H. Wyman

In the chapel with walls adjacent to Newman’s bedroom, still bearing the red brocade of Newman’s day, the sisters preserve his rosary.

Prof. Barb H. Wyman

One could imagine him ... composing one of his many famous scripture laden sermons of the Anglican period.

Robert Kirkendall

Grace is that new law by which we obey the law of Christ in faith, on trust.

David Warren

Do we love the Word of God or do we take it for granted?