Sat., Nov. 21: 1 Macc 6:1-13; Luke 20:27-40

And he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive. In response to the ridiculous hypothetical situation presented by the Sadducees, Jesus points to scriptural evidence of the resurrection of the dead: Moses’ encounter with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — ancestors gone from this life but still very much alive with God. Of course, we know the rest of the story: Jesus himself is the resurrection. In him, we have already begun to live the resurrected life. As we say in prayer when a loved one dies, life is changed, not ended. While we cannot yet know the fullness of heaven, we have every reason to hope for it, and, in the meantime, to work for the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth.

*For trust in God’s promise of eternal life, we pray.