PARISH NEWS

HEAVENLY HOPES

Traditionally we express a hope, particularly at funerals, that eventually we will be reunited with our deceased loved ones and indeed, in some sense, we will. But, enjoy now your “marriage made in heaven,” because that is the one thing Jesus clearly tells us will not be in the afterlife. We wonder what our loving Creator has in store for us after death.

The Sadducees, who didn’t believe in life after death anyway, niggle Jesus in this week’s gospel (Luke 20:27-38) with hypotheticals about marriage in heaven. But he isn’t going down their blind alley. He shuts down their provocation about being married in the afterlife. Yes, we’ll have bodily resurrection but marriage isn’t an issue. We’ll be way beyond even marriage and family.

The Sadducees real question is about whether there is life after death. Jesus teaches both resurrection of the soul (which wasn’t a new concept), but also resurrection of the body! Which body? What does it mean?

We are so engaged in our earthly lives of family, career, marriage, concerns, interests, fears, that it is hard to imagine a world where these don’t matter. Our life after death is mostly beyond human comprehension but glimpses tell us we can look forward to even deeper relationships. Marriage is about growing love through shared joys and adversities along life’s earthly road. Heaven will be all that which we cherish of marital love, extended and perfected, without pain or suffering, only joy and peace. We will be “the same as the angels.” We don’t need earthly riches or protections or even earthly relationships. Death itself is abolished and all will be changed beyond our imaginations.

Faith assures us though that the Creator’s love, which upholds us in this life, will be there for us in the next. We really don’t need to know more.

Deacon Mark Kelly

PARISH SACRAMENT ENQUIRIES

Sacrament Enquiries:  Mrs Therese Meggetto

Mobile: 0439 306 642 Email: Warragul.sacraments@cdsale.org.au