St. Anselm, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church

The Catechism teaches that the resurrection of the dead is an essential part of Christian faith and that the Creed culminates in this proclamation and in life everlasting. As we reflect together, we can hold firmly to the hope that Christ is truly risen and lives forever, and that the righteous will live with him after death. The resurrection of the flesh means that not only does the immortal soul live on after death, but our mortal bodies will also come to life again. This hope rests on faith in God, the Creator of the whole human person, soul and body, and in Jesus, who says, “I am the Resurrection and the life.” Christ himself will raise up on the last day those who believe in him, and to witness to Christ is to witness to his Resurrection. Even when this faith is questioned or opposed, Christians confess with confidence that Christ has been raised from the dead and that we shall rise like him, with him, and through him.

The Catechism teaches that death is not the end: our souls go to meet God while awaiting reunion with our glorified bodies. At the last day, God will raise all the dead through the power of Jesus’ Resurrection—those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Although the manner of this resurrection exceeds our understanding, the Eucharist already gives us a foretaste of Christ’s transformation of our bodies. Through Baptism and the Holy Spirit, believers already participate in Christ’s death and Resurrection, and, nourished by the Eucharist, belong to his Body. As families, we can honor our own bodies and every other person, especially those who suffer, with the dignity that comes from belonging to Christ, living in hope for the day when we will appear with him in glory.