He descended into hell

The Church points out to us that “The Apostles’ Creed confesses in the same article Christ’s descent into hell and His Resurrection from the dead on the third day, because in His Passover, it was precisely out of the depths of death that He made life spring forth.”

Apr 22, 2023

                                  

You may be wondering why I am talking about hell in this joyous Easter season. Where most people seem happy to talk about new life, why bring up the topic of Christ’s descent into hell when He has already risen?

I used to enjoy Easter celebrations for what they seem to offer: hope in the midst of my darkness, joy in the midst of my sadness. Watching the spectacle of candles being lit and gradually dispelling the darkness in order to usher in a grand entrance of Christ’s light into the world gave me hope that the same could happen in my life. Enjoying great food and company over Easter parties and celebrations with friends gave me a momentary joy that helped me forget about my sadness for a little while.

Yet it never occurred to me till recently that another effect the above can bring is an unknowing avoidance of my darkness, a rejection of my sadness, and a glimpse of hope and new life that merely remains on the surface, but never quite goes any deeper.

“He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead”

The Church points out to us that “The Apostles’ Creed confesses in the same article Christ’s descent into hell and His Resurrection from the dead on the third day, because in His Passover, it was precisely out of the depths of death that He made life spring forth.” (CCC 631) In other words, we cannot possibly talk about new life if we do not talk about death; we cannot truly allow life to spring forth if we do not enter the depths of our own death that lingers deep within our hearts and souls.

In a recent prayer activity that I participated in on Holy Saturday, we were invited to bring Christ with us as we entered the depths of our ‘tomb’, the places that seem to take life away from us, and allow the Lord to reveal memories from our past that seem to entrap us in a certain lie or wound.

What eventually surfaced for me was a memory of my grandmother chasing my four-year old self around the house with a cane, that led me to finally locking myself in the bathroom to avoid punishment. I could not recall the reason why she was trying to cane me, but I remember feeling trapped, fearful and victimised. While on hindsight, I do believe she was doing so out of love for me, and I might have done something wrong at that time, but what is also true is that it left me with a wound that traumatised me from young. It partly explains why I often think of myself as a ‘victim’, especially whenever I feel misjudged or rejected by others, even as an adult, and eventually would want to also run and hide from the world in shame and self-defeat.

“Truly, the hour is coming and has indeed come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, on hearing it, will live.” (Jn 5:25)

The Church continues to teach that “The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfilment.” (CCC 634) Only when I am able to allow Christ to descend with me into the depths of my own ‘hell’, can I allow Him to more fully and deeply speak the Gospel message of salvation into my own painful realities, and lift me out of them.

As a continuation of the prayer activity, we were invited to choose an object that represented our wounded child, and allow God to love this little child. As I felt safe in God’s loving presence, I started weeping as if these were the tears of my younger self that were never acknowledged. But as I remained with my younger self in the presence of God, I gradually heard God’s voice of comfort and truth spoken over me. He acknowledged how painful it must have been to be in that situation, yet also assured that I no longer need remain as a ‘victim’, but can claim my identity as Victor and Beloved son. I no longer need to run and hide, but can stand tall in His loving and victorious presence. These words meant so much more to me in the depths of my ‘hell’, and were also what lifted me up so much higher upon hearing these words of truth and salvation.

While I am aware that complete healing does not happen overnight, I can still rejoice in the truth that resurrection is taking place within my heart and soul, and I no longer need to avoid or deny any moments of darkness or sadness in my life. When we dare allow Christ our Saviour to walk with us into the depths of our pain and sorrow, we can also allow Him to lift us up and renew us in a very deep and powerful way. In this way, Easter no longer becomes just a once-a-year event, but an ongoing reality in the depths of our heart and soul.

(“Nicholas enjoys creating safe spaces for people to encounter God and His truths in a deep and personal way, particularly through creativity and authenticity. He also offers spiritual direction or accompaniment and can be contacted at [email protected].)

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