The Resurrection Letters
THE RESURRECTION LETTERS
godliness falls from the true faith. Paul, recognizing this, advised his disciples: "Avoid profane conversations, for they lead people further into ungodliness and their talk eats away like gangrene. And Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples" (2 Tim.
2:16,17). Then he tells what their wickedness was: "They have left the faith, saying that the resurrection is already past" (2
Tim. 2:18).
In another place the apostle says, "And all those who will live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12).
Then, to help prevent people from renouncing godliness when they are persecuted, he urges them to cling to the faith, "You, therefore, continue in the things you have learned and been assured of" (2 Tim. 3:14). Just as brothers become strongly knit together when one helps another, so faith and godliness, coming from the same family, hang together. A person who gives his attention to one of the two is strengthened by the other.
Consequently, wishing Timothy to live godly to the end and to fight the battle in faith, St. Paul says, "Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life" (1 Tim. 6:12).
Anyone who turns away from the wickedness of idols and properly confesses the true God will fight his enemies by faith.
We have been speaking of faith and godliness. Both of them have the same hope: everlasting life. The apostle says, "Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life" and "Exercise yourself in godliness, for it has the promise of the present life and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 4:7,8).
THE ERRONEOUS DOCTRINES OF THE ARIANS
That is why the Ario-maniacs,® being enemies of Christ, have left the church. They have dug a pit of unbelief into which they themselves have fallen. Having grown in their ungodliness, they wreck the faith of simple people [cf. Rom16:18] by blaspheming the Son, saying that He is a creature, made out of nothing. The apostle Paul's words against Philetus and SAthanasius called the Arians "Ario-maniacs" often —and not flippantly, either.
He considered them actually to have gone insane with their heresy.
LETTER IX
Hymenaeus stand as a warning against ungodliness such as that of the Arians: "God's foundation is firm, bearing this seed: 'The Lord knows His own people' and 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity' " (2 Tim. 2:19).
Anyone who hopes to properly celebrate the Feast should stay away from the wickedness and evil deeds being done by sinners, for a person who is splattered by the filth of the wicked is not ready to sacrifice the Passover to the Lord our God. The people of Israel recognized that when they were still in Egypt, so they said, "We cannot sacrifice the Passover to the Lord our
God in Egypt" (Exod. 8:26). God, who is over all, wanted them to go far away from the servants of Pharaoh and from the "furnace of iron" (cf. Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51). He wanted them set free from wickedness and cleansed of all foreign ideas so that they would be able to take in the knowledge of God and of righteous living.
It is as He said through St. Paul, "Come out from among them 'and be separate from them and do not touch unclean things" (2 Cor. 6:17). For no one is going to turn away from sin and start behaving righteously unless he thinks about what he is doing. Not until he has been straightened out by practicing godly behavior will he actually possess the reward of faith: the crown of righteousness that Paul possessed, having fought the good fight. That crown is laid up not just for Paul, but for all who are like him in this respect.
CHRISTIANS EVERYWHERE UNITED IN SPIRIT
This sort of meditation and exercise in godliness should be familiar to us, as it was to the saints of old. It should be especially so in the season when the divine Word calls upon us to keep the Feast. For what, after all, is the Feast but continual worship of God, recognition of godliness, and unceasing prayer all done from the heart in full agreement with each other? St.
Paul, wanting us to be so inclined, urges us, "Always rejoice, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all things" (1 Thess. 5:1618). + let us keep the Feast together —not with division between
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us, but unitedly and collectively, as the prophet exhorts: "O come let us rejoice in the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to God our Savior" (Ps. 95:1). Who, then, is going to be so negligent or so disobedient to the divine command that he will not forsake everything and hurry to assemble with the faithful for the Feast? And that Feast, remember, is not held in just one place. It is not just the believers in one location who keep it, for "into all the earth their song has gone forth, and their words have gone to the ends of the world" (Ps. 19:4). The sacrifice is not just offered in one place, but "in every nation incense and a pure sacrifice are offered to God" (Mal. 1:11).
When praise and prayer ascend to our gracious and good Father with such unity from people everywhere; when the catholic church everywhere celebrates together in the same worship to God with gladness and rejoicing; when all the faithful in common send up a song of praise and shout, "Amen!"; that will be such a blessed time, brothers and sisters. Who will not be praying devoutly at that time? The walls of every antagonistic power will fall like those of Jericho, and the gift of the Holy Spirit will be richly poured out upon all [cf. John 7:39;
Rom. 5:5; John 20:22}. Then each of us, recognizing the presence of the Spirit, will say, "We are all filled with your grace in the morning, and we rejoice and are made glad all day long"
(Ps. 90:14, Septuagint).
THE PARTY OF EUSEBIUS
Therefore, let us make a joyful noise with the saints, and let us all take part as we should, forgetting the afflictions and difficulties that the party of Eusebius is presently causing us."
Even now they are plotting against us, hoping to cause our death.
Nevermind: The defender of godliness is the Lord. We are 7The Arian heretics were led by Eusebius of Nicomedia. At this very time they were meeting with the emperor, Constantius, to discuss having Athanasius removed as bishop of Alexandria and placing a heretic of their choice in the office. During Lent the persecutors came, and Athanasius had to go into hiding.
LETTER Ix
faithful servants of His and we know that He will save us when trouble comes. Remember what He promised: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely because of Me. Rejoice and be very glad, for your reward in heaven is great" (Matt. 5:11, 12).
Our Redeemer did not say that everybody in this world would have troubles—only those who live in reverence of Him.
Therefore, the more our enemies attack us, the more relieved we should be. When they abuse us, we should fight for the faith. And the more they try to turn us away from godliness, the more we should preach it boldly, saying to the Lord, "All these things have come upon us, but we have not forgotten You' (Ps.
44:17). And, "We have not behaved evilly as have the Ariomaniacs who say that You came into being out of nothing." Oh, no, for we know that the Word, who is eternally with the Father, is also from and of His nature.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, let us keep the Feast — and not as a time of grief and mourning. Nor should we let the difficulties we face because of the faith cause us to give up and mingle with heretics. Instead, let us pay attention to those things that promote gladness and joy, lest our hearts become sad like Cain's. Like good and faithful servants of the Lord, we want to hear Him say, "Enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matt.
25:21). These days of Easter are not a time of sorrow and mourning, as some people may think. We come to the Feast full of joy and gladness.
ARIANS, JEWS OPPOSED TO CHRIST
Therefore, we do not keep the Feast in the manner of the deceitful error of the Jews. Nor do we keep it according to the teaching of the Arians, which removes the Son from the Godhead, considering Him a created being. No, we keep the Feast according to the correct doctrine we received from the Lord.
The deceptive error followed by the Jews and the unqualified irreverence of the Arians both lead, finally, only to sad memories. The Jews slew the Lord, and the Arians would
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remove His conquest of that death, for they say He is not the Creator, but a creature. You see, if He were a creature, death would have held Him. But if as the Scriptures positively state,
He was not held by death, then He is no creature but the Lord of creatures — and the substance of this immortal Feast (cf. 1
Cor. 5:7).
For the Lord over death set out to abolish death, and being Lord, He accomplished His aim. Thus we have passed from death to life. But the concept the Jews and those who think like them held about the Lord was all wrong. Things did not turn out at all according to their expectations, for the reverse was true. In fact, "He who sits in heaven shall laugh at them: the Lord shall have them in derision" (Ps. 2:4).
That is why our Savior restrained the women with Him from weeping when He was being led to death: "Weep not for Me"
(Luke 23:28). He wished to show that His death was not an event for us to mourn about, but rather to be joyful about, since
He who died for us is alive! For He was not created out of nothing; He derives His being from the Father.
PARTAKE OF CHRIST AS TRUE FOOD
It truly is a matter of joy that in the body of the Lord we see the signs of victory over death—our immortality. For since He rose victoriously, so will we; and since His body passed beyond mortality, there can be no doubt about our immortality.® The apostle Paul said (and he was telling the truth) that just as through one man [Adam] sin passed to all of humanity, through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall all rise (Rom.
