raisin' bread
"He has been raised up." —Luke 24:6
Alleluia! Jesus is risen from the dead! He will raise from the dead those who believe in Him! Alleluia forever!
To live the risen life, we must be in Christ (see Rm 6:5). To be in Christ, we must be baptized (Rm 6:3). To live our Baptisms, we must live by faith. Faith requires a total rejection of Satan, all his works, and all his empty promises, and a total submission and commitment to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Today, in every Catholic church, at every Mass in the entire world, the Church calls us to renew our baptismal promises. We have been fasting, praying, giving alms, and doing penance for the forty days of Lent in preparation for this central act of faith of the year. The renewal of our baptismal promises is the greatest decision possible for a human being to make. It means we accept Jesus as Savior, Lord, God, the only Way to the Father, and the One Who baptizes us in the Holy Spirit. In the baptismal promises, we accept God's whole plan of salvation, the Church, the Bible, the forgiveness of sins, the Eucharist, and resurrection from the dead. By God's grace and your faith, say "I do" six times in renewing your baptismal promises. Express your faith in the risen Lord and live the risen life.
Prayer: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, "I do!" Alleluia!
Promise: "Since you have been raised up in company with Christ, set your heart on what pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at God's right hand. Be intent on things above rather than on things of earth." —Col 3:1-2
Praise: Jesus is risen from the dead! "This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it" (Ps 118:24).
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, July 26, 1997
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, July 29, 1997