Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

 Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Theme: Resurrection is theme for redemption and our life ever lasting. We believe that our triune God is the God of the living and we are called to live in him now in our material life and later when we continue in eternity.

We hear in today's readings three fascinating stories and a wealth of themes for any homily to follow. In the Old Testament we hear a tale of torture and faith. In the letter from Paul in the second reading we are reminded of the love of our Lord and that He will protect us and guard us fro the evil one. In the Gospel we hear about resurrection , oh and a little side adventure on jewish traditions about widows who have no children from their husband , but most importantly we hear of the resurrection of all and the grand statement that God is not the God of the dead but of the living  because we all are alive, even those who have gone before us is the case in the Gospel of Abraham , Issac and Jacob . So many themes , but through them all run the theme of resurrection, not just Christ's but our own as well.

This is important because we Catholic Christians believe that on the last day our souls and bodies will be reunited. We believe that our triune God is the God of the living and we are called to live in him now in our material life and later when we continue in eternity. We believe that God gives us life,  that he in fact breathes life into us though the “ruah”.... That wonderful Aramaic word meaning breath, that also signifies the Holy Spirit...This we evidence at birth with our first breath and which we witness, in that moment of transition from life. And of course, Christ brings us dignity through his death on the cross, for our salvation.  A dignity that allows us life, even if our human nature causes our failings,  in our effort or desire to be like him.

God’s love for us is a constant invitation. He welcomes us repeatedly, to be in relationship with him. He invites us no matter our failings to love him. Christ tell us "I will not reject anyone who comes to me".

This month we turn to commemorate all the faithful departed, those “who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and sleep in peace.” All Saints day then , All Souls’ Day, and in fact the whole of the month is a time of remembrance, but also a time full of hope. It is a call for us to continue to help our loved ones even those who have gone before us. The most beautiful tribute we can give to a deceased loved one, is not a stone but a living memory that is nourished by prayer, gratitude and ever-deepening affection.

Saint John Paul II put our understanding of life now ,and next, in clear perspective: “If you know the eternal Love who created you, you also know that there is an immortal soul within you. There are various seasons in life; if by chance you feel winter approaching, I want you know that it is not the last season, because the last one will be spring: the springtime of the Resurrection. Your whole life extends infinitely beyond its earthly limits: heaven awaits you.”

The promise of Jesus brings us here today in hope, and also to pray for our deceased loved ones, because we are all linked to one another, as members of the Body of Christ. Our Christian hope is never just for ourselves, it is also a hope for others. There are only two final destinations, after this life: Either we go to heaven—Or we go to the other place…. 

So what about purgatory? Purgatory is not a destination— No one spends eternity in purgatory. It isn’t really a “place” at all, but a process: It’s a stopping point on the way. Purgatory is the “mud room” of heaven; it’s the saints’ finishing school.

Some say they’re a little afraid of purgatory— They think of it in terms of punishment.  Saint John Paul II, taught us otherwise. He said, before entering the perfect glory of heaven, “Every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated, every imperfection of the soul corrected. “Those who, after death, exist in a state of purification, are already in the love of Christ who removes from them the remnants of imperfection.” They “are united both with the blessed who already enjoy the fullness of eternal life, and with us on this earth on our way towards the Father's house.”

I think that the best way to start looking at Purgatory is to look at human behaviour. Especially to look at “sin” and its effects on our souls. Usually we think of sin in terms of actions:…. Sin is something that people do….. There is another very important dimension to sin: The fact that if we commit the same sin frequently, eventually it becomes part of who we are. Now, when we receive the sacrament of reconciliation all of these sins are forgiven, however the fact remains, when we walk out of the confessional…most,  at least I , likely, sadly  will continue  to sin. The question is…Why? …..Why can’t the sacrament of reconciliation change the way we behave? 

Think of our souls as a glass cube, a home created…. to allow the clear light of God to pass right through us. Sin is like mud that splashes the glass walls of our home. Every time we sin, we throw a sticky mess at them. When we pack a lot of mud on these walls they get scratched. So light cannot penetrate on the inside. The sacrament of reconciliation is like glass cleaner, it takes away all the sticky messiness, but it does not polish the glass… the scratches remain, not because the sacrament cannot remove the mess sin created, but because the scratch has become part of the glass, part of whom we are. 

If we want to have clear, un-spoiled, transparent walls, reconciliation is just the first step. We need more than glass cleaner, we need a good polisher and a lot of elbow grease to get the glass walls of our souls clear again. 

That polisher and that elbow grease are nothing more, than prayer and sacrifice. The fewer scratches on our glass, the less attachment to sin we will have. 

The more we pray or have others pray for us. The more we discipline ourselves, by denying those sins, or occasions to sin, then the more we allow the grace of God to release us from our attachment to sin. The idea is that eventually, when we meet God, our souls will be so clean that we will be able to receive all of God’s light into our soul, without any scratches to distort His pure light. 

Now let us say that we are well in our way of having the glass walls of our souls completely clean. What would happen if in the middle of this process we die?  Well… even when our sins are forgiven and we have a ticket to heaven in our pockets,… if our attachment to sin is not resolved, we still have to finish this process for our own good, ….because without it we cannot be pure enough to enter into the presence of God. 

The good news is that by the mercy of God, if our purification is not complete when we die, this process continues in the next life. We call this process Purgatory. It is part of the process we might need to go through before meeting God face to face. And we are not on our own. All who pray for us and all we pray for, are being polished and shined, so that the process may be finished and all may be with God as an unblemished soul. In perfection and solidarity with the unblemished.

Our prayers, yours and mine…. are about healing and calling Christ to hear us…  asking Him to intercede on behalf of others and ourselves. These prayers are important.

As Catholics we worship in community. Our community is, after all  for mutual support; both in prayer and in action. We as a community, look to Christ for healing. During each mass we put our money where our mouth is by sharing the sign of Christ’s peace with each other, where we unreservedly offer help to each other…. When we lose a loved one, we come together to celebrate their lives, and again to pray for and with each other, for healing.

The healing  we pray for ,isn’t just about those who have died; it helps heal us, the living, as well. When we remember the dead this time of year, we remember that our existence, on earth, is but one slice of reality. Naturally, we may think it’s the most important, Or the most real, slice of life. But it’s not.

It is my own consolation after the death of my wife Jocelyn in July 2015. She has entered in to the realm of eternity. So while for me time continues to pass for her our separation is a moment in the frame of eternity . We will rejoin together more fully in God’s Kingdom. At the same time while I believe that as a human she was more fully realized as a follower of Christ than I . I still take pleasure in praying for her , interceding for her to Christ as an act of my love for her and knowing that my prayers are in some way contributing to polishing off the few marks remaining on her glass.

You see we’re on our way to the most important, most real, dimension of life: Life after this life—Not only life-after-death, but life-after-resurrection! There’s so much more still ahead! And this is why Christ came, Christ died, and Christ rose for us: To open the path and lead us there.

Remembering our loved ones, asking God to have mercy on their souls is the greatest sign of love and fidelity we can show to the other members of the Body of Christ. 

That, my brothers and sisters is what being part of the communion of the saints is all about. If today you remember those who have already journeyed to God, to find healing in your grief for them, our community is here for you, not just today but always. 

The most beautiful tribute we can give to a deceased loved one is not a tomb stone but a living memory that is nourished by prayer, gratitude and ever-deepening affection. So may our prayers today, tomorrow and everyday help the souls of our beloved dead see the light of Christ… Amen