1st Reading: 2 Maccabees 7: 1 – 2, 9 – 14
2nd Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2: 16 – 3: 5
Gospel: Luke 20: 27 – 38
As we near the end of the Church’s liturgical year, the readings become more eschatological — having to do with the end times. The main theme of today’s readings is the reality of life after death and of the relationship between our lives on earth and the life of glory or punishment that will follow. The readings invite us to consider the true meaning of the Resurrection in our lives.
The first reading describes a Jewish family, consisting of a mother and her seven sons, who refuse their conqueror’s command to eat pork, forbidden as “unclean” by Jewish Law. Because of their obedient Faith in God, they endure suffering and accept martyrdom. During their torture, three of the brothers speak, and each of them finds strength in the belief that he will eventually be raised and rewarded by God. In the refrain for today’s Responsorial Psalm (Ps 17) we proclaim our Faith: “Lord, when Your glory appears, my joy will be full!”
The second reading encourages the Thessalonians who were waiting for the Parousia or the second coming of Christ, to trust in the fidelity of God Who would strengthen their hearts in every good work and word. Thie same belief in the resurrection of the dead is the basis of the confrontation described in today’s Gospel passage. In this confrontation, Jesus ingeniously escapes from a doctrinal trap set for him and explains the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, supported by the Pharisees and denied by the Sadducees. Jesus speaks of God as the God of the living and declares that heavenly life with God in glory is totally different from earthly life, explaining that there is no marriage in Heaven in the earthly sense. We need to live as people of the Resurrection This means that we are not to lie buried in the tomb of our sins and evil habits. Instead, we are to live joyful and peaceful lives, constantly experiencing the real Presence of the Risen Lord. In addition, the hope of our resurrection to eternal life with God provides us with lasting peace and celestial joy to counter the boredom and tension of our day-to-day lives. Cultivating our awareness of the all-pervading Presence of the Spirit of the living God will help us to control our thoughts, desires, words, and behaviour. The salutary thought of our own resurrection and eternal glory, or eternal punishment, should also inspire us to honour our bodies, keeping them holy, pure, and free from evil habits, and to respect those with whom we come in contact, rendering them loving and humble service. 2) We need to offer living worship to a living God. If our God is the God of the living, our worship of this living God also has to be alive. That means our participation in prayers and songs during the Holy Mass should be active and our behaviour in Church reverent, as we offer our lives and all our activities to our living God on the altar with repentant and grateful hearts.