Luke 20: 27-40
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection,
came to him and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if
a man´s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the
widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the
first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her,
and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died.
In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had
married her." Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry
and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in
that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in
marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are
children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead
are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks
of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now
he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are
alive." Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken
well." For they no longer dared to ask him another question.
* * *
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Alpha and the
Omega. You have given me life and offer me eternal life with you. You deserve
my honor, gratitude and love, and yet you never impose yourself upon me. Thank
you for respecting my freedom so that I can offer myself to you. All that I
have is yours; I return it to you.
Petition: Lord
Jesus, help me to be a child of God, a child of the resurrection.
1. Simple
and Constant Conversation: Today we see some Sadducees asking Christ
an important question about heaven. Christ teaches us that once we are in
heaven, things will be considerably different than they are here on earth. This
is a beautiful example how we can converse with Christ. We simply need to ask
him questions: questions about our faith, about difficulties we may be having
with certain relationships, about career changes, etc. The answers we receive
may not be what we were expecting or hoping for, but what is important is that
we engage Christ in conversation every day and that we seek to please him in
everything we do. This open, warm contact with Our Lord is already a little
taste of heaven.
2. Union
with Christ: Christ reminds us that he and the Father
are the God of the living. He gave us our life; we lost it. He became man,
suffered, died and rose on the third day that we might have a new life — a life
in and with God, now and for all eternity. Our ultimate marriage will be in
heaven, as we will be one with God as Jesus is.
3. Participation
in the Life of God: When God reveals his mysteries to us, we
participate in his life. God has made us so we would pursue him, so we would
listen to him, so we would understand him, so we would crave the things of God.
Is not that a mystery unto itself? We have a God who wants to speak with us
constantly about the things of heaven! This reality, this inestimable gift,
should move us to share with others the Good News.
Conversation
with Christ
Lord Jesus, through your death and resurrection and my baptism, you have
made me a child of God. Help me to appreciate more fully this day and what it means
to be a child of God. Grant me the grace to live in accord with this gift of
gifts.
Resolution: Today I will look
on all things as if God were speaking to me in every moment.