Friday of the Fourteenth
Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 46:1-7.28-30; Matthew 10:16-23)
If one wants to end a conversation quickly, she might
bring up the subject of death. No one
really likes to talk about it. In fact,
as the title of a great book published forty years ago suggests, many practice The Denial of Death. Thus, people try to hide their mortality by
refusing to make a will or plan their funeral.
In today’s first reading, God puts the inevitability of Israel’s death
squarely before him.
The Lord tells Israel not to worry but to go to Egypt
where he will die. However, death will
not be his absolute destiny. His name
will live on in his people which will become great under God’s protection. Reassured, Israel complies with God’s
command.
We believe that God has given us a greater destiny in
Jesus, his only begotten Son. United to
Jesus by his cross and resurrection, which we assume in Baptism, we share Jesus’
eternal glory. For us death is not the
end but a new beginning. In it we will feel
the love of God more deeply than ever possible on our earthly sojourn.
