The Readings from today are challenging as they are all about death. In the first reading, we have the magnificent witness of the Maccabee brothers in their martyrdom. Also, in the Gospel, the Sadducees question the resurrection. All this talk of death is fitting, seeing how in the last week, we have celebrated the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. Because of these feasts, this time of year is significant for many of us who have lost loved ones. Death is often difficult for us to bear, and it certainly is painful, but it is necessary. In sin, we inherited death, and now we are left to bear our sorrows, our grief. Truly this is a sorrow of man.
However, in the Christian tradition, death takes on a new meaning. It is the last step before entering heaven. St. Paul shows us this reality by saying, “whether I live or die, I am with Christ. For me, life is Christ, and death is gain.” What a powerful phrase. Let’s dive deeper into these words. “Life is Christ” speaks to the nature of our call as Christians to be like Jesus. Yet, this phrase means to be like Jesus in our lives and see Him around us. Jesus is in others, in their need and their Charity. Jesus is there at the Mass waiting for us, in His Body and Blood. Lastly, Christ is the Word (the Logos) and is present in the bible, and when we have the Word of God, we are with the Lord. Jesus is around us daily, in our brothers and sisters, in the Eucharist and in the Scriptures. This way, life is Christ.
The second part of the passage says something striking “death is gain.” How can death be beneficial to us? In Christ, death has lost its sting. When Jesus died on the cross, he defeated it. We hear this in the great Easter Troparion, “Christ is risen from the dead, conquering death by death, giving life to those in the tomb.” In dying Jesus, went all the way down to the darkest regions of reality so that he might redeem it. Death is the separation from God, but now in Christ, God has gone into death. Now, no matter how far we run from the Father, we are always running into Son’s outstretched arms. This mystery is why Christians do not need to fear death, as it is the necessary step to heaven. In dying, we approach Christ on the cross, where Jesus wants to carry us to salvation. In this exchange, we must only say “yes” to Him in all areas of our lives. So, when we die and encounter Jesus, He can say He knew us on Earth as we lived Him. Thus, as Christians, we say with Saint Paul, “whether we live or die, we are with Christ.”
Andre Boudreau – St. Joseph Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta.
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