2 Mac 7:1-2, 9-14; 2 Thes 2:16-3:5; Lk 20:27-38
Life after death has been a
burning problem for many in every century. So, the legends, folklore and
fiction are full of stories of man’s attempt to gain immortality.
There is a story about Alexander’s
quest for immortality. Alexander, the great, came to understand that in the
mountain of Kaf there was a great cave, very black and dark, wherein ran the
water
of immortality. He decided to undertake a journey to the dark cave. Being afraid that he might lose his way in the cave, he decided to seek the advice of some old men. An old man advised Alexander to take a mare that had a colt at her heels, and leave the colt at the entrance of the cave; the mare would infallibly bring him back to the same place without any trouble.
of immortality. He decided to undertake a journey to the dark cave. Being afraid that he might lose his way in the cave, he decided to seek the advice of some old men. An old man advised Alexander to take a mare that had a colt at her heels, and leave the colt at the entrance of the cave; the mare would infallibly bring him back to the same place without any trouble.
Alexander advanced so far that he
came to a gate. On the shining gate he saw a bird. The bird asked Alexander
what he wanted. Alexander replied that he was looking for the water of immortality.
The bird asked him one more question. Then it died and the gate opened.
Alexander looked in. He saw an angel sitting there with a trumpet in his
hand. He asked the Angel his name. The Angel answered that his name was
Raphael. He asked Alexander who he was. He replied that he was Alexander, and
he was looking for the water of immortality. The Angel gave him a stone
and asked him to look for another stone of the same weight; then he
would find immortality.
Alexander searched far and wide.
Finally he found a stone almost of the same weight. He put both the stones on
the balance. Finding very little difference he added a little
earth which made the scales even. A few days later Alexander had a fall in
the barren ground of Ghur. His attendants laid him upon the coat he wore. Then
began to realize the meaning of the words of the Angel that he could attain
immortality only when he would be put to the earth.
Today’s readings speak about
immortality. The first reading gives the account of a mother and seven sons
who preferred death to going against their faith. They declared, “The King of
the world will raise us up, since it is for his laws that we die, to live again
for ever (2 Mac 7:9). The mother and the seven brothers were deeply convinced
that immortality will be granted by God, “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.”
But this conviction was not shared by
a group of Jews called the Sadducees. In the Gospels we hear about two
groups of Jews. The Pharisees and the Sadducees. Though they are often
mentioned together they had different beliefs.
There are a lot of differences
between both the groups. The Pharisees were entirely a religious
body. They had no political ambition. They were not bothered about
the government as long as they had freedom of worship. The Sadducees were few
but wealthy. They were largely collaborationist with Rome.
The Pharisees believed in the
resurrection, in Angels and Spirits; whereas the Sadducees held that there
was no resurrection from the dead, and that there were no Angels or spirits.
The Pharisees believed in fate, but
the Sadducees did not believe in fate.
The Sadducees, then, came with this
question about who would be the husband in heaven of the woman who was
married to seven different men. They regarded such a question as
the kind of thing that made belief in the resurrection of the body
ridiculous. Jesus gave them an answer which has permanently valid truth in it.
He said that we must not think of heaven in terms of this earth.
The Sadducees were not able to grasp
the meaning of the word of God, because they spoke the way they did. Their
minds, exclusively bent on material things, prevented them from understanding
God’s plan expressed in the Scriptures.
There are a lot of silly questions
that divert our attention from the most fundamental question of the
purpose of our existence. It is absurd to think that all the beauty in the
world, all the love that we experience, all the pursuit of justice, all the
compassion and sacrifice that we make come to end at the grave. Rather,
they attain their perfection when they touch the earth. Their
transformation and glorification happen at death. We still remember the
concern of Fr Damian, who took pity on the lepers and lived with them. Our
hearts are full of the kind deeds of Mother Theresa. We recall the
attempts of Abraham Lincoln to grant freedom to the slaves of America. We
value the works of Mahatma Gandhi. We remember the pardon offered to his
enemies by the late Pope John Paul II. Death has transformed them and their
actions. In one of his lighter moments, Benjamin Franklin (one of the most
important Founding Fathers of the United States, author, political theorist,
politician, printer, scientist, inventor, civic activist, and diplomat), penned
his own epitaph. It seems he must have been influenced by Paul's teaching on
the resurrection of the body. Here's what he wrote: The Body of B. Franklin,
the former printer lies here, food for worms, like the cover of an old book:
its contents torn out, and stripped of its lettering and gilding. But the work
shall not be wholly lost: for it will, as he believed, appear once more in a
new & more perfect edition, corrected and amended by its Author. (http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/franklin-epitaph.html).
A physical death is not so
much the end of life, as a step to another more perfect life, one
that last forever. At physical death begins a new journey. We have to be always
ready to begin this journey.
Today’s Second reading from
the Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians opens our eyes to the fact
that the Lord strengthens our hearts in every good work and word.
St Paul urges us to get ready
for eternal life by humbly asking Jesus to help us to be
faithful to him.
Satish