Pastor’s Column
32nd Sunday Ordinary Time
November 7, 2010
“…but for those deemed worthy to attain a place to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage; They can no longer die, for they are like the angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones that will rise.”
from Luke 20:27-38
This Sunday’s teaching by Jesus on the resurrection of the dead springs from something we all recognize: evil people often prosper, while the good frequently suffer for other people’s mistakes. The current economic crisis is a good example of this. Many of the financial “wizards” who created so much of our problems seem to go unpunished (indeed, many have been “rewarded” with bonuses), while ordinary people, the middle class and the poor, are paying the price. If we believe in God, then it immediately follows that there must be a world to come where justice is done, since it is often not evidenced here very much.
We don’t need to look toward banks or Wall Street to see this: one of my favorite expressions, which I often say in jest, is that “No good deed ever goes unpunished;” there is more than an element of truth to this! The good that we do does not always have an immediate reward; while those around us, who apparently have no room for God in their lives, often seem to be doing great without him. Of course, this same principle is evidenced in Jesus’ own life! All his miracles, teachings and sacrifices only led him to be crucified by the people he tried to love and serve. But God raised him from the dead.
In fact, what we perceive to be “inaction” on God’s part toward people whose actions seem to be quite evil is actually an expression of God’s mercy: he is giving them time to repent. This is now the era of God’s mercy, for as long as we live, God gives us time to turn our lives around. For Catholics, healing is as near as the confessional! It is true that some people do not realize this and go from bad to worse while others are made to suffer but this situation will not last for long. At death, the period of mercy comes to an end and we all must come face to face with the consequences of our actions: how they affected our own lives, how they affected others, and how they looked from God’s point of view. This is why we are called to be people of mercy now: receiving mercy from God by acts of repentance and forgiveness and extending it to others through acts of love, patience and kindness.
There is an expression about Oregon weather that also applies here: if you don’t like the weather, just wait an hour. In the same way, if you wonder when God is going to restore righteousness to his creation, just wait a bit longer, but do take advantage of his mercy while you still can because his justice is right around the corner.
Father Gary
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