Out of love for us, Jesus suffered a real death. When He died, His soul was separated from His body and visited the souls of everyone who had died in friendship with God. At the end of three days, His soul returned to His body in the Resurrection.
(Plain Text Version)
Out of love for us, Jesus suffered a real death. When He died, His soul was separated from His body and visited the souls of everyone who had died in friendship with God. At the end of three days, His soul returned to His body in the Resurrection. In the Apostles’ Creed, we say:
He descended into Hell. On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
The Descent Into Hell
After the sin of Adam and Eve, our friendship with God was broken. Even for those who lived holy lives, heaven was closed. They had to wait for the sacrifice of Christ to repair the break in our relationship with God. When Christ died, His human soul left His body and joined the company of those who were waiting for heaven.
What a wonderful meeting when the soul of the Redeemer visited these holy souls! In a very short time, they would enter heaven.
Note: The word “hell” has several meanings. In the Apostles’ Creed, it refers to the state of the people who died in God’s friendship before heaven was opened.
The Resurrection of Christ From the Dead
On Sunday, the third day after His death, the soul of Christ returned to His body. Jesus was alive again, this time with a glorified body. He was able to pass through the walls of the tomb and appear and disappear at will. To show that He was not a ghost, He ate foods and allowed the disciples to touch Him.
The First Easter Morning
Jesus died late in the day on Friday. He was hastily taken to the tomb because no work was allowed on the Sabbath, which would begin at sundown. The Sabbath ended at sunrise on Sunday. At this time, a group of women brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus. As they arrived, an angel of the Lord appeared. The angel rolled back the stone from the entrance to the tomb. The guards were paralyzed with fear. The angel announced that Jesus had risen and was no longer in the tomb.
Jesus appeared to many people that day. He appeared only to people who believed in Him. He comforted the women who helped Him in His ministry. He appeared to the Apostles and completed His instructions to them. He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. He forgave Peter for his threefold denial.
Please Keep Praying for Ukraine
On March 25, Pope Francis and Bishops all over the world consecrated Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is a most powerful way to ask the Blessed Mother to add her prayers to ours.
Since then, the war in Ukraine has not been in the top headlines, but the crisis is far from over. Let us keep praying!
St. John Bosco News and Notes 