If Christ had not risen, our faith is useless

Christ's rising from death is the Father's seal of approval on his life and work.

- FR. BEL R. SAN LUIS, SVD

As St. Paul puts it, "If Christ has not risen, in vain is our preaching and your believing in it" (Read 1 Cor 15,13).

In other words, faith in God, our prayers, our striving to do good would all be useless if Christ had not risen from death. As St. Paul puts it, "If He did not rise, let's just eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die."

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Consciously or otherwise, this is the epicurean philosophy of some people today. They say: "Life is short. Enjoy it to the maximum since there's nothing to look forward to after death."

An atheist who has this thinking or one who does not believe in Christ's teachings is like a man who, when he dies, is smartly dressed in the coffin but nowhere to go! But Jesus' teaching on life after death is clear and categorical.

At the Last Supper, he said: "In my Father's house there are many mansions... I go ahead and prepare a place for you."