5:12,18). As he put it in another place, "this perishable nature will put on the imperishable and this mortal will put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:53).
All of this was accomplished in our Lord's Passion, when He died for us, for "Christ our Passover is sacrificed" (1 Cor. 5:7).
Therefore, since He has been sacrificed for us, let us feed upon 8See St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation, (Crestwood, N.Y.:
St. Vladimir's Press, 1977), para. 50, pp. 88-89.
LETTER IX
Him, partaking of His nourishment with eagerness and zeal.
For He is given to all of us without grudging, and in each of us He is a "well of water flowing to eternal life" (John 4:14).
THE DATES OF THE EASTER SEASON
On March 5 we begin the forty-day fast, purifying ourselves and serving the Lord in abstinence. We commence the activities of Easter Week on April 9, extending the fast until
Saturday evening. Then, when the light of the morning dawns upon us on Easter Sunday (April 15), we will already be bright with the light of the Lord.
It is fitting, then, for us to rejoice and be glad—with the joy that springs from good works— for the whole seven weeks from then until Pentecost. And every day we should be giving glory to the Father, saying, "This is the day which the Lord has made: we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps. 118:24)— through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through whom to the same and to His Father be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the brothers and sisters who are with me greet you. I pray, dear brothers and sisters, that you will have health in the Lord.
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Pore Sian yah onghe Pro et She ut ra; * ng. erie VAT a ' gel ie Tt sr Sere t g y Madsetls «Sit, SSeS. a ' i waz)» » hee ; « ey
THE TENTH LETTER
A.D. 341
SUFFERING PREPARES US FOR
ETERNAL GLORY
INTRODUCTION TO
THE TENTH LETTER
Athanasius was not able to send the usual Easter Letter in 340 because the Arians had a false bishop in Alexandria oppressing the people. There is a short letter to his friend Bishop Serapian of Thumuis, which may have been his notice for that year.
However, this letter of 341 was sent from Rome, where he had fled for shelter. That fact and that of the persecution of the church by heretics are duly noted in the letter.
In this Festal Letter, Athanasius uses the existing situation to teach some lessons about trials and tribulations. He points out how the Scriptures teach that our faith is tested and tried so that it can be displayed. That is good not only for the one tested but also for those who are reluctant to face trials, because when they see the results, tribulation will look good rather than bad.
The wicked, of course, bent on enjoying themselves to the full till they die, hate trials.
What is needed, Athanasius tells his flock, is an eternal outlook. Keep your eyes fixed on the glory that lies ahead, rather than on these temporary things around us. Since we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, we shouldn't even compare present sufferings with the eternal glory to come.
Instead, we should be glad when we are faced with all these trials, because they do good things to us. Let us consider them as means to draw closer to God.
1St. Athanasius: Select Works and Letters, Vol. 4, A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, ed. Philip Schaff and Henry
Wace, Second Series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971), pp. 538-39.
INTRODUCTION TO RESURRECTION LETTER X
Today we live in a "soft" time, age, and place. There have been many Christian martyrs in our time, but persecution leading to death is unknown in the United States. We live in a society where religious pluralism and tolerance are highly exalted. We have come to expect that Christians, like every other religious group, can anticipate freedom to follow God as they see Him (or gods as they see them). Consequently, the least little bit of pressure because of the faith causes worry and consternation.
In fact, we are so used to the comfortable and secure life of our day that we unconsciously consider any kind of problem bad. When trials come we say, "Why me?" and do everything we can to wiggle out of them, assuming, as the lawless do, that trials are bad for us. Oh, dear modern Christians: Awake, for difficulties are to the end that "the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested with fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7).
LETTER X A.D. 341
Dear brothers and sisters: Even though the Arian enemies of Christ have been oppressing both you and us, I am still able to send you the customary notice of the Feast of our salvation.
God is comforting us in our common faith, so although I am keeping the Feast with the people of God here in Rome, I am also keeping it with you in will and spirit. With you, we send up prayers to God, who has made it possible not only for us to believe in Him, but now also to suffer for His sake (Phil. 1:29). Yes, even though it troubles us a great deal to be so far away from you, He is moving us to write so that at least we can comfort each other and stimulate each other to do good (Heb. 10:24).
PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY
HERETICS We have indeed experienced numerous attacks and much bitter persecution aimed at the church. Heretics, unfamiliar with the faith and corrupt in their thinking, have risen up against the truth and are violently persecuting the church.
Some of the brothers and sisters have been whipped, and others have been torn apart on the rack. This ill treatment has become so vicious that it has even spread to the bishops. Nevertheless, it is not appropriate for us to neglect the Feast because of such things. Actually, rather than neglecting its celebration, we should be more determined than ever to remember it.
LETTER X
Unbelievers don't really think about such things as seasons for feasts, for they spend all their time in foolishness and carousing. The feasts they do have are times of grief rather than joy.
But since for us the feasts are a regular passage to heaven in the midst of this present life, the seasons mean a great deal to us.
Troubles such as we are going through give opportunity to prove and to improve ourselves. Having through them proven ourselves to be choice and eager servants of Christ, we will be revealed as fellow heirs with the saints. As Job said, "The whole world is a trial to men on the earth" (Job 7:1). Perhaps so, but the troubles, sorrows, and travail we go through test us so that we will each receive the proper reward from God. As He says through the prophet, "I am the Lord, who tries hearts and searches minds in order to give to everyone what his life shows he should have" (Jer. 17:10). Of course, He doesn't first learn about a person when he is tested; He knows everything before it happens. But He is good and does good to mankind, so He rewards everyone according to his works.
Consequently, all will have to exclaim in the end, "The judgment of God is righteous!" As the prophet says in another place, "The Lord tries the righteous and understands thoughts and feelings" (Jer. 20:12).
He also has other reasons for trying and testing us. For one thing, He sometimes tests us so our virtues will be revealed by our reaction —as in the case of Job: "Was I revealed to you for any other reason than that you should be seen righteous?" (Job
40:8,9 [vv. 3,4, Septuagint]). Or sometimes He puts people through a trial so that when they see what their own deeds are like, they will realize where they are heading and will either repent of their wickedness or remain steadfast in the faith, as the case requires.
St. Paul, for example, when faced by trouble, persecution, hunger, and thirst was through it all "a conqueror, through Jesus Christ who loved us" (Rom 8:37). Suffering surely weakened his body, but believing and hoping, he was strong in spirit and his strength was made perfect in weakness (2 Cor.
12:9).
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CHRISTIANS TRIED FOR THEIR OWN GOOD
The other saints, having the same confidence in God, gladly accepted the same sort of testing — as Job, for example, who said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). And the psalmist asked for testing: "Search me, O Lord, and try me: test my heart and my mind" (Ps. 26:2). When strength is tested and proven, even foolish people are convinced.
These saints, because they saw that the "divine fire" would cleanse them and benefit them, did not shrink back from or get discouraged by the trials they faced. Rather than being hurt by what they went through, they grew and were made better, shining like gold that has been refined in a fire (cf. Mal. 3:3; 1
Peter 1:7). As one who had gone successfully through this sort of thing said, "You have tried my heart; You have visited me at night; You have tested me and found no evil in me; I do not harm others with my mouth" (Ps. 17:3).
Rebels, on the other hand, since all they understand is eating, drinking, and dying, consider trials to be dangerous. They very quickly stumble over them, and then, having an untested and unstable faith, their evil minds run free and they fall into improper behavior (cf. Rom 1:28). Therefore St. Paul urges us to exercise our faith in the face of troubles. Having already come through them victoriously, he said, "Therefore I take pleasure in persecutions and weaknesses" (2 Cor. 12:10). In another place he said, "Exercise yourself in godliness" (1 Tim.
4:7). He knew that those who choose to live godly lives are going to be persecuted, so he wanted his disciples to be aware of the difficulties they would face. Then when the trials and afflictions did come, they would have built up enough strength to handle them easily.
You know yourself that when you've been looking forward to something, even if it's hard, you experience a secret joy when it actually comes.
