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21st Sunday in Ordinary TimeBeverly Hills Parish and St Mary's Cathedral By + George Pell I am not sure that many people discuss these issues in these terms as much as they did when I was young, and I must confess never to have heard anyone claim that all Catholics automatically go to heaven. As my father was a non-Catholic I don't think I ever believed that non-Catholics could not go to heaven! A more basic question that is asked and discussed more often now is whether there is any after-life at all. The dead are very silent and Mr. Kerry Packer some years ago had a bad heart attack, a near death experience through being clinically dead for a short time, and returned to tell us there is nothing there! Just recently a university student asked me how we know that there is life after death. I replied that the overwhelming majority of people yearn for immortality, life beyond the grave; many find it impossible to conceive that their loved ones do not continue in existence after death. But the main reason for my belief, I explained, was that Jesus, the Son of God, told us that there is life after death, alternative fates of the reward or punishment for all of us. The Church has preserved that teaching of Our Lord for us, including the Christian teaching about the resurrection of the body. We will not continue forever in heaven as disembodied spirits, like angels. In some mysterious and changed way, after the last judgment and the resurrection of the body, we shall be in heaven as a continuity with what we are now. However, let us return to the question one of the Palestinians asked of Our Lord; "Is it true that only a few are to be saved?" Some Palestinian Jews at that time believed that all Israelites would have a share in the world to come; while they differed on the resurrection of the body, accepted by the Pharisees and rejected by the Saducees Different from this, there are verses in the Old Testament book of Ezra claiming "This age the Most High made for many, but the age to come for few"; and in another place "There are more who perish then shall be saved". Perhaps the first and most important point to make is that Our Lord did not answer the question; or at least he did not answer clearly and without ambiguity, except to say it would be a struggle and some would miss out, although even here it is not crystal clear what they would miss; although we generally infer that references to the Kingdom ultimately mean participating in eternal happiness after death. The two other readings today are useful to set the context for Jesus' reply to his questioner. The first reading from the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah tells us that God is gathering people from all nations, not just the Jews, "from distant islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory." Australia would have to qualify here, as we can be certain too that Isaiah would never have heard of Australia either. There will even be priests and Levites from those foreign lands. God's saving call is addressed to all, not just to the Jewish people. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that God is a loving father, who loves all people, especially his followers, as his sons and daughters. The sufferings which life brings are not a reason for believing God does not like us; but like the discipline or difficulties a good father inflicts on or allows his children to suffer, we need some of these difficulties to mature and grow up. It is always useful, indeed important, when the situation is going badly to realize God loves us more than the most wonderful human father or mother. God is reasonable and merciful, as well as just; he loves and rewards especially those who faithfully struggle towards the Light. Neither God, nor his Son Jesus, are hard, remote, unforgiving; God is certainly not unreasonable or capricious. We need to remember these basic convictions, as we unravel Jesus' teaching here, because if Jesus had been teaching today he would have got himself into trouble. His message here parallels the story of the five wise virgins going to the wedding feast, who brought oil for their lamps and gained entry and the forgetful other five virgins who had no oil and were excluded. Our Lord stressed the importance of hard work, of labouring strongly to be good and believing. We have to exert ourselves; there will be a traffic jam situation, because there will not be room for everyone at the heavenly banquet. The master himself will close the door to exclude some. Jesus seems to be warning people against waiting to put their life in order. It is not enough just to be friendly and apathetic; we have to struggle, as in a contest, to enter the door. We cannot wait until the last minute. A superficial knowledge and sympathy towards God are not enough; Jesus will say, "I don't know you". The last verse provides no great comfort for an archbishop, as there is to be a significant reversal of human values. We all realize that goodness and holiness are found often outside the ranks Church leaders (there are many hidden saints), often from the ranks of the battlers. In the heavenly handicap race, it might be useful to remember archbishops are not publicly respected as they were once and the reversal of fortunes is not universal; only some of the first will be last. I am happy to leave these judgments to God; to trust in his mercy. I also remember that Christ promised the good thief, dying next to him on the cross, a serious criminal who repented and expressed his faith, that he would be in heaven on that very day. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. |
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