The victory of the Risen
Christ is ours to experience

   One of the modern wonders of the world is the massive, 130 foot, statue of Christ the Redeemer that towers over the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Like our own Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse carvings, the site of this statue draws millions of people each year. Unlike our going to Crazy Horse or Mt. Rushmore to view the carvings and study the stories, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, is visited because it is a wonderful place to get one’s picture taken with the bays and beaches of Rio in the background. Some also stand in front of the statue with arms outstretched imitating Christ’s gesture for a picture. Yet in a way this memorable statue of Christ with his arms outstretched in welcome, is no more than incidental stop on a tourist’s vacation.

   Since seeing the statue in January, I have been bothered by the indifference shown to the image. I am bothered, because this image of Christ the Redeemer is virtually, if not actually, ignored. Do those who come to the statue know its true meaning, “Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.”?  Ignored is Christ’s imaged overlooking the city known for criminal violence, the promiscuity of Carnival, and its materialistic lifestyles. Christ stands with arms outstretched mercifully waiting for people to turn from themselves to him.

   In a few days we celebrate the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ Our Lord. This is not an accidental or incidental event. It is the fulfillment of Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s will: to save all people from the power of Satan, the sickness of sin, and both physical and spiritual death. I believe this is the question that faces us in a special way in our time as we celebrate the resurrection. Is this feast merely an event, like journeying to the top of the summit to see the statue in Rio, a time for coloring eggs, dressing in new clothes, family gatherings or is it something more?

   Certainly it is meant to be something more. It is meant to be an experience with Our Risen Lord, an experience of his presence, his resurrected power, as we celebrate Eucharist, as we receive his Body and Blood in holy Communion. In truth every time we celebrate Mass and receive Communion, the person and the victory of the Risen Christ is ours to experience. Here Our Lord gives us the strength to discern and be sensitive to the “dark” things around us — violence, promiscuity, greed — so that we are not overcome by them. In his resurrection Christ is victorious over these evils, and as we open ourselves to his presence in our prayer and in our Eucharist we are conquerors with him.

   At the statue of Christ in Rio, seen but not seen for its true value, within its pedestal base is a small chapel where Mass is celebrated and the Blessed Sacrament reserved. In the end this reminded me that even if the true meaning of the statue of Christ is not appreciated, Christ is there, in Rio and everywhere the Sacrament is reserved, waiting for us to come and experience his risen presence. This is the real Easter experience, not a calendar event but a living presence.

Background image is Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (WRC photo by Msgr. William O’Connell)