November 10, 2019

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Dear Believers in the Christ,

Luke 20:27-38 invites us into a reflection about our relationships after death. Some Sadducees were denying that there is a resurrection and questioned Jesus. Jesus assures them that in the end, all will rise with him. In the end, people will belong to God; there is no marrying or being given in marriage. We are all children of God and all are alive in God.

This gospel finds its place in November as we come to the close of another liturgical year in a few weeks. The liturgy focuses on the end times. Of course we are all worried about who we will belong to in the end. In the meantime, we find our life of prayer so that we will better understand now on earth that we belong to God. We pray now so that we will recognize his face when we get to heaven.

We have reflected already in the past weeks on the end times. On November 1, All Saints Day showed us the vivid faces that the Church lifts up for us. They are examples of people who prayed on earth revealing an example for us to keep our hearts fixed on Jesus. They struggled in life to put their faith in practice. These role models are always available to us so we may find the zeal to keep going, to believe that in the end we will finally rest in God.

We also reflected on All Souls on November 2. We remember with love, with great fondness those who have gone before us. We struggle to let go of our loved ones. We never want to let go of love. Life facing death is never easy. Yet, as Christians, we understand that we belong to God and go back to God. We shall be reunited one day with those who have loved us on earth. Death is never easy.

The liturgical texts, prayers and scriptures all point to the end times during the month of November, culminating in the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe on the last Sunday of our liturgical year. In the meantime, how do we prepare our life for death? How do we pray now so to recognize the face of Christ Jesus when we arrive in heaven? How do we let go of people we have loved on earth as they face death?

Death is formative to us as Christians. Letting go of anything is never easy. We let go of earthly possessions and even our fears. We let go of all the things we thought were important in life as we face death. We let go of all the ways life should have been or might have been. We let go of certainties and opinions. We let go of obstinate behaviors and negative thoughts. We let go of people, places and objects. We let go of health and future. We let go of love and hate. We let go of what has been, what is and we look forward to what will be. How does the Eucharist invite you during the month of November to reflect on the end times?

In peace,

Fr. Ron