Fourth Of Easter Of Year B
May 2006
Today is vocations day and I am supposed to encourage unmarried men to join the priesthood. I find that I cannot do this with any conviction; not because I do not want people to join the priesthood (actually I cannot think of a more useful and fulfilling occupation), but because for me confining the priesthood to unmarried men is unwarranted, and insulting to others who may have a vocation to priesthood.
So we continue today with some more thoughts on Resurrection.
We see in the Gospels that the resurrected body of Jesus, while being similar to an ordinary body in many respects, for example it was solid and could be touched, it could eat and drink, It could make a fire and cook; in other respects it was quite dissimilar; for example it could pass through solid matter, it could move about at will with no visible means of transport, it could appear and disappear in an instant, it could change its appearance.
This is what is called a `glorified body' and is what we will have in eternal life.
(In eternal life there will be no sexual attraction; there will be no marriage or giving in marriage. There is no sexual attraction in the life we live in our mother's womb before our birth because it is unnecessary. There will be none in eternal life because it will be irrelevant and unnecessary. Sexual attraction exists to ensure the continuation of the human race; otherwise it would die out. The attraction which we will have for one another in eternal life will be something away and beyond any sexual attraction. It will be based on the beauty and glory that will be visibly ours, as children of God.)
In eternal life all will be revealed in the sense that we will fully know and understand one another. In eternal life there will be no questioning or accusation or condemnation or embarrassment. All will be known and understood. The motives for everyone's actions will be clear. The burdens each one carried will be understood. The compulsions each person was subject to will be evident. The pressures and misunderstandings that each one laboured under will be seen. The ailments and drawbacks that each person suffered from will be fully acknowledged and understood.
Knowing and understanding one another in this way will bring complete forgiveness, full respect and total love.
As we saw last week, religion is trying to live now, as we will live in eternal life.
Today, religion must, for us, facilitate a growth in knowledge and understanding of one another. Truly, for you, does the practise of your religion bring you an ever increasing knowledge and understanding of those who are sitting here today with you?
I think that too many of us here today know absolutely nothing about one another. If we do know, how much of it is based on hearsay and possibly on derogatory hearsay? Are we perhaps quite happy not to know one another?
Knowledge brings understanding. Understanding brings forgiveness. Forgiveness brings respect and respect is the foundation of love.
And as St. John says: "God is love."