November 21, 2020

Presentation of Our Lady

Lk 20: 27-40

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.” 

Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 

And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.” Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask him another question.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Living with God forever

St. Ignatius’ opening line in the First Principle and Foundation in The Spiritual Exercises is “The goal of our life is to live with God forever.” For some, considering eternal life can seem abstract compared to our life with God on earth. Pedro Arrupe says, “nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in quite an absolute final way.” Here are a few questions to help move our minds, hearts and everliving soul from the abstract to practical. 

• Where do I find God? 
• Does this naturally deepen my love for him? 
• Can I imagine this as a love that lasts forever? 
• How does this move me?

—Adam Mescher is a graduate of Marquette University High School and Marquette University and currently works as a hospice chaplain.

 

Prayer

Forgive me Lord for thinking like a Sadducee. I cannot believe how easy it is to think so much about this life that I forget about eternal life with you. Forgive my preference for thinking about this life because l can tend to my desires and agenda at all times. It can be hard to open my mind to such a grand thing as eternity with you. Here I am at this moment asking for your help. Reveal your glory that it may be a lamp unto my feet today.

—Adam Mescher

Please share the Good Word with your friends!