Homily 32nd Sunday OT 2022
Franklin Fong, OFM
Two questions are raised by today’s readings. What are you willing to die for? What are you willing to live for?
The first reading from 2nd Maccabees we hear about a mother and her seven sons who say that they are ready to die rather than to disobey religious convictions. Fidelity to their religious convictions is worth everything and we must always continue fighting for our faith and principles in the face of death. We know that we will live forever with God.
Psalm 17 reminds us that we can pray to God as ”attending to my outcry” to bring forth God’s glory with joy !
The second reading from 2nd Thessalonians, we hear of how much God loves us and want us to live on earth with the hope of continuing life. Recall that last Sunday that God loves all things he made, and wants us to be with him. And so this reading specifically focuses on the different ways that our faith will be challenged by the crises of which come up in our lives in our world !
In the Gospel reading from Luke we hear Jesus arguing in favor of faith of a risen life following death. After all God is a God of the living. God wills that all who die should become “alive for him.”
Since we do not fully understand our wonderful, but mysterious, living union with God, the Gospel readings clearly indicate that as well, we do not know just how we will be united with one another. We do know that our personal relationships will be perfected in our future life with God. Jesus tells us that risen persons will not be taken up with resolving or settling the legalities of marital rights and responsibilities. Our eternal life will be something entirely new. It will be the perfection of what we have only begun on earth.
So given our faith in our continuing life with God and with one another, it might be better to ask the question of ourselves: “what am I willing to live for? rather than: “What am I willing to die for?” How do I witness this to especially our sons and daughters and other young people as we heard in the first reading?
May we affirm that we are ready to live forever with God and with one another.
So Brothers and Sisters of the St Leander Chinese Catholic Community that is the Good News for this 32nd Sunday of Ordinary time.
Alleluia alleluia !
Fr. Fong
(中文翻譯.原文以英文為準.)
2022 年常年期第 32 個主日講道
鄺神父主日道理中譯本
今天的讀經提出了兩個問題。你願意為了什麼而死?你願意為什麼而活?
在瑪加伯下的讀經一中,我們聽到一位母親和她的七個兒子說他們已經準備好去死而不是違背宗教信仰。忠於他們的宗教信仰是值得的,我們必須始終在死亡面前繼續為我們的信仰和原則而戰。我們知道我們將永遠與天主同在。
聖詠第 17 篇提醒我們,我們可以向天主祈禱,“傾聽我的呼求”,以喜樂的方式帶來天主的榮耀!
得撒洛尼人後書的讀經二,我們聽到天主多麼愛我們,並希望我們在地球上生活,並希望繼續生活。回想上主日,天主愛他創造的一切,並希望我們與他在一起。因此,本讀經特別關注我們的信仰將受到世界生活中出現的危機挑戰的不同方式!
在路加福音中,我們聽到耶穌主張相信死後復活的生命。畢竟天主是活人的天主。天主希望所有死去的人都“為他而活”。
由於我們不完全了解我們與天主奇妙而神秘的生活結合,福音也清楚地表明,我們不知道我們將如何彼此結合。我們確實知道,我們的個人關係將在我們與天主的未來生活中得到完善。耶穌告訴我們,復活的人不會專注於決定或解決婚姻權利和責任的合法性。
我們的永生將是全新的。這將是我們在地球上剛剛開始的完美狀況。
因此,鑑於我們對與天主和彼此繼續生活的信德,最好問問自己這個問題:“我願意為什麼而活?而不是:“我願意為什麼而死?”正如我們在讀經中聽到的那樣,我如何特別向我們的兒女和其他年輕人見證這一點?
願我們確認我們已準備好與天主和彼此永遠生活在一起。
聖利安德華人天主教團體的兄弟姐妹們,這是常年期第32個主日的好消息。
阿肋路亞,阿肋路亞!
