• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
This is "Christ's Appearance to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection" by the Russian painter Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov. (CNS photo/Wikimedia Commons)

Victory over death

April 3, 2021
By Father Joseph Breighner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Commentary, Easter, Feature, Wit & Wisdom

Since I’m one of the priests who helps at the Oak Crest senior community in Parkville, I received a call recently that I could come in for my second coronavirus vaccine shot. I jumped in my car, drove down Northern Parkway to Perring Parkway, and then onto the Beltway toward Oak Crest.

As I drove along, I was conscious of all the cars racing past me. I realized that I was going to get the vaccine to save my life, but was also risking my life in all the traffic.

Our lives are always challenged. Cars have certainly been a mixed blessing. While they provide convenient transportation, they also are risky. Many of us of a certain age remember the “old days” in the 1950s when something called the National Safety Council used to predict the number of traffic deaths at certain times: “Five hundred people are expected to die or be injured in traffic accidents this weekend!” Then in radio newscasts over the weekend, stations would keep track of the number of deaths.

I remember the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Essex, Monsignor C. Carroll Kerr, would get so angry about how human life was just treated as a statistic.

For all of us, life is limited. We resist the ending of our lives. I remember reading some Latin philosopher, perhaps Cicero, who wrote more than 2,000 years ago: “There is no one so old that he or she does not think they can live one more year.”

St. Paul was right when he wrote, “The last enemy to be defeated is death.”

Yet, along with St. Paul, we believe that Jesus was the one who defeated death. The tomb was empty. Jesus was clearly dead after his brutal beating and crucifixion on Friday. But now on Sunday, we hear the words of the angel: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, He has been raised.”

None of us can pull ourselves out of the grave. But Jesus could. And so we put our faith in Him. Fear of death is normal. With human eyes we can only see a life ended.

But with eyes of faith we see the risen Lord. On Easter, we celebrate that death died. We also celebrate that we now share the victory over death with Christ. We celebrate that with Christ we will live forever.

Happy Easter. Happy forever.

Also see

Temptation of power, money can obscure Easter joy, pope says

Christ’s resurrection brings hope amid ‘Easter of war,’ pope says

Never too old: Seniors over 90 welcomed into Catholic faith at Easter

Risen Christ brings peace to broken world, pope says at Easter Vigil

Ukraine’s Way of the Cross: Papal almoner prays at mass grave

Evening news despair and Easter hope

Copyright © 2021 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Father Joseph Breighner

Father Joseph Breighner is a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a columnist for the Catholic Review.

View all posts from this author

Recent Commentary

Beating the claw machine

A personal flyswatter and other gifts, hummus, and a new room (7 Quick Takes)

A Faith Lesson After a Power Outage

Chocolate birthday cake with 4 candles

My birthday festivities, a painting project, and spaghetti pizza for lunch (7 Quick Takes)

Just by showing up

Recent Local News

RADIO INTERVIEW: Solemnity of the Assumption/World Youth Day

Baltimore-area groups awarded $356,000 in CCHD grants, speak of togetherness

Anna’s Gift Foundation helps hope bloom for hospitalized children

Young adults from Archdiocese of Baltimore invited to experience local and international World Youth Day events

Archdiocese of Baltimore welcomes new school leaders

Catholic Review Radio

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • RADIO INTERVIEW: Solemnity of the Assumption/World Youth Day
  • Beyond the border, reunification of Latin American families takes years
  • Movie Review: Thirteen Lives
  • Catholic agencies say Inflation Reduction Act addresses long-standing goals
  • Beating the claw machine
  • Baltimore-area groups awarded $356,000 in CCHD grants, speak of togetherness
  • Health care workers denied religious exemption on vaccine win settlement
  • Stepping down: Experts draft proposed laws on status of a retired pope
  • Catholic prayers for peace interrupted after alleged assault on officer

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2022 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED