THE WORD
1 Mac 6: 1–13 / Lk 20: 27–40
Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.” Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Some of the scribes said in reply, “Teacher, you have answered well.” And they no longer dared to ask him anything.
IN OTHER WORDS
“God is Pro-Life!” “The Lord is God of the living, not of the dead!” These were written on the banners steadily and proudly held high by Catholic students as they paraded through the city streets of Tacloban during the annual “March for Life.” Like disciplined soldiers they displayed their views and showed uncanny wisdom despite their tender years on such vital issues as the sanctity of life from conception to old age and death, the holiness of Christian marriage and the dignity of every person created in the image of God. Whatever grounds human reason gave were enlightened and strengthened by faith and revelation: two complementary vital sources of knowledge and wisdom.
Reading the Old Testament story of the valiant Israelites defying the violent efforts of the pagan Antiochus IV and preserving with all their might the purity of their faith have inspired these brave and youthful Warays to follow the example of their ancestors in the faith. The gospel story of the presentation of Mary at God’s Temple also makes the faithful stand up for the gift of life and faith God has given to them. Time and again their knowledge and convictions are sorely tried and challenged, especially when they hear of revolting stories of babies whose lives were ended in the wombs on the lame pretext that they were “unwanted,” that they were not fruits of genuine love.
The youth are also rightly shocked and saddened by ugly reports of human trafficking a.k.a. “white slavery” especially among the poor and helpless young people from the rural areas, people whose dreams of a better life have been shattered by their plight reduced to “living death.” Fads coming from the media have eroded the sacred matrimony between one man and one woman. Where in olden and golden days the old were revered and cared for, the false belief in the value of a person placed solely on usefulness has dangerously crept in.
In the presentation of their young daughter to the Lord, Sts. Joachim and Anne proclaimed loud and clear that God is the Lord of life and love.
- Flor Lagura, SVD (Bordentown, NJ, USA)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
