Bible
Study: 2 Maccabees 7, 1 to 14. 2nd Thessalonians
2, 16 to 3, 5 and Luke 20, 27 to 38.
Do you sometimes try to think of what will happen after you die? Or is
it the case that you are too afraid to die that you never give yourself any
space to really think about death? Or is the very word “death” so much a taboo
for you that you don’t like it to be mentioned at all? As the Liturgical Year
comes to an end gradually, the church today wants us to give some serious
thought about death which is one of the four last things.
Our first reading tells us of the story of the seven brothers and their
mother who were arrested for refusing to partake in idol worship. They preferred
to die than to sin. From these seven brothers and their mother, we get to see
that death is nothing but a passage to a better life; a life free from troubles
and headaches; a life of perfect communion with God. We should not be afraid of
dying, rather we should be afraid of sin. And if we are to choose between death
and sin, we should choose death.
The worst thing that can happen to a person is not death. The worst
thing that can happen to a person is sin. We should not be afraid to die because
death is a gateway to eternal life. Rather we should be afraid to sin because
sin is a passage to eternal damnation.
To be raised from the dead does not mean that one will come back to this
earthly life to continue living, to be raised means that we shall have a life more
glorious than earthly life. For those who have witnessed the apparition of Mary
or any of the Saints, you would admit that you did not see a dead person but
someone fully alive.
Our faith as Christians is based on our belief in the resurrection. We believe
in God and we worship him through Christ our Lord because Christ died and rose
from the dead thereby showing us that when we too die, we will rise with him
again.
When we rise from the dead, the life we shall have will be completely
different from this earthly life. There will be no need for marriage because we
shall be completely united to God and to one another. The celibate state which
is now being practiced by some lay persons, priests and religious is a
foretaste of how life would be when we rise from the dead.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, make me wise enough to fear sin more than death.
Amen.
Be Happy.
Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. Happy Sunday.
Fr. Abu
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