Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We have been looking at how you and I respond to the events of life, especially to the crisis that we all experience at times. Do these events help you to turn to God, or do you just keep going? Do you see the gifts that God gives you through your parish and through others he has placed in your life? How do you respond to them?
Last week we also looked at your response to money and finances that God has given you. Hopefully you see that your possessions are not yours; you are a steward of them for a certain number of years, and at the end of your life you will not have them. An outline of these homilies are on our website, stjosepher.webdev.transparen.com under Blog, and to receive a daily email go to Messages, click on Daily Email.
This week the gospel (Luke 20: 27-38) will help us to take a look at our way of thinking that most people, even very smart people get wrong. You and I need to reject this type of thought process. Jesus is coming to the end of his life and some different types of religious leaders called Sadducees come to set a trap for him. They are very jealous of Jesus, and they try to discredit him and make him look bad. They do not believe in the resurrection of the dead.
They pose this question, a very ridiculous one, to Jesus about seven brothers, the first of whom marries a woman and dies but has no children. So the second brother marries her and he dies childless and so on for all the brothers. At the resurrection whose wife will this woman be? Jesus very calmly without any effort says, “The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.” Marriage does not exist in heaven for they will be like angels. Jesus says in heaven there will be no more death, no pain, no crying…we will not be angels but like them. You will be married to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.
When we think of heaven (and we don’t very often) it does not sound real, or it is hard to imagine. Jesus is very clear: this is what you are made for; it is true and it will fill you with joy. Everything that is good or beautiful on earth is a foretaste of heaven. What would be the point of all of creation and of salvation if at the end there is nothing? How could God place in your heart a desire for the infinite and have no intention to fill it? You and I need to know that what you do in this life impacts your eternal destiny. The few years we have in this life will impact you and me forever. It is not that you can earn heaven or buy your way in. Christ won it for us from his death on a cross and his resurrection. You cannot merit it and yet somehow what you do in this life impacts your eternal life. As you grow as a disciple the more you will want to live in light of eternity, and this should be reflected in all aspects of your life including money and finances.
Jesus tells us earlier in Luke’s gospel to see your possessions and give alms and so build up for yourself a treasure in heaven that does not fail. Give to those who cannot give back to you. This will be your true home. Today we will not ask you for money but for time, for service. Do not be afraid. The Lord is using this service to come closer to you, to help you. I pray that every parishioner will be a server, a minister, in helping us to reach those who are unchurched.