XXXII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
CHRISTIAN HOPE
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jiménez
This month of November we started with two important Christians festivals: November 1st, All Saints and November 2nd, All Souls. That brings to our minds a question: What is the meaning of life and death? From reflecting on the Word of God we can say with the Church that “we believe in the resurrection of the dead.” It is the Word of Christ, but also his own Resurrection, which help us to enjoy this response and to continue offering hope to the world.
The story of the 7 brothers and their mother should fill us with courage in our faith to testify before the many current enemies that attack our faith. “After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. When he was near death, he said, ‘It is my choice to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.’” (2 Mac 7: 13-14) That testimony is confirmed by the Book of the Prophet Daniel, which also remembers the atrocities of Epiphanes. The harshness of persecution reaches women and children. All of them were persecuted for remaining faithful to the law of the Lord. Pious Jews were willing to suffer a violent death rather than break the law of God. It’s not easy to understand the persecution throughout the history of the Jewish people and throughout the history of the Church, but many martyrs have testified to the faith and have reached the promises of eternal life. Today, as in those times, in many places on earth Christians continue to be persecuted. May God grant them the certainty of faith and hope, and help us to remain faithful to His commandments.
“Jesus said to them, ‘The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.’” (Lk 20: 34-36) The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead and they were the ones who posed the problem using a fictional story. They believed in the kingdom of God, but a kingdom and transformed land; like many protestants believe now. Jesus came out to meet those who question Him and He answers them in two stages: first, how the life of men will be after the resurrection (like the angels of God, that is completely spiritual); in second place, He clearly affirms the existence of the resurrection. Referring to the first, Jesus says, leaning against the existence of angels, they will be like angels of God and as children of God. Hence the popular expression about our deceased loved ones, “now you have a little angel in heaven who will intercede for you.” I clarify we are and will be children of God, not angels, but we’re compared with angels so it can enter into our reason. There will be not any marriage, because its purpose is to prolong life on earth. I speak about Christian marriage, man and woman, their marriage by reason of procreation and continuance of life. In heaven there is no death, therefore, marriage is no longer necessary. Angels of God and God’s children no longer die. Jesus openly affirms the essence of the future life: it is spiritual, happy, bright and permanent.
What awaits men beyond death? Is there another life? “That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out ‘Lord,’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” (Lk 20: 37-38) With Jesus’ own resurrection he answers the enigma of death. It is an eschatological, transcendent and universal resurrection: with the resurrection of Jesus, all men are called to the resurrection and to the life. He himself is the resurrection and the life. May we live happily while carrying out our daily crosses, bearing witness to Christian hope until we reach true life. Amen.