Homily For Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 6th, November 2022

  Readings: 2Macc.7:1-2.9-14; Ps.17; 2Thess.2:16-3:5; Luke:20:27-38

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

DO YOU TRULY BELIEVE IN RESURRECTION FOR IT IS A REALITY THAT WILL SURELY HAPPEN

Oftentimes when we talk about the teaching on resurrection people always want to know what and how is going to be like. And no matter how we try to explain it we can not exhaust it’s mystery. This is why we often get this teaching wrong whenever we think we can explain it completely, because we are using our little knowledge of the things of this passing world to judge the mystical things of heavenly. This is the disposition and situation with the Sadducees in our Gospel passage today, for since they do not believe in the resurrection, they decided to challenge Jesus concerning the notion about resurrection using the analogy of marital union in relation to afterlife event in order to discredit the teachings of Jesus.

As usual, Jesus goes on to explain how people will relate to each other in the afterlife. That those who are judged worthy of a place in afterlife and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. He then instructed and challenged the Sadducees’ unbelief about life after death saying: “The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God”.

He also reminded them of the scene where the voice from the burning bush identifies itself to Moses. “I AM the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). For He is the God of the living and not of the dead. After this reply of Jesus to both the Pharisees and the Sadducees, they no longer dared to ask him any questions. But even so, we need to remember that the mysteries yet to be revealed remind us precisely that what our bodies and existences will be like in the life to come is not yet clear. 

This is because God reveals the resurrection of the dead to his people progressively for we can not comprehend it completely while still in mortal flesh. Hence, hope in the bodily resurrection of the dead established itself as a consequence intrinsic to faith in God as creator of the whole man, soul and body. The creator of heaven and earth is also the one who faithfully maintains his covenant with Abraham and his posterity. It was in this double perspective that faith in the resurrection came to be expressed (CCC. 992).

Little wonder in our first reading we heard that in their trials, the Maccabean martyrs confessed saying: you may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, since it is for his laws that we die, to live again for ever. Yes, ours is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection, no new life.’

Therefore, what we need to be content with is the line in Luke 20:36 where Jesus reminds us that we will be “God’s children” in that life to come, this he demonstrated by his own life, death and resurrection.  And if that is not enough for us, I don’t know what else it would be for us to believe in him. Maybe, the parable of the poor man Lazarus and the words of Christ on the cross to the good thief, as well as other New Testament texts which speak of a final destiny of the soul can help us to believe in the resurrection. For the Church believes that the souls of all who die in Christ’s grace are the people of God who are beyond death. For on the day of resurrection, death will be  conquered definitely, while the souls will be reunited with their bodies.

This mystery exceeds our imagination and understanding; for it is accessible only to faith. Yet our participation in the Eucharist already gives us a foretaste of Christ's transfiguration of our bodies: For just as bread that comes from the earth, after God's blessing has been invoked upon it, is no longer ordinary bread, but Eucharist, formed of two things, the one earthly and the other heavenly: so too our bodies, which partake of the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, but possess the hope of resurrection.(CCC. 1000). 

As we know that whatever seed you sow does not come to life unless it dies to the earth. And what you sow is not the body which is a bare seed that is perishable, while what is produced is alive and imperishable. In a similar way, what is in the flesh is perishable but what is raised is imperishable. The dead will be raised imperishable.  For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality (1 Cor 15:35-37,42,52,53). Hence, St. Paul instruct us in our second reading today saying: Lord is faithful, and he will give you strength and guard you from the evil one, and we, in the Lord, have every confidence that you are doing and will go on doing all that we taught you.

Dear friends, the question that comes to mind after listening to the Word of God today is: do you truly believe in the resurrection? Can our attitudes towards the things of this passing world show that we truly believe in the resurrection? How often have I preach and teach people about my faith in the resurrection of Jesus. Do I have any personal experience of the resurrection of the dead that I can share with people? How deep is my understanding of the teachings of Jesus on the mystery of resurrection? How far can I go in trying to understand the mystery of resurrection and instruct others who are ignorant of this? 

Friends, we believe in the resurrection not so much because of Jesus’ arguments here, but because of his own resurrection of which he promise to share his life and joy with us forever. Jesus tells us that we are children of the resurrection and children of God who neither married nor given in marriage in the heavenly kingdom. Though, it is natural for us to ask questions about resurrection of life, but we should not expect to understand it fully while we are still alive. All that matters is for us to use our little understanding of this teaching and revelation to improve our relationship with our God and neighbours for what we shall be after death is known by God alone.

So, we must not be like the Sadducees who doubted the teaching on resurrection, rather we should have faith in the teachings of Jesus for he has not only taught us about the event of resurrection he practically demonstrated it so that we may know that truly our lives does not begin in this passing world and will definitely not end in this world. Therefore, let this little understanding be enough to guide us towards the divine mystery of resurrection. Let our lives be model towards this mystery. Let us learn to die to the perishable things of this passing world so as to be raised with the imperishable nature of the glorious heavenly  beings.

LET US PRAY: Lord God, as we look forward to the resurrection of mankind. May we be inspired by the great example of our Lord Jesus and so obtain the joy of his resurrection. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful Sunday celebration.