NAMING GRACE IN THE DOMESTIC CHURCH
  • Home
  • About Naming Grace
  • Message
  • Favorites
  • Events & Videos
  • Contact

DANCING IN GOD'S LOVE

11/10/2019

Comments

 
Picture
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/111019.cfm
A young woman’s eyes turned misty as she spoke of her grandfather’s death: “Though I’ll miss him terribly, I’m at peace because he’s been waiting to be with my grandmother since the day she died. They were married for sixty years and now they’re dancing in heaven!” What a sweet sentiment, but will they? Is it true?
In this Sunday’s Gospel, the Sadducees, who denied the afterlife, challenge Jesus on the resurrection through a story about marriage and remarriage. After a woman is widowed seven times, they question: “Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?” Jesus affirms the resurrection and poses a rebuttal: “The children of this age marry and remarry, but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.”

It matters not whether one was married on earth, for in heaven each person will be united with God—we will be with Jesus. Our particular vocation (marriage, single, ordained, religious), intended to help us grow in holiness, will no longer need to exist. We will be judged by how we loved each person placed on our path—those in our homes and those on the streets. After the purification of our petty jealousies, angry words, greed and pride, only love will remain. For in heaven, there is only love.

And that love, the love of God, runs deep enough, vast enough, and wide enough to be given and received fully with each person: spouse, friend, child, stranger. In heaven, we will love the beggar as much as the beloved spouse or precious grandchild. We will love the stranger as much as the dearest friend. Through Christ, we will even love those we disliked or found difficult on earth. In heaven, there is only One Love—the love of God, which does not discriminate.

As parents/grandparents, we name grace—God’s loving presence—by reminding our children that God, who is LOVE, created them for love. We guide them to see heaven as our goal and teach them that the surest way to heaven is to love God and one another. We allow them to ask questions about life and death and the resurrection. We pray for our deceased loved ones and celebrate All Saints and All Souls.

When my father died, I received great comfort by imagining him reunited with my mother. Would God not make this a reality? And what of those who have buried babies or children? Will God not replace the ache in their hearts with absolute joy by reuniting them in heaven? And, for those who long for parents, siblings, or friends? Somehow, someway, I believe God will make it possible for us to love each person in heaven while also allowing us to recognize and reunite with our particular loved ones—otherwise, it wouldn’t be heaven.

People will not marry or remarry in heaven because each person who dies falls into the embrace of our loving Savior. Though my father and mother may not be “married” in heaven, I trust they—and the glorious communion of saints—will be dancing together in God’s eternal love. For now, we will see one another in the Eucharist as we receive Jesus, who is LOVE. Now, that’s good news!


Photo by Kristina Litvjak on Unsplash
How do you think of heaven?
What do you teach your children about your deceased loved ones?

Naming Grace in the Domestic Church reflects on Scripture through the lens of a parent/grandparent. To read more reflections or to connect with Mary Pedersen: www.marypedersen.com

Comments

    Reflections

    The blog on this page presents reflections on the Sunday readings through the lens of a parent/grandparent, aiding leaders of the domestic church in their vital task as “first heralds” or “first preachers” of the Good News in the home.

    VIEW FAVORITES

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Naming Grace
  • Message
  • Favorites
  • Events & Videos
  • Contact