Immortality: The Grace Before The Ages Began

 

Righteousness is immortal.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, June 30th, 2024
Texts: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Psalm 30:2,4-6,11-13; 2Corinthians 8:7.9.13-15; Mark 5:21-43 

Immortality: The Grace Before The Ages Began  

This word of apostle Paul to Timothy encapsulates today's message: "This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2Tim. 1:9b-10). 

The Wise affirms, today, that God gave the grace of immortality before the ages began. He puts it thus: "God did not make death, and he does not delight in the death of the living." He gives reasons for his assertion. First, God's will is that all things should live. In his words: "For he created all things that they might exist". Death is contrary to the purpose for which God created all things. Hence, death is not the making of God. 

Second, the principle of life is pure and holy. The Wise puts it thus: "and the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them". Life does not contain within itself death; death is a poison. Fourth, he affirms that the Hades have no dominion on earth. This gives insight that the Wise is talking about eternal death. Eternal death is a permanent separation from God, a denial of eternal joy. 

Righteousness is immortal

Fifth, righteousness is also another reason for immortality. The Wise says, "For righteousness is immortal. For God created man for incorruption". This means God created man in righteousness and so he is created to be immortal. Sixth, immortality of man comes from being created in the image and likeness of God. The Wise says, "and made him in the image of his own eternity". The catechism of Catholic Church teaches us that this likeness to God is in our souls. The likeness to God in our souls is immortality. 

The Devil took away the grace of immortality God gave us before the ages began. In the words of the Wise: "God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it." Devil deceived our first parents and made them victims to death. All of us inherited death from our first parents. 

Jesus Christ has come to restore back our stolen grace. He has come to set us free from bondage of the Devil. This is clear in today's gospel reading as He healed the woman with flow of blood for twelve years. He also freed from bondage of death the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. In any way Devil might have tied us down Jesus Christ has come to set us free.  

Do not fear, only believe

We only need to put our faith in Jesus Christ to be set free from the Devil. The woman said, "If I touch even his garments, I shall be made well." Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." To the ruler of the synagogue He said, "Do not fear, only believe."  

We also need to take seriously the exhortation of apostle Paul: "As you excel in everything-in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us-see that you excel in this gracious work also." We become righteous when we do gracious works. By living righteously we become incorruptible and immortal.  

The gracious works apostle Paul mentions in the second reading is social justice. He says, "I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply you want, that there may be equality."  

Prayer 

O God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in the darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth. Amen (Collect) 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke