Last Weekend ‘Our Lady’s Missionaries’ made a visit to both our Parishes. Sr. Christine Gebel gave us an update on their work since her last visit with us about two years ago. As she spoke at all our Masses, she reflected on the Gospel passage of the lady who had seven deceased husbands and the Sadducees question: “In the Resurrection whose wife will the woman be?” (Lk. 20:27-39 [show]Luke 20:27-39
Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
[27]There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, [28]and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man(1) must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. [29]Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. [30]And the second [31]and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. [32]Afterward the woman also died. [33]In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."
[34]And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, [35]but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, [36]for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons(2) of the resurrection. [37]But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. [38]Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him." [39]Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well." (ESV)
Footnotes
1. [20:28] Greek ‘his brother’
2. [20:36] Greek ‘huioi’; see preface
) Now in Jesus’ time a wife was more or less the property of a husband, and therefore the question not only enquired about the marriage bond in eternity, but had a connotation of ownership. As she pointed out, no one owns anybody in eternity, and in God’s kingdom in the here and now. As Christians we are called to love our neighbor as our selves, and to live in freedom, as children of God. Her insights came from the Sisters work with oppressed people around the world who are often owned by another. An example being prostitutes one of the Sisters works with in one of their missions. And, from a personal point of view and her involvement in Muslim Christian dialogue in the Philippines, she offered the insight that no one even owns God.
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