Embrace It

September 20, 2008

Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest and martyr, and Saint Paul Chong Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs

You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind; but God gives it a body as he chooses, and to each of the seeds its own body. 1 Corinthians 15:36-38

But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance. Luke 8:15

Piety

I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life in the world to come. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/092008.shtml

The harvest imagery continues today with the analogies of resurrection to seeds and life to seeds. The notes to the NAB point out, “There is a change of attributes from seed to plant; the old life-form must be lost for the new to emerge. By speaking about the seed as a body that dies and comes to life, Paul keeps the point of the analogy before the reader's mind.”

So change occurs in two different ways. First, during natural life, the Word of God changes us. When we hear it and embrace it, then the seed acts as if it fell on rich soil and bears good fruit. Second, after natural life, the body changes before resurrection.

If our same earthly body was resurrected, then people would not have any trouble recognizing us. But the examples we have of the encounters Jesus had with people after the resurrection are filled with stories of how people did not recognize him. Mary Magdalene at the tomb did not recognize Jesus even though she last saw him only three days earlier. She did not recognize the body resurrected but when she heard his words, she recognized him.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. John 20:15-16

When the disciples went fishing after Pentecost, at first they were taking instructions from a man on shore. But it was only after the successful catch that John announced to Peter that they were having another encounter with Christ. Also, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus spoke for a long journey while his disciples failed to recognize him until they shared the meal.

Action

Our job is not to wait for eternal life in the world to come but rather to bring a little heaven to earth for each other.

This weekend, the men preparing for the 117th Cursillo are having their Talk Day at Missionhurst. Please offer Palanca for them this weekend and in the final weeks of preparation until the Cursillo takes place October 23-26.

Where else can you bring a little heaven into the world? Where else can you tend to your crops so that they bear fruit through perseverance?