“If we have died with Christ, we shall also live with him; if we persevere, we shall also reign with him.” This simple declaration of St. Paul is the core of our Christian faith.
            If we have died with Christ, we shall also live with him. All of us died in Christ in baptism. This death is symbolized by our immersion in the waters of baptism. When we emerge from the waters of baptism, we emerge into our new life in Jesus Christ. The problem, of course, is that we do not always live in faithfulness to this new life that we received in Jesus Christ through baptism. We sin. We fail to live in faithfulness to the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Every day, therefore, we have to seek the grace that we need in order to die to that which deprives us of the life in Christ that is the source of our hope – our hope of one day enjoying the fullness of the life and love of Christ forever. To what do you need to die in order to enjoy the life of Christ and its fullness after death? Gossip? Dishonesty? Infidelity? Selfishness? A lack of concern for those in need? Prejudice or racism? Greed? Abuse of alcohol or drugs? What are the areas of sin in your life that you need to put to death, with the help of God’s grace, in order to live in the life of Christ now and for all eternity?
            If we persevere, we shall also reign with him. It is not easy to persevere in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. St. Peter demonstrated that for us in the Gospels. He clearly had a deep love for Jesus Christ, but he continually disappointed Jesus and ultimately committed the egregious sin of betraying Jesus. But Peter never gave up! He persevered in his efforts to grow in his faithfulness to Jesus, to grow in his love for Jesus, until finally he was able to surrender his very life for Jesus. When we get discouraged in our efforts to live in faithfulness to the way of Jesus Christ, think of St. Peter. Pray to St. Peter! Pray for his help in persevering in faith despite the challenges and disappointments that you experience in your life of faith.
Let us live now in Jesus Christ so that we can live forever in him after death!
 
                            Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J.