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Question: If Jesus ascended to heaven 40 after being risen from the dead, where was he all this time Answer: Jesus spent his post-Resurrection period on earth ministering to his apostles and other disciples. This can be seen in various biblical accounts, including John 20—21, Luke 24, Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Acts 1. The 40-day formation period between the Resurrection and Ascension inspired the Church to use this period for new Catholics, who typically come into the Church at Easter, to deepen their formation. It’s called Mystagogy, which typically extends the RCIA period until Pentecost. Jesus reigns with the...

When most people hear "Easter," they think of a single Sunday filled with lilies, hymns, and maybe a few chocolate eggs. But in the Church's liturgical calendar, Easter is far more than just a day—it's a whole season. In fact, Easter lasts for 50 days! That’s right—Easter is a season, not just a Sunday. Easter Sunday kicks off a 50-day celebration known as Eastertide or the Great Fifty Days, which runs from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. This season is meant to be a joyful, ongoing reflection on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what it means for the world....

JERUSALEM - Local Roman soldier Plinius was given his guard assignment for the weekend and was delighted to see he'd been entrusted with guarding the tomb of "some Jewish carpenter guy," as he'd be able to get some shut-eye and have a nice, relaxing weekend. Plinius pumped his fist and gave a little "Yeeeah boy" under his breath after his commanding officer told him he would be guarding the tomb of "this Jewish dude" who had apparently been causing some trouble. "I'm glad they didn't put me where the action is - I really needed some downtime," Plinius said to...

Some modern Americans claim to not fear death. On November 15 last year, boxer Mike Tyson told a 14-year-old girl interviewing him that he has no fear of what happens after he dies. When he was asked about his legacy after his death, Tyson told her: “It means absolutely nothing to me. I’m just passing through. I’m gonna die and it’s gonna be over. Who cares about legacy after that?”

I am lying deep in the dank darkness of a dried up well, unable to climb out on my own, with one tiny, faint ray of light shining from far, far above. But God, happy in himself, beyond the holy blue sky he has created, has sent down his only Son, to let a drop of his own blood drop into my dry and dirty, deep, deep darkness, to cleanse me of my filth, and bring me out of my deep well, to bring me up into his profound, peaceful happiness.

“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’ Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:33-34). Trusting in the fact of Christ’s resurrection and looking forward to our own rising from the dead ought to stimulate us toward sanctification. Like any essential teaching of Scripture, the doctrine of the Resurrection can be studied and discussed from an academic standpoint only. When that happens, we usually acquire a factual understanding of the topic and perhaps some appreciation of how the doctrine supports our faith—but...

‘She’s much more who she is,’ her husband told EWTN News, following Tammy’s ‘investigation of Catholicism.’Psychologist and author Jordan Peterson spoke about Easter as the “core story of humanity” in an interview with EWTN News In Depth hours before his wife, Tammy, joined the Catholic Church this Easter at Holy Rosary Church in Toronto. Tammy Peterson’s faith was formed through praying the Rosary while she struggled against a rare form of cancer. Peterson is known for his biblical lectures on Genesis and Exodus in particular, which often appeal to both Christian and secular listeners. When asked by EWTN News correspondent...

Many people, including Christians, view the Resurrection only as a great historical event. They pause once a year to reverently remember the death and resurrection of Christ. However, the resurrection is also a force, a power that belongs only to God. The death and resurrection of Jesus was much more than just something that happened one time. It was an historic demonstration of God’s attitude and power. When we come to a place where we die to our own dreams and preferences and possessions and agendas – when we let it all fall into the ground and just pass...

“Just as He Told You” (Mark 16:1-8) Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!) You say that with such conviction! And well you should. For Christ’s resurrection is the heart and soul of our hope as Christians. Brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus Christ has conquered sin and death for us. He has secured for us the sure and certain hope of our own resurrection and everlasting life. Which makes our Gospel reading today a little strange. It doesn’t end the way we would like. We would want the woman at the tomb, who had just heard those...

WHY THE RESURRECTION IS IMPORTANT "Man," writes Loren Eisley, "is the cosmic Orphan." He is the only creature in the universe who asks, Why? Other animals have instincts to guide them, but man has learned to ask questions. "Who am I?" he asks. "Why am I here? Where am I going?" Ever since the Enlightenment, when modern man threw off the shackles of religion, he has tried to answer these questions without reference to God. But the answers that came back were not exhilarating, but dark and terrible: "You are an accidental by-product of nature, the result of matter plus...

