1.
Readings:
2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14; 2 Thessalonians
2:16 – 3:5; Luke
20:27-38.
2. Biblical Reflection
· Today’s
readings celebrate God as the source of life and the promise of security, amidst
inhumanity and human loss.
· The
martyrdom of the seven Maccabee brothers and their mother coincides with a
Jewish revolt against Hellenistic rulers who had violated the Temple and banned
Jewish Law about 150 years before Christ. Heroism in the face of cruelty witnesses
to a higher truth: real life is with God. A growing belief in the resurrection is
revealed when, before dying, the third son holds out his hands and says to his
torturers: “… from heaven … I received these; for the sake of his laws I
disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again.”
· The
Scriptures remind us that God is our source of life, security, and hope,
despite tragedies of history in this world of “man’s inhumanity to man.”
· Luke’s
gospel shows the search for meaning in life in a way far more familiar to
people today, not in dramatic martyrdom, but in the personally devastating and
shameful discovery of the inability to pass on life and give the family an heir.
· Hoping
to deny the resurrection and embarrass Jesus, the Sadducees invent a ridiculous
tale where the eldest brother’s widow is remarried in turn by his six followers,
each of whom dies without producing an heir.
Mockingly they ask Jesus, “At the resurrection, whose wife will she
be? Remember, seven married her.” Their callous fantasy underlines the intense
shame and hopelessness that many people still face each day.
· Jesus
rejects their narrow thinking and affirms that all human life – however brutal
or tragic – falls within the loving embrace of God: “God is not the God of the dead but of the
living. All are alive for him.” Jesus’
triumph over sin and death will seal the promise of new life. The Church today is called to be a source of
life: Family of God and community of solidarity and service, embracing the
least among us.
3. Link with the Social Doctrine of the Church
· The Church sees in men and women, in every person, the living
image of God himself. (CSDC*
105).
· ..The roots of human
rights are to be found in the dignity that belongs to each human being. (CSDC 153).
· One's neighbour is … not only a human being with his or her own
rights and a fundamental equality with everyone else, but…the living image of God… One's neighbour must therefore
be loved, even if an enemy… and … one must be ready for sacrifice, even the
ultimate one: to lay down one's life for the brethren (CSDC 196).
4. Yes, Kenya Matters!
· “God
is not the God of the dead but of the living,” yet too many brothers and sisters
are “the walking dead,” lacking health care, education, and jobs, a plight
challenging gospel values.
· “God
is not the God of the dead but of the living,” yet the flood of violence that
infects society is an affront to the dignity of the human person made in the
image and likeness of God. With her hope
in the resurrection, how does the Church respond prophetically, valuing all human
life and dignity despite random violence and insecurity?
· “God
is not the God of the dead but of the living,” Meanwhile, many blame government
for social ills, and many look to the Church, as the Family of God, to care for
the ordinary person and work for the reconciliation of society. Is the Church a
source of life for youth? For elders? For those living in poverty and
sickness? Is she truly a Family of God
where women can express their voices and use their talents alongside their
brothers?
5. Questions for Reflections in SCCs
· Refusing
immediate convenience, the Maccabee instead witness heroically to God’s
call. Is my Christian faith alive? Vibrant? Do I sacrifice so as to witness to the gospel
in family life? Or have I been co-opted by each day’s temptations and worries?
· The
gospel explores personal tragedy, often borne in shame, and the mistaken notion
that tragedy punishes sin. Is the Church
reaching out to those in need? Am I aware
of the quiet suffering of neighbours? Do I give support and encouragement, as a
sign of God’s life?
· Are
small Christian communities and parish places of welcome to all? Or just refuges for those “like me”? Does the Christian community strive to be a
source of hope for all, regardless of life circumstances?
6. African Wisdom
· Many beads form one necklace. Luo – Kenya
Like so many beads threaded onto a string, we are all
valuable and interconnected: we can pray together, help each other,
and serve others.[1]
*CSDC: Compendium
of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Pauline Publications Africa.
Outline
prepared by Fr. Tom Esselman, C.M., DePaul Centre, Nairobi, and edited by a
team of RSCK-JPIC, the Justice, Peace and
Integrity of Creation Commission of the Religious Superiors’ Conference of
Kenya.