MARTYRS REFINED BY THEIR SUFFERINGS
This is how the blessed martyrs were so quickly matured in
LETTER X
Christ that they were able to keep their minds on the expected rest rather than the pain and injury their bodies would go through (cf. Col. 1:28). They had already experienced trials and troubles that had brought them a long way toward that attitude of life.
What a contrast to those people who name their estates after themselves (Ps. 49:11), and those who have their minds on hay, wood, and stubble (cf. 1 Cor. 3:12)! These people are aliens to the kingdom of heaven because they are strangers to troubles.
Oh, if they only understood that "tribulation works patience, and patience strength of character, and strong character hope, and hope does not disappoint" (Rom. 5:3-5). Then they would have exercised themselves as Paul did: "I buffet my body and keep it under subjection so that after I've preached to others, I will not be disqualified myself" (1 Cor. 9:27).
They would have gladly borne the afflictions that came along in life if they had listened to the prophetic advice: "It is good for a man to take Your yoke in his youth; let him sit alone and be silent when he has taken it up. Let him turn his cheek to the one who strikes him and accept insults. Because the Lord does not reject forever, for when He afflicts, He is gracious, according to the abundance of His tender mercies" (Lam. 3:27-32).
TEMPORAL AFFLICTIONS AND ETERNAL
GLORY For though enemies rain down wounds, insults, and accusations, they amount to nothing when compared to the tender mercies of God. We will quickly recover from such earthly injuries, for God is always gracious and always pours out His tender mercies on those who please Him. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, we shouldn't pay attention to the things of time and earth. Rather, we should fix our attention on those things that are eternal.
If trouble comes, there will be an end to it; if insults and persecutions fall upon us, they are nothing in comparison to the hope that is set before us. In fact, all present matters are trifling compared with future matters. The sufferings of these days are
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not even worth comparing with the hope that is to come (cf.
Rom 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17).
What can be compared with the kingdom of God? What is like eternal life? Or what is all that we could possibly give here compared with what we shall inherit there? For we are "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" (Rom 8:17). Therefore, dear friends, we shouldn't even think about troubles and persecutions. Our minds should dwell on the hopes that are laid up for us because of the persecutions!
IMITATING THE EXAMPLE OF ISSACHAR
Perhaps the example of the patriarch Issachar, as described in the Scriptures, will help to persuade us: "Issachar desires that which is good, resting between the heritages; and when he saw that the rest was good and the land fertile, he bowed his shoulder to work and became a farmer" (Gen. 49:14).?
Burning with divine love like the spouse in the Song of Solomon, Issachar obtained the truth from the holy Scriptures.
His mind was not absorbed only with the things of earth, but with both things of the present and things to come. Like a bird just beginning to spread its wings, he had a glimpse of "the rest" which is to come in heaven. Knowing that the earth is beautiful, he formed some idea of how much more beautiful the heavenly country is— since it is always bright and new, never growing old. As the Lord said, the "country" we presently possess is passing away, but the one that is waiting for the saints is immortal.
Now when Issachar the patriarch understood these facts, he 21 know of no English version in which the first part of this verse is rendered exactly as Athanasius puts it. It is interesting, however, that the Jerusalem
Targum paraphrases the verse this way: "And he saw the rest of the world to come, that it was good, and the portion of the land of Israel, that it was pleasant; therefore he inclined his shoulders to work in the law, and his brethren brought gifts unto him."
Athanasius' comment on the passage treats it much that way. He sees Issachar as treating this world as what God had given him for the time being — something to be willingly and cheerfully accepted as a blessing, whatever troubles might be associated with it. But he looked forward to that great heritage to come, and this hope was his mainstay through life.
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rejoiced in all the hard work and troubles he had to live with and willingly applied himself to the work at hand. Consequently, he did not fight against those who struck him, nor was he disturbed by insults. In fact, all these things made him like a strong man more and more victorious. Eamestly cultivating his "land," he made a profit from it. Oh yes, the Word scattered the seed, but Issachar watchfully tended it so that it brought forth a hundred times what was put into it.
RIGHTEOUS SUFFERING UNITES US TO GOD
It is therefore appropriate, dear friends, for us to take pride in the troubles (cf. Rom 5:3) that come when enemies attack us.