Ask why, exactly, we need to bring woolly mammoths back to life after 4,000 years, and the answers become numerous and hideously predictable.To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in “Jurassic Park,” just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should — even if that something is “cool.”Ben Lamm and Eriona Hysolli recently took to Newsweek to announce that they and their team at Colossal Biosciences are bringing the woolly mammoth back to life. This is not a pie-in-the-sky pseudo-sci fi dream that might happen at some undefined future date. “Our first mammoth calves will be born in 2028,” they declare.The plan...

The truth of the Resurrection stands or falls on the truth of the witnesses. Are they reliable? Of the New Testament writers, there are six witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, if we include the apostles Peter and Paul. These people have left us writings in the form of historical documents which give us their testimony concerning the resurrection.The question is—are these historical documents reliable? Can we trust them? One way of determining whether the documents are reliable is to put the people who wrote them through the test a good magistrate or judge would put them through. The...

The newly released J6 footage is a revelation because it shows that the “insurrection” was not by, of, and for the people, it was by, of, and for the government. When it comes to events inside the Capitol, there’s growing evidence that the violence came not from the people peacefully and reverentially wandering around but from law enforcement. Certainly, the most recent footage appears to bear that out. There are two narratives about January 6. The dominant one is the Democrat narrative. Practically within minutes of events on January 6, every Democrat politician and media outlet was claiming an “insurrection.”...

We are just six months away from the projected release date of The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection. Jim Caviezel said it will be the “biggest film in history.” And a columnist for The Washington Times recently highlighted Christ’s resurrection with this candid headline: “The Most Important News Story in Human History.”Ben Shapiro is a political commentator and an Orthodox Jew. William Lane Craig is a Christian apologist. The two men sat down a few years ago and discussed the resurrection of Jesus Christ.Dr. Craig presented “three great independently established facts which are supported by the historical evidence ... After...

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Among the list of things former NASCAR driver and television broadcaster Benny Parsons asked his wife to do prior to his death in January 2007 was to try to get North Wilkesboro Speedway to reopen for NASCAR racing. It took more than 16 years to get it done, but Terri Parsons — along with many others — can celebrate that achievement this week. The NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend will be the first NASCAR race at the historic 0.625-mile oval since 1996. The track was the place that nurtured the love of racing for the Parsons...

There is a strange moment described in the gospels regarding the resurrection of Christ (in fact, there are several such moments). When Mary Magdalen first encounters the risen Lord, we are told that she “took Him for the gardener.” But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord,...

“Alleluia! Christ Is Risen!” (Matthew 28:1-10)“Alleluia! Christ is risen!” (“He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”) “He is risen indeed!” Why such a joyful response? Because of the glorious good news that Christ is risen from the dead. This good news of the resurrection of our Lord brings joy and gladness to troubled, weary hearts. His resurrection calls forth our joyous response. On this Easter Day, then, the whole church on earth--all across the earth--hears the good news, “Christ is risen,” and we respond, “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” But first comes God’s word to us: “Christ is risen.” That’s what the...

Russian forces have likely seized the center of the hotly contested city of Bakhmut, where they are threatening an essential supply route for Ukrainian forces in the west, British intelligence said Friday. The eastern city is one of the last urban areas of Donetsk that has withstood Russian incursion. Now mostly reduced to rubble, the city center has been the focus of intense fighting for months. “Ukraine’s key 0506 supply route to the west of the town is likely severely threatened,” the British intelligence update warned. Ukrainian military expert Vladyslav Selezniov previously said that forces will have to retreat if...

The original Easter morning changed the world. Your birth year is in direct reference to the birth year of Jesus Christ. But we wouldn’t know anything about the itinerant rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, had He not walked out of His own tomb. He would be a footnote to history.

Note: Jack originally published this article in 2003. It remains one of the most popular on this site, and for good reason. It’s a great example of what we love about his studies: taking God at His Word and not relying on human logic or tradition. This study has been an eye opener for so many, but some have had a hard time reconciling the differences between the Jewish calendar and their own, in particular, that the Jewish day begins at sundown. I created the new image you’ll find at the bottom of the article, hoping that a visual representation...