REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 4TH SEPTEMBER 2023

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR MONDAY OF THE 22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME 4TH SEPTEMBER 2023

1Thess.4:13-18; Ps.98; Luke 4:16-30

The Death we should Fear

In today’s first reading, St. Paul addresses the phenomenon of death among the Thessalonians. If the gospel must retain its fervor as goodnews, it must address the phenomenon of death that rather seems like a bad news with all the pain and sorrow it brings. When we hear of New Life in Christ, we may want to expect that good people should not die; or, if they must die, it should be at a ripe old age.

St. Paul does not deny the pain of death but he wants us to mourn only as it is necessary. Mourn that you have lost the physical presence of a love one but do not mourn as if something unfortunate has befallen the person. Sometimes the manner in which we thank God for the gift of life, seem to imply that we think ourselves to be more fortunate than those who have died. St. Paul corrects this notion today.

Death is not the end of life but a transition to our eternal home. What is most important is that, alive or dead, we belong to the Lord. If we live our lives as the pilgrims that we are in this world, when someone dies, even in the midst of our sorrow, we will experience a sign of relief that the person has gone home at last. After all, it's usually said that “Home is Home”.

The worst thing that can happen to a man is not death but ignorant or rejection of Jesus. As St. Paul enlightens us on death in the first reading, the gospel reading shows us the kind of death we should really avoid – the death of rejecting Jesus due to over familiarity. Over familiarity here means to treat God’s Word with levity just because we have heard it again and again.

How much of our time and treasure do we invest into God’s Word? We cannot be far away from Jesus in this world and hope to be united with him in heaven. The distance between you and Jesus in this world will be the distance between you and Jesus in the world to come. Heaven is not a place to amend what you have shattered on earth; rather it is a place to continue what you have started on earth.