And when we are persecuted we should not be discouraged, but instead we ought to press even more earnestly after "the crown of the high calling in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Phil 3:14). When we are insulted, that should not disturb us. We should simply turn our cheek to the one who attacks us and even bow our shoulders for his blows.
The apostle James tells us that those who love pleasure and hostility are tested "when they are drawn away by their own lusts and enticed" (James 1:14). We, however, are going to suffer for the truth. Well, then, when those who deny the Lord attack us and persecute us, let us, "count it all joy, my brethren, when we encounter various trials and temptations, because we know that the testing of our faith produces inner strength"
(James 1:2,3).
Let us rejoice as we keep the Feast, brothers and sisters, for we know that although troubles may come, our salvation is sure.
Remember that our Savior did not redeem us by taking the easy way; He abolished death by suffering for us. And He warned us about what was in store by saying, "In the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). He didn't tell this for the benefit of everyone — only for those who serve Him faithfully and diligently.
On the other hand, "evildoers and deceivers will get worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:13). These ignorant people are like false prophets and interpreters of dreams. Drunk, not with wine but with their own wickedness,
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they make a pretense of priesthood and exult in the threats they throw at you. Don't believe them. Since we are being tried and tested, let us humble ourselves and refuse to be drawn away by them.
Through Moses, God long ago warned His people to the same effect, saying, "If a prophet or a dreamer rises up among you and offers signs or wonders in an attempt to get you to follow and worship strange gods whom you have not known, do not listen to that prophet or dreamer even if the signs or wonders come true. For the Lord your God is testing you to determine whether you will love the Lord your God with all your heart"
(Deut. 13:1-3). Remembering this when we are faced with these testings, we will not separate ourselves from the love of God.
But let us keep the Feast now, dear friends — and not as a day of suffering, but as one of joy in Christ, who feeds us every day. Let us be thinking of the One who was sacrificed at Passover time, for our whole celebration is because Christ our
Passover was sacrificed (1 Cor. 5:7). He is the One who once brought His people out of Egypt, and now He has abolished both death and the one who has the power of death
— that is, the devil (Heb. 2:14). Even now He is bringing shame upon that evil one and giving aid to those who are distressed and cry out to God day and night (Luke 18:7).
THE DATES OF THE EASTER SEASON
We begin the forty-day fast on March 9 and Holy Week on April 13. Thus, we end our fast on Saturday, April 18, and when
Easter Sunday dawns on April 19 we begin the period of feasting which lasts until Pentecost. At all times let us sing praises, calling on Christ, for we have been delivered from our enemies by Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom to the Father be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All those who are here with me greet you. I pray, my dear brothers and sisters, that you may have health in the Lord.
THE ELEVENTH LETTER
A.D. 342
CHRIST IS OUR HOLINESS
INTRODUCTION TO
THE ELEVENTH LETTER
Athanasius lived in Rome more than three years. Thus he was still there when it came time to write the Festal Letter of 342. Exiled from home, separated by miles and by a sea from his beloved flock, he still managed to get a letter to them.
This letter is designed to lead them to holiness. His method, of course, is to point them to Christ, who is the Way, the Shepherd, the Door, the High Priest — indeed, He is our life.
He reminds his readers that it is God who came to us. He suffered in His flesh so that He could feed us and give us His saving drink.
Therefore, says Athanasius, we don't come to a feast that is a shadow of the real thing, as the Jews did when they ate the Passover. We come to the Lord, who is Himself the Feast. That is, Christ is the true Passover Lamb. At the Table, although we eat bread and drink wine, we eat His flesh and drink His blood, and we are nourished on His glorified humanity. So let us be holy as He is holy. That way we will conquer death and experience the Holy Spirit, the pledge of the kingdom of heaven.
What a message for us! Today we often have a low view of the Incarnation. Either we downplay Jesus' divinity and unconsciously recognize Him as just a man, or we fail to realize the glorious significance of the fact that the Son of God, the Word, took on real humanity. Consequently, it begins to mean little that through faith we are united to Him in baptism, united to His resurrected humanity. As a result, we do not accept as real