READINGS FOR THE 32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C, SUNDAY, 6TH NOVEMBER, 2022.
First Reading: 2 Maccabees 7:1 -2, 9-14
Psalm: 16
Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:16- 3:5
Gospel: Luke 20: 27-38
REFLECTION BY FR CORNELIUS NWAOGWUGWU, CM
LIFE AFTER DEATH: A REALITY
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
A sincere welcome to the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Today is called Prisoners’ Sunday. On this Sunday, the Church invites us to pray and remember all those in prison and their families. There are people who are imprisoned unjustly and face death because of their stand in what they believe in. Today’s celebration is a reminder to these people that God’s relationship with his children does not cease with death. Our belief in Jesus Christ, the face of God’s mercy fills us with the sight of God’s glory at the end of our life in this world.
In line with this, today’s readings highlight the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. In my reflection, I will focus on the reality of Life after death.
The First Reading and the Gospel of today’s liturgical celebration are about life after death. This could be seen in the light of our faith “in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.”
This article of our creed is central to our Christian faith. It reassures us that death is not the end of our existence. Death is not the end of us. There is life after death, although some people seem not to believe this article of our faith. Belief in life after death has been a controversial debate since the time of Jesus.
In our First Reading from the second book of Maccabees, the Jews showed belief in life after death. (2 Maccabees7:1 -2, 9-14). The Sadducees in our Gospel did not believe in life after death. For them, a person ceases to exist once he/she dies. For the Sadducees, there is no resurrection. It was within the context of this strong debate that the Sadducees and Pharisees had a serious disagreement. (Luke 20: 27-38)
The Sadducees who did not believe in the resurrection took their case to Jesus. I wonder why they took the case to Jesus. Could it be that they are suspecting Jesus? Probably they intended to prove Jesus and the Jews wrong with their story. On the contrary, Jesus succeeded to prove the Sadducees wrong.
Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, philosopher and theologian made a useful contribution in respect of this case. He said: “Faith is different from proof; the latter is human, the former is a gift from God. Faith indeed tells what the senses do not tell, but not the contrary of what they see. It is above them and not contrary to them.” Blaise Pascal further echoed that “If I believe in God and life after death and you do not, and if there is no God, we both lose when we die. However, if there is a God, you still lose and I gain everything.”
Hence, it is better to believe than not believing in God and life after death. We are urged to believe that there is God and life after death. We have nothing to lose in believing in God and this article of our Christian faith.
May our belief in eternal life keep us close to God and strengthen our faith and hope in the resurrection of the dead to new life in Christ now and forever. Amen.
Fr. Cornelius Nwaogwugwu, CM