01-Nov-2016 Dear Friend, Sometimes when confronted with terrible events and unexpected death and suffering of innocent ones, we ask: Where is God? Why do these things have to happen? Why does not God do something? Does life make any sense in the face of evil? God does not provide satisfactory answers but our faith in God can help us to live and go beyond. Our God is a God of life and of the living. He brings forth and sustains life! Have a faith renewing weekend! -Fr. Jude Sun Ref. XXXII Sunday: ‘Belief in the life to come helps us face trials today!’ 06-Nov-20162 Macab. 7: 1-2, 9-14; 2 Thes. 2: 16 - 3: 5 ; Luke 20: 27-38;
The context of today’s first reading is the persecution by King Antiochus of the Jews because of their fidelity to their religion. In the past, the abstention from eating pork characterized one of the religious practices of the Jews. They were persecuted and forced to eat pork in public. In today’s reading we see the powerful witness that a family gives as they prefer to die rather than go against their faith. The motto of the religious Jew was: Death rather than going against God’s precepts and commandments. Their brave mother consoles and encourages her seven sons to go to their death rather than betray God. This is one of the first expressions in the Old Testament of belief in the personal resurrection. Eternal LifeOver the triple doorway of the Cathedral of Milan are some carvings. One is a beautiful wreath of roses and underneath are these words: “All that pleases is just for a moment.” Over another is a cross and underneath: “All that troubles is just for a moment.” But over the great central archway leading to the main aisle is the inscription: “That only is important which is eternal.”Cuthbert Johnson in ‘Quotes and Anecdotes’ In today’s gospel Jesus is approached by some Sadducees who question him about the resurrection. Like so many of us, the Sadducees clung to their own way of thinking which led them to be religiously conservative, opposing any doctrine that did not fit into their way of thinking and living. They believed only in the present life, they enjoyed the present without any worry or concern about the afterlife and hence they questioned the resurrection. In today’s gospel they pose a tricky rabbinical question to Jesus to catch him. They attempt to ridicule the resurrection of the dead by recalling the Mosaic Law on levirate marriage, which stated that if a man dies and has no son, and therefore no legal heir, his brother must marry the widow. In this way the continuity of the family would be guaranteed. The Sadducees develop their example to absurdity in instancing seven brothers each of whom marry the same woman, but each of whom die childless. Jesus in his response elevates the discussion to give a deeper understanding of the resurrected life. Firstly, he said we should not look at the afterlife from our human and limited perspective. Life there is quite different. Secondly, since the Sadducees held only to the Law of Moses, Jesus returned to that citing the remarkable incident of Moses encountering God in the burning bush where he identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. When Moses heard from God, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were long dead, yet God said “I am the God of these three patriarchs” not “I was” but “I am!” their God. So Abraham, Isaac and Jacob still lived! So the creative power of God brings about life after death! The Sadducees became silent. Jesus had showed them that God was the God of life, and God of the living, and those who believe live forever. God of the livingAn old man, an accomplished artist, was applying the finishing touches to a bronze sculpture. He kept filing and polishing every scraping little surface of his masterpiece. “When will it be done?” asked an observer. “Never” came the reply. “I just keep working and working until they come and take it away.” So also is life. It is a pilgrimage; it is an ongoing process. Life is blessed when lived well; it is a gift to be used every day. For what makes life precious and worth living is not years we live but the deeds we do. All our dear departed ones are in the hands of God, they are living persons: living with God.Antony Kolencherry in ‘Living the Word’ Film –The Day AfterWhen the movie The Day After was shown on television in 1983, it caused quite a controversy. This was because it was focused on the ultimate what if- the event of a global nuclear war. What if the population of Kansas City is instantly reduced to vaporized silhouettes; what if the blistered wounded are doomed to die; what if some survivors are surrounded by radioactive fallout that settles like a fine white dust all over the earth? The Day After was intended primarily to provoke serious reflection and discussion about nuclear disarmament. But it also provokes questions about our faith. Would a good God allow such a terrifying evil to happen? Why do we have to die at all? Is there really a resurrection? –Today’s readings suggest some answers to these questions not in the sense of complete explanations, but in the sense of strengthening our faith in Jesus Christ, the Risen Son of the Living God. We don’t get a satisfying answer from the Scriptures to the question, “How can a good God allow such terrible evils like the slaughter of the seven sons of the Maccabees family? Or the death of innocent people in terrorist attacks? But we do get an affirmation of our faith in an afterlife. No matter how terrifying death may be, whether at the hands of terrorists or nuclear weapons, life will be restored. No matter how much destruction a nuclear holocaust may cause, the day after will never be the last day. A new heaven and a new earth will appear because our God is a God of the living and not of the dead. With Christian faith and hope we are strong enough to survive any today, and, if need be, any day after.Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’ Courage in the face of deathThere are two kinds of courage. The first is loud angry and assertive. This is associated with the battlefield. The second is quiet, serene and unassertive. Even so, it is unflinching and impervious to blandishments and threats. We see a heroic example of the second kind of courage in the First Reading. But there are some examples closer to our own times. The following happened in a Jewish ghetto in Eastern Europe during the Second World War. The German authorities appointed a man by the name of Ephraim to the post of president of the Jewish Council. One day they asked Ephraim to submit a list to them of 30 people for slave labour. Ephraim went away and thought about it. Eventually he came back and presented a list to the German authorities. When they examined the list, instead of finding 30 names, they found one name written 30 times. That one name was Ephraim’s own. Ephraim knew that in doing what he did he was signing his own death warrant. Yet he refused to betray one of his brothers or sisters. Before courage like this, one feels poor.Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies’ A Shining WitnessShahbaz Bhatti was born to Catholic parents in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab. His father was an army officer and then became a teacher like his mother. The couple had six children, five boys and one girl. His father, who died after a protracted illness, was the main source of strength for Shahbaz. In 2002 Shahbaz formed the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance and became its first leader. He also joined Benazir Bhutto’s Party and such was the respect in which he was held that he was appointed Minorities Minister that same year. In his acceptance speech he said he was accepting it ‘to help the oppressed, down-trodden and marginalized, and to send a message of hope to the people living a life of disappointment, disillusionment and despair’. He went on, ‘Jesus is the nucleus of my life and I want to be his true follower through my actions by sharing the love of God with poor, needy and suffering people.’ And he was as good as his word. Christians make up only 1.5 percent of Pakistan’s 185 million people. He decided to campaign against the country’s draconian blasphemy law, knowing that in all probability it would cost him his life. It was his defence of one woman in particular, Mrs. Bibi, that sealed his death warrant. Mrs. Bibi was falsely accused of insulting Mohammed, and was sentenced to death by hanging. Bhatti’s support for Mrs. Bibi was the last straw for his enemies. After a visit to his elderly mother, his body was riddled with bullets in Islamabad on March 2, 2011. He was only 42. Later a video he had made in view of such an eventuality was released. In it he said, ‘I am living for my community and for suffering people and I will die to protect their rights. I want to share that I believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for us.’ Everybody loves life. Bhatti loved life too, but he did not cling to it at all costs. For him the real life was eternal life. Faith in eternal life enabled him to sacrifice his life for Christ.Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies’ May we believe in God who sustains and nourishes life always! Fr. Jude Botelho [email protected] PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in these reflections. These reflections are also available on my Web site www.NetForLife.net Thank you.
