Being Enlightened On The Faith

 

Enlightenment is key to life of faith.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, Saturday of 33rd in Ordinary Time, Year I, Nov. 25th, 2023
Texts: 1 Maccabees 6:1-13; Psalm 9:2-4,6,16,19; Luke 20:27-40 

Having faith is one thing, being enlightened on the faith is another thing. We see in today’s gospel reading how lack of enlightenment hampers growth in faith. Sadducees of today’s gospel reading were not enlightened on life of resurrection. They thought it was a return into the same life but free of evil and marked by peace. They thought at resurrection we would marry and give birth, cook food, eat and drink water. The needs of the body still holds sway. Hence, Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, thinking it was an illusion. 

Jesus Christ enlightens us on life of resurrection thus: “those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” This means resurrection transforms the body. Resurrection affects the needs of the body. We will not marry, cook food, eat and drink water. We will have incorruptible and immortal body, which needs neither food nor water for survival.  

 We suffer whatever we do not know

We learn from today’s gospel reading to seek enlightenment on our faith. We need enlightenment not to deny and reject what is most importance. There is no participation in whatever we deny or reject. We cannot participate in resurrection if we deny it. We suffer whatever we do not know. If we deny resurrection we will suffer it. Enlightenment is key to life of faith, so as to guard against defective and impotent faith. Our faith is powerful, alive and active when we are enlightened.  

King Antiochus died of lack of enlightenment on the God of Jacob. In his words: “But now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem. I seized all her vessels of silver and gold; and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good reason. I know that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me". Lack of enlightenment is a threat to life. Lack of enlightenment can shipwreck faith. The faith of some of us has shipwrecked because of lack of enlightenment. 

Prayer  

God our Father, we thank You for the gift of faith, gives us the light of your Holy Spirit to enlighten us. Amen 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke