Thirty-Second Sunday November 11, 2007

2 Maccabees 7: 1-2,9-14 Ps 17 2 Thes 2:16 -3:5 Luke 20: 27-38

To God all people are alive

1. Seven sons seems to be a common number in our first reading and the Gospel. These readings are brought together because they both touch on Life after death. Both readings accept Life after death, but what type of life will that be?

Our first reading is from the Second book of Maccabees. It describes the gruesome death of Seven Sons. Antiochus Epiphanes was the King. Later a revolt would be raised by the Maccabees to depose this Syrian ruler. It would be successful. But in our reading today, Epiphanes is very much in power. He hoped that the Maccabean brothers would break down and worship the idols. But they did not. They did not fear death.

This story would be the basis of a development of a philosophy of the Resurrection later on in Judaism. In the 12th chapter of this same book, Judas Maccabeus takes up a collection to offer sacrifices for the dead. We are told “he acted in an excellent and noble way. For if he were not expecting the fallen to rise, it would be useless and foolish to pray for them in death.” (2 Mac 12:40)

However, it was a different philosophy of resurrection. If you remember the story behind the beautiful African American Spiritual: Dem Bones. There too we had a resurrection of the dead. But it simply meant a prolongation of the same type of life they had before they died. Now there is a new philosophy of the Resurrection. It will be a total renewal of life, unlike the one you had before. (Dan 12:2)

2. The Gospel story has nothing gruesome about it. Unless you consider that one woman had to marry seven brothers. They were unable to raise a son who would carry on the family name. However, it is not a real life experience, but more a hypothetical one which would one would discuss in a Cafe over a cup of coffee. At first sight it would seem a waste of time and energy, especially in view of what Paul would later write in 1 Cor 2:9. “Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard what God has prepared for those who love God.”

What do we know about life after death. Sometimes we are afraid of even talking about Death. It seems to be a helpful thing especially as we celebrate Remembrance Day and we have before our altar the traditional urn with the names of all our Relatives who have gone before us marked with the sign of peace.

3. Some one was saying to me, isn’t it morbid that you should be thinking of death? Your father lived to be 94, and your mother is flying off on a jet plane even as she approaches 90. You have long life in your genes. And I replied it is precisely because of that reason that it is healthy to meditate on Death and dying, not so much to prepare for Death, but rather to make best use of one’s life while it is still a gift from God.

As the pagan phrase goes: those whom the gods love die young. It is not that they are taken away in their 20s and 30s, but rather those who continue to live lovingly and are loved by others, never get old. Chronologically they may be 70, 80 and even 90 - but they are young in heart and take everything as a challenge. They are full of life and vigour.

4. However we do not want to talk about death, because Death is mysterious and threatening. It is threatening not because it is accompanied by pain. Childbirth is accompanied by pain, but it is not threatening or mysterious except for the wonder of a new born child. People have been through childbirth and come and told us about it. Not so with DEATH. No one has come back to tell us what Death is all about.

5. You might say, wait a minute Jesus rose from the Dead and he visited the Apostles, he even had breakfast with them. True, but Jesus talked about life not death and what type of life we would live. He simply tells us that God has prepared something wonderful for us.

Then again, we have had relatives and friends who have died. We have been at their death bed. They have told us: I see a light. It is as if Jesus or Mary is calling to me. I have had this experience more than once. But never has the dying person told us or described to us this experience. It is simply: “I am being called” and they die. You cannot even get into a dialogue with them.

And so we have TV commercials who try to picture Life after death as a an angel sitting on clouds eating Philadelphia cheese and not putting on extra weight or having cholesterol problems! Like the Scribes in the Gospel we would be wasting our time in speculation. Life in heaven is nothing like that on earth. And Jesus plainly tells them that since there is no need of the prolongation of the human race, there would be no need of marriage or giving in marriage.

So there is just one question: How should I live my life? And the reverse to that is: Should I fear death? Although we won’t say it aloud, our answer to the second part is : we do fear death !

How should I live my life? As a Jesuit, the answer is given to me in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius in the meditation called: “The Principal and Foundation” Personally I have been trying to live this all my life with a greater or lesser degree of success.

“All things on this earth have been given to me by God. And so I pray Psalm 8:

When I consider the heavens the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you have made, what are we humans that you keep us in mind, mortals that you care for us?

It is only natural that I should feel a sense of constant security and gratitude. If God has the whole world in God’s hands, why should I fear. Joy and thanksgiving should fill my heart. It is also a challenge to be a good steward of creation since God has entrusted all this to me. I am also called to evangelize and tell others the Good news that God is in our land !

Appendix Story:

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the examination room and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, “Did you notice my dog? He has never been in this room before. He did not know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.

I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing… I know my master is there and that is enough for me.