By Father John Catoir | Catholic News Service

The whole purpose of Jesus, who came to us as a man, was to lead us out of the prison of this world to the next, and to a new level of existence. Jesus never promised us happiness on earth. This truth needs to be understood better. Those who are caught up in the “gospel of prosperity” need to re-examine the Lord’s teachings on the true meaning of the cross and resurrection.

What Jesus promised was eternal life to those who follow the Gospel of love. The first fruit of love is service, which calls for sacrifice, even to the point of suffering and death, a lesson we revisit every year at Easter.

Love is the supreme law, and that doesn’t mean that we’re to be happy only when others serve us and love us, and when our abundance grows at the expense of the misery of others. It is quite common for people to mistake self-service as the goal of life. Most people are basically good, but they don’t fully understand what self-transcendence means –- with any luck, Easter can teach us about that.

One does not have to suffer or die to transcend the limits of self. In fact, the act is often joyous and liberating, but one does need to be ready to surrender to God’s will in all circumstances. It takes time to comprehend this.

The average person begins by loving another person, sometimes surrendering one’s individual life to the beloved in service. There are different forms of this type of service and self-surrender.

The mystery of how love can lead us out of this valley of tears to a paradise of eternal joy is revealed in what we hear and celebrate at Easter, which culminates in the death and resurrection of Jesus. St. Paul wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, then empty (too) is our preaching; empty, too, your faith” (1 Cor 15:14 ).

It’s crucial that we understand and believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As we reassert our faith in the miracle of the resurrection, think about the historical context of the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection.

Immediately after Jesus died on the cross, the apostles knew they were hunted men. They were terrified and ran in every possible direction. Peter even denied that he ever knew Jesus. All of his followers were in a panic.

Suddenly, to their absolute amazement, Jesus appeared to them -- and to others. He came back from the dead. His glorified body had passed through locked doors. His words held them spellbound.

Then something happened to each of them individually: self-transcendence. They were released from the prison of the self -- with all its fears -- and stepped away from their emotional chains. They became new creations, ready to face the hostile forces that had terrified them only minutes before.

They subsequently went to all the corners of the known world and began preaching the Gospel and gave their lives for Jesus, their crucified Lord.

Father Catoir is a columnist for Catholic News Service and a founder of The Christophers.