work. But death is not the ultimate evil. Sin

work. But death is not the ultimate evil. Sin is the cause of death. Sin violates man’s dignity by upsetting the right order of things as established by the Creator. From the sin of Adam to our own sins, man suffers because of the disorder that he himself caused by disobedience.

Through sin, we bring disorder and suffering on ourselves.

Despite our disobedience, God continues to desire our happiness.

So our suffering must be healed at its root. Medical science can take away most of our physical pain, but medical science cannot guarantee us eternal life. Lazarus, who was raised from the dead, is now dead. All who were cured by Christ are now dead. Either the ministry of Christ w as a cruel joke, or His mighty deeds were directing our attention to something far more profound than physical healing. The root of all suffering is sin, and sin must be forgiven to avoid “eternal” suffering.

Hence, the miracles of Christ ultimately have meaning for us to the extent that they stir us to faith. Jesus did not come into the world to be a mere wonder worker. He came to rescue and forgive sinners and to heal our wounded souls. Christ alone has authority to forgive sins, an authority He entrusts to His priests. He wants to heal and restore our human nature to its original innocence.

Just as Christ was “obedient unto death” to the Father, He beckons us to take up our crosses and follow Him in faith. In faith, the Cross of Christ is not a sign of defeat, but a promise of final victory.

Death remains a mystery. But with the obedience of faith in Christ, we begin to overcome our ambivalence towards death. Death has become the “narrow gate” for life with Christ.

For in Christ, with the certainty of faith, we can joyfully proclaim wdth St. Paul: “Death, where is thy victory? Death, where is thy sting?”

Father Pokorsky is the priest assigned to St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Washington.