Life doesn't End with the Grave!

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - Reflection

Why do we believe in the resurrection of the "body" (YouCat # 153)

If you asked the question to the Jews at the time of Maccabaeus and prophet Isaiah, they would answer: “the dead will not come back to life, the shadows will not rise again, God has wiped out their very memory,” (Is 26: 14).

Only much later, that is about 170 years before Christ, the Israelites began to speak of life after death. We, Christians have strong faith in life after death. In fact, eternal life to a Christian does not begin with death, but it begins with faith and begins with our meaningful life on earth.

That’s why we see in today’s Gospel Jesus responds to the Sadducees, enemies of Jesus who refused to accept the growing belief in the resurrection of the body in other words life after death. To affirm that Jesus says, “The dead do rise to life," (Lk 20: 37). He says that life in the resurrection will be completely different quality and altogether will be a new experience.

The Church gives us hope and brings meaning of life and purpose of death. Life does not finish with the grave!