LIFE AFTER DEATH? 

IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for All Saints Day is, “Life After Death? It Makes a Difference.” 

This might sound like a homily for tomorrow: All Souls Day - because I address the question of life after death - which is at the heart of All Souls Day.

There are three kinds of people: those who believe in life after death; those who don’t believe there is life after death; and those who are so so, either or - or don’t know for sure - or don't think about it that often.

It makes a difference in one’s attitudes, one’s psyche, one’s behavior, one’s thoughts and feelings for here and now depending on what we believe about whether there is life after death or what have you?

Which of the 3 categories do you put yourself into? I don’t know about you - but I pause before answering that question.

Scientifically I don’t know. Physically I don’t know. My skin is already flaking a bit at times. I have my questions and my doubts. I smile, because if there is nothing after this life, then I’ll never know.

However, if there is life, I will enter into eternity as someone who is in the group of those who believe by faith in life after death.

Now I can’t prove there is life after death - but I can know there is life after death - by faith.

There are philosophers and theologians and writers who hold that there is  life after death. They say things like:  “We find believe in life after death in all cultures, therefore if it’s a human instinct, therefore there has to be life after death.”

Mark Link in his Homily Series gives this example: “Years ago Peter Berger wrote a best-selling book called, A Rumor of Angels. In the book, Berger speaks of ‘signals of transcendence.’ A signal of transcendence is something in this life that points to something beyond this life.  One of these signals of transcendence is the hunger in this life that points for something more than this world can offer.”

We can go there. That can help.  I find myself simply going to the gift of faith that I have received from my mom and dad and parish and Church and say, “I believe in eternal life with God.”

I make that leap of faith. And I’m assuming that God will catch me when I make that jump.  The image I like to use is this. It’s winter. It has snowed. The city sidewalks are  mushy black  and white snow and ice. I come to end of the sidewalk - so as to step down and cross the street. But there is melting water and snow and ice right there at that curb - and if I want to cross the street I have to make a leap - and hope I don’t land on ice and fall on my butt. Faith is coming to that point - but it’s night - and we don’t know how far away that street is across over  the melting ice, water, slush and snow at that corner.

I have to believe I’m going to make it. Faith is the belief that God is out there in the dark and he’s going to catch me when I jump into and across  dark slushy, icy, cold, unknown on the other side death.

CHRISTIAN BELIEF

A central belief - a central teaching - for the Christian is that there is life after death - and Jesus’ is the key - the other side. We believe that Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, as St. Paul puts it, if Christ didn’t rise from the dead, we Christians are a bunch of fools because we base everything on that.

The Creed till last Advent had “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.... We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.”

After last First Sunday of Advent the wording was changed from “We” to “I” - to get it exactly like the Latin, “Credo” “I believe”. I prefer the “we” because we’re all in this together. However, the benefit of the “I” as in “I believe” and “Credo” is that each of us has to face these basic faith beliefs - and speak up for me, myself and I.

So today for All Saints Day I’m asking the question: “Life After Death? It Makes a Difference.”

For starters I believe by faith that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is living again after he died on the cross. Jesus is the key. That’s the core or our faith in life after death.

That goes for Christians.  Catholic Christians add all those who have died and are with the God. Today’s first reading from the Book of Revelation give numbers - 144,000 and then the great multitude that can’t be counted - and that’s the group I hope I’m going to be marching into heaven with.

Some Christians think something is wrong with the Catholic tradition and the Catholic belief in saints with a small “s” and a capital “S”. I haven’t talked to many of them on this. I sense they think we bypass Jesus and go to Mary and / or Saints.

We’ve all seen people come into Mass - or into church - and from all appearances bypass Jesus and go to the picture of Mary or a statue or picture of a Saint - and then walk out.  I’ve learned to say to myself, “It’s none of my business. I don’t know what’s going on in the mind of this person. I don’t know their story.”

Moreover - because of the Catholic Tradition of Mary and the Saints - I think having saints - known and unknown - as part of our faith life is wonderful. Their example - their living out the gospels - their prayers for us - hopefully all help.

Some of these saints - small “s” and capital “S” we know by name - St. Paul and St. Francis of Assisi - St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila - as well as grandparents - neighbors - friends - who were all around wonderful - generous - giving folks.

CONCLUSION: ONE CRUCIAL QUESTION

The title of my homily is, “Life After Death? It Makes a Difference.”

In other words: “Would my life be any different if I thought this life was it - and when I die, I die for good - for ever.”

In other words: “Does a belief in a Heaven and a Hell after this life make a difference in how I live this life now?"  Or another way of asking this same question is to read Matthew 25: 31-46 - The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats - and Luke 16-19-31 - The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Then  ask, “Do these 2 parables make a difference in how I live my life here because both have implications for my hereafter?”

P.S. If this homily didn’t make any sense or didn’t grab you, I hope the following will grab you. I received an e-mail from my sister Peggy who is a nun. She simply said, “Happy All Saints Day. I said a prayer to my two favorite saints for you today: Mom and Dad.”

OOOOOOO

Engraving on top: Dante Among the Slothful, Gustave Dore, c. 1868