RSS Feed"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." (Lk 20:34-35) - From the Sunday Gospel reading for November 7, 2010
The above quote can be quite provocative or even shocking - so there's no marriage in heaven? I remember coming across this passage of Scripture as a teenager and having to stop and reread it several times, having been stunned by what Jesus said. Of course, as a teenager, my thoughts were more on the immediate life ahead of me, and not on the resurrection or heaven - which seemed to be so vague and distant, and so far removed from my daily life and immediate goals. But when I eventually began to read Scripture and pray, I slowly discovered how powerfully the thought of heaven and the life of the resurrection could influence my daily life for the better! And it is in this line that I would like to begin a short reflection on the readings for this Sunday.I have two basic points to make this week: the first revolves around the thought of heaven itself; the second concerns understanding (and hopefully appreciating more!) the role that both marriage and celibacy play in turning our attention to heaven.
Last June at a prayer vigil here in Rome, several priests from around the world had the chance to ask Pope Benedict questions on a variety of topics. The Holy Father listened attentively and then spoke off-the-cuff in response to each question. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear what was closest to his heart on several issues. One response, however, struck me in particular, as it dealt with a situation facing modern day Christianity as a whole. Here's a snippet of what he had to say: "One great problem of Christianity in today's world is that it does not think anymore of the future of God. The 'present' of this world alone seems sufficient. We want to have only this world, to live only in this world. So we close the doors to the true greatness of our existence."
In other words, we have stopped thinking about the life of the resurrection, about heaven as our final goal, which in turn negatively influences our choices and what we accept or reject on a day to day basis. We want to be careful that we do not reduce or limit Christianity to a category of what can be considered "useful" for society and the present world. As Christians we are called to be leaven for the world, but if we lose the perspective of eternity, of heaven, of the resurrection, of our continued existence after this present life, then we will fail in our duty to the world - and miserably at that. If Christians lose sight of the resurrection and it fades from our minds, and therefore no longer influences our actions and decisions, then our faith will no longer have the power to lift this world to God. Without the perspective of heaven and the resurrection, life is emptied of its ultimate meaning and becomes vulnerably exposed to the ever present temptation of man to dominate, manipulate and reorientate everything to himself. If the resurrection and heaven find little or no room in our minds, then as Christians we should heed well the words of St. Paul, "if for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all." (1 Cor 15:19)
The second point of today's reflection regards the relationship between marriage and celibacy, and how both support one another in directing our minds toward heaven. Jesus states quite clearly in this Sunday's Gospel that marriage is meant for this world alone. And yet, think about how many times Jesus compares the Kingdom of God with a marriage banquet in His parables. Marriage and heaven go together - but it's a different type of marriage in heaven - a spiritual marriage with God, where we belong completely to Him and He to us. The sacrament of marriage is a living sign of the spousal love between Christ and His Church. But the sacrament also carries within it the grace and strength to create a new, salvific bond of union between a man and woman and bring them into deeper union with Christ and His Church.
For those who embrace celibacy for the sake of the Kingdom of God (Mt 19:12), marriage is a constant reminder and sign of the spousal relationship, intimacy and fidelity we are to have with Christ and His Church on a spiritual level. The witness of celibacy on the other hand, is a reminder for those who are married that we have been created for God alone, and that there is more to life than the present moment. Celibacy is a sign and reminder that the spousal relationship that a man and woman enjoy here on earth is meant to lead them and their children to that ultimate spousal relationship of love in heaven. To put it more synthetically: marriage reminds us about the relationship of love, intimacy and fidelity we are called to with God; and celibacy reminds us that Christ is the center of our lives as Christians, and that our ultimate goal is communion with God in the marriage feast of the heavenly court. Each vocation benefits if the gifts of the other are understood and appreciated - and both vocations benefit when holy and happy examples of each are easily found. God bless you and have a wonderful Sunday.
(Photo of "Christ on the Tree of Life" courtesy of Br. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)
