This week in the cycle we are beginning to wind down the journey of Ordinary time, which means that we have the readings in the cycle that prepare us for the end of our walk on Earth. For some this can be triggering, because a lot of these verses were used as a way to remind people that they had to be good and conform to the standards that their preachers wanted or else they would not meet the promises of Resurrection in heaven. I get that that is scary, but just as these are promises for the future it is just as much a promise for the life we are living now.
The Sadducees in the Gospel were focused on death. The brothers in Maccabees were literally about to die. But the focus on the Gospel is not dying but how we live.
The focus on living is important, yes how we conduct ourselves is how we get to heaven. But it is not to conform to somebodies will, but God’s will. God wants us to love one another and ourselves. Paul tells us to persevere in the face of evil, here and now to live with endurance. Meaning to over come others expectations, and live now by God’s. We can do that by honoring one another, by helping the poor and changing the world for the better despite what others may think or do.
It is a hard battle, it changes us for the better though. Walk with endurance. God bless. Matt+