Wednesday June 2, 2021 - Ninth week of Ordinary Time - I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord. Whoever believes in me will never die - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 12, 18-27
Today the gospel tells us about the resurrection of the dead. On this subject, Jesus brings teachings, starting from a question that the Sadducees asked him.
Who are the Sadducees? It is a sect which was formed in the second century BC and which was very powerful in Jesus' time. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, which is not surprising, because in the canon of Scripture they only admit the Pentateuch. They cannot be blamed for this disbelief, for their knowledge of the Word of God is so limited. Moreover, they did not experience the resurrection of Jesus, conqueror of death, a founding event of faith.
Dear Christians, Jesus takes this opportunity to reveal to us that there is life after death. It is a mystery, because it is a work of God that the human mind cannot conceive, as Saint Augustine has already underlined: "man is so finite that he cannot comprehend God who is infinite ". The Sadducees were convinced that death has the last, that it is the end point of all living things, but Jesus shows them their fault, because after death begins a whole other life, diametrically opposed to that of this world, because "we are like angels in the heavens" according to the Gospel; and this is confirmed by the preface to the absolution: "life is not destroyed, but transformed".
Note that this is the reason why we receive baptism, so that we can enjoy this life with God, in the hereafter. Jesus is the first fruits and he prepares our place there. Moreover, in concluding the profession of faith, we declare: "I await the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come". We are then invited to get used to the Holy Scriptures, to imbue ourselves with them, because to remain ignorant of the Word of God is to deny oneself the knowledge of God, according to Saint Jerome.
Jesus, may the rest of our days be the preparation of life with you in eternity. Amen.
