Hope…springs eternal…in the Resurrection.
Today’s gospel message is focused on the topic of the resurrection. We are nearing the end of the liturgical year—with Advent, the New Year in the Church, just a few weeks away—so our readings become more apocalyptic in nature during these "end times."
A couple of tidbits for us in the gospel: seven (7), the number highlighted in this gospel of Luke is a sacred number and holds much meaning in it for us—the subject matter are seven sons, and the fourth son is the one to "watch." He has great faith! Note also that this gospel has Jesus in alignment with the normally out-of-step-with-Christ Pharisees who unlike most ancient Jews believe in the modern or Avant-garde idea of a resurrection after earthly life. In the Hebrew Bible talk of the resurrection is not common as the majority of the ancient Jewish world did not believe in resurrection of the dead.
Our hope in Eternal Life comes directly from Christ. As He walked the face of the earth, our Lord told us that after the Resurrection we will become like Him in glory, to live forever in the Divine Life of God. This promise from God of eternal life then counters the trials and tribulations of earthly life—cancer and other illnesses, unemployment, fractured families and more—calling us to have faith that in the end God will make all things anew.
The Gospel today speaks of the Resurrection – let our daily lives speak of it also: knowing that in our prayer-fulness, in our attention to the needs of others, in our shar-ing of our lives with those who are less fortunate, we are not "earning points" to enter into eternal life, but rather we are aligning our lived-lives with the will of God. In last week’s Gospel, Zacchaeus—a flawed sinner—was open to the grace of Christ and in his own willingness he was able to be transformed and thus invited to dine with the Lord. May we be like Zacchaeus—transformed in repentance—so that we may dine eternally at the banquet of the Lord.