A brief commentary on death

A reflection on the daily readings, for Saturday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time, by Father Perry.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

+ Well, it is not exactly a “before-and-after” commentary on death — but sort of.

King Antiochus is lamenting his bad ways. He made an attempt to capture and pillage the city of Elam, just as he had done to Jerusalem.

But his attempt failed; he was driven back and went home in grief and fear, to die in bitter anguish.

And it was in this condition that he faced himself and his life, and his choices and the evil he had done.

His pathway to death was a bitter one, and even he knew that he got what he deserved.

+ Jesus, too, was dealing with death, but in an abstract and speculative way.

A question about death was put before him by some Sadducees.

Since these particular Sadducees were men who did not believe in a resurrection of the dead, they questioned Jesus using a much exaggerated example.

Using the Levirate Law required a woman to marry her husband’s brothers if her husband died without having a son.

And in this exaggerated case, the woman married all seven brothers, yet still remained childless.

Then she died. And the question that they put before Jesus was, “Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.”

Some might have answered her sarcastically. But not Jesus; he took them at their word and treated the question seriously. He responded like the teacher that he was.

In a climactic way, Jesus declared that God, “is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

And even these Sadducees were impressed with his wisdom and knowledge.

Even these Sadducees remarked, “Teacher, you have answered well.”

And they no longer dared to ask him any more questions.

+ King Antiochus faced his coming death with questions and answers that left him in dread.

Jesus was asked questions dealing with death in order to deal with life after death.

These scriptures are not really dealing with a “before-and-after” commentary on death, but in a way they allow us to look at just that.

And they help us to raise questions that, for the most part, are a piece of our understanding about death.

Hopefully, our own death will be peaceful and full of hope in the resurrection.

Hopefully, Jesus has filled us with faith!

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Father Perry Dean Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com.