According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The Paschal Mystery of Jesus, which comprises his passion, death resurrection, and glorification, stands at the center of the Christian faith because God's saving plan was accomplished once for all by the redemptive death of his Son Jesus Christ." The Catechism goes on to say that in the liturgy of the Church "it is principally his own Paschal mystery that Christ signifies and makes present."

    At every Mass, which is a celebration of the Paschal Mystery, we remember and proclaim “the mystery of faith” responding to God’s action by saying:

• We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again. 
• When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again. 
• Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.

Thus, our response professes our belief in the Paschal Mystery and our part in it.  No, I’m not suggesting that we are saviors, but rather that the “dyings” and “risings” that we do in our daily lives are united with Christ’s perfect sacrifice!   What are these “dyings’ and “risings?”

     An obvious answer is whenever we personally say “No” to sin, we are dying.  But there are many other occasions or opportunities we have to “die.”  Whenever we put our personal desires aside in order to serve others, we are “dying to self” and “arising to new life centered on Christ; we are living the Paschal Mystery!  Some of these “dyings” might be quite dramatic as we see in the lives of martyrs, but others are more mundane like the parent who stays up all night nursing a sick child or the person who donates free time to “Habitat for Humanity.”  There are so many other examples.   Where, in your own life, are you aware of dying to yourself in order to serve?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slLLVzWzQWg                 We Proclaim Your Death
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-72zONivNQ                   When We Eat This Bread