EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
(Sirach 27:5-8; I Corinthians 15:54-58; Luke 6: 39-45)
We know very little of the afterlife. A poet once described
it as a golden town with golden houses. Unfortunately, the Scriptures do not
help us much. The prophet Isaiah tells of a feast for the nations on Mount
Zion. He says that rich foods and favorite wines will be served, but he does
not reveal anything about the personal interrelationships. The Apocalypse
speaks of the “holy city”, the “new Jerusalem”. He says only that the city will
shine like crystal jasper. There God dwells together with the elect praising
him.
Probably most people don't care about gold in the afterlife.
Nor does it excite them to praise God for a long time. Most people, including
us, think about the afterlife for another reason. They see it as the last
chance to reunite with their dead loved ones. They want to see their wives or
their parents. Parents who have buried children definitely want to see them
again. We want to tell them of our love and gratitude. We want to hear their
wisdom, their jokes, and their support for our projects.
Theologians say that with such a purpose for eternal life we
are not going to achieve it. According to them, to be admitted to the Kingdom
of Heaven we have to subordinate our desires to God. Instead of wanting to be
reunited with our husband, we have to focus on loving God. Instead of wanting
to caress our children again, we have to think about pleasing the Lord.
In the second reading Saint Paul anticipates the end of time
when our bodies will rise from the dead. He says that our corruptible being
will be clothed with incorruptibility. It is worth reflecting on these words.
We think of incorruptibility as a physical thing: a super resistant surface
like steel. However, incorruptibility has to do with the soul as well. It is
the resistance to all forms of moral corruption. The Incorruptible person does
not cheat, does not take anything in excess, is never rude or insulting. Rather
he always does what is right and good.
One day a man was filling his car with gasoline. He saw a
bag near the gas pump. He picked up the bag and looked inside. There was five
thousand dollars in bills. As an honest person, the man did not take the bag.
Rather he handed over all the money to the clerk inside. This man at least exhibited
something of incorruptibility.
Becoming incorruptible is like dying. We painfully let go of
our self to acknowledge God. He is the author and foundation of all that we are
and have. We cannot produce good fruit without Him. We cannot even live without
his support. For this reason it is only just to give him thanks and praise in
the afterlife. However, it is not that we praise God and forget our loved ones.
On the contrary, the more we value God, the more we can love our parents,
spouses, and children. We see them as special gifts entrusted to us by the King
of heaven. We will never want to mistreat them because they come from the Most
High.
This Wednesday we come to church both embarrassed and
determined. Our sins against the Most High God will cause shame. We have
offended Him who has always been good to us. We will also be determined to die
to self so that we have an afterlife with Him. And not only with Him but also
with our loved ones.
