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Wednesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
Psalm 123:1b-2ab, 2cdef
Mark 12:18-27
S
UMMARY
Paul˅s letter to Timothy must have given him the courage to continue his life-
giving work of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus the Christ. The psalmist
cries To you, O Lord, I lift up my eyes. Jesus is once again questioned by the
leadership and he answers them with ideas beyond their questions.
Mark
R
EFLECTION
Jesus˅ answer was not means to settle their question. All the widows in heaven
need not worry about their husbands greeting them at the pearly gates; rather Je-
sus uses this answer to illustrate his thoughts to the Sadducees who do not share
his theology. For example the Sadducees do not believe in angels and do not
believe in resurrection. Jesus uses the story of Moses and the burning bush to
make his point: he counts Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob among the living! He
challenges their denial of a functional resurrection with the suggestion that life
continues unbroken by death.
Jesus not only believed this, he bet his very life on its truth. When he said, as he
was dying on the cross, ˈFather, into your hands, I commit my spiritˉ, he was not
taking a chance on resurrection; he was entrusting his whole being, body and
soul, to the Father.
Life after death, the promise of our resurrection! We say that we believe this
each and every Sunday as we proclaim the Profession of Faith. One of our daily
reflections might be on the glorious gift of life, unbroken by death.
This week I attended a funeral for a young man taken unexpectedly and much too
soon. As the prayers were being said over his earthly body, their rich message of
hope made the tears of sorrow turn to tears of gratitude.