Resurrection: Thinking outside the box

Someone once stated that instead of thinking outside the box, just get rid of the box! That is the point of the story in the Gospel this week, as Jesus lets the Sadducees, who, do not believe in eternal life, be challenged to face the fact that God is a God of the living.

Resurrection is the total otherness of the afterlife. He states that resurrection is a new creation, by which we will share in the divine life of God. It is different from our present life, but a continuation nonetheless of our personalities, as molded by our present life. It gives meaning to all that makes up your life. It is expressed in our prayers for the repose of the souls of all those who have gone before us, which we emphasize in prayer and loving thought this month of November.

We model our lives on the great Easter mystery of Jesus rising from the dead. There is no satisfactory answer to this tricky question. The after life exceeds our ability to imagine or understand. It is a call to deeper faith, more loving actions and greater hope in a living, loving God.

Death takes center stage in today’s readings, beginning with a family being tortured and killed in a scene of terrible horror. Each brother in the Book of Maccabees is willing to die, trusting in the resurrection even before the coming of Jesus Christ. St. Paul, in the second reading, asks for prayers that he be delivered from those who would harm him. Jesus tells us that our friendships and our family ties will be transfigured in heaven.

The key to eternal life or Resurrection is that we will all be bound together in love that even death will not part us. Our challenge is to give love, receive love and hope in love as the key to our living out the two great commandments and then coming to the result or promised gift of that life. The only box we need is the box of love that is always willing to give and receive of itself. Love does not die but carries on in what is what eternal life is all about.

Jesus calls us to trust in Him and to put our faith into loving actions as we travel through each day and allow Him to be our pilot. Think of this story during the week to motivate you in love.

A passenger in a plane sat relaxed and enjoying the view out the window of the plane. He could not believe the beauty of the clouds and the heavens as the plane flew on so calmly. Suddenly, a parachutist appeared and yelled at the man in the window. “Come and join me!”

The man replied, “No, I’m very happy and content where I am.” The parachutist responded, “Just as you like, but I’m the pilot!”