Events of the Paschal Mystery
The Paschal Mystery is closely linked to ideas about Atonement for sins; the idea of being saved from sin or evil. and The healing of a broken relationship between people and God.. It refers to four ideas about the process that Jesus went through to save humanity from sin. These are his life, death and resurrection, and finally his ascension.
- Life - Jesus was the Son of God, who was born to the Virgin Mary and lived his life in human form.
- Death - Jesus was sentenced to death by Roman method of execution by nailing someone to a cross, often until they die of asphyxiation; used on Jesus and many others. and died on the cross in order to save humans from their sins.
- Resurrection - Jesus was raised from the dead and came back to life three days after his crucifixion.
- Ascension - Jesus rose up to A physical place, or a state of mind, associated with God and the afterlife. after having been resurrected.
Redemptive efficacy
Redemption means being saved. Efficacy is to do with how effective something is in achieving a certain outcome. Therefore, redemptive efficacy is a Catholic idea that suggests the best and most effective way for humanity to be saved from sin was through Jesus鈥 suffering, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. It is through this process that Catholics can be forgiven and reach Heaven. These events are remembered during the season of A period of 40 days in the Christian calendar. and at Easter is an important festival at the heart of Christianity, based on the story of Jesus being crucified on the Friday (now known as Good Friday), his body taken down from the cross and buried in a tomb. Easter Sunday marks Jesus' resurrection. .
In the Gospel of Luke, the point is made that even Jesus鈥 A person who follows and learns from someone else., who were his closest followers, doubted he could have risen from the dead. The act of resurrection defies human understanding of how the natural world works. This is where the idea of 鈥榤ystery鈥 in the Paschal Mystery comes from.
Luke describes the reactions of the disciples to seeing the resurrected Jesus:
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He [Jesus] said to them 鈥榃hy are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your mind? Look at my hands and feet. It is I myself.
They found it difficult to make a leap of faith and believe that he had come back to life.
Significance for Catholics today
The Paschal Mystery teaches Catholics that living, dying and rising are a part of their experience as Christians. It reminds Catholics that there may be times when they struggle and are in pain but that, if they follow Jesus鈥 teachings and have faith, they will reach Heaven.