- Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
Mark 12:18-27
2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12
Psalm 123:1b-2ab, 2cdef
Mark 12:18-27
Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,
came to Jesus and put this question to him, saying,
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone's brother dies, leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers.
The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants.
So the second brother married her and died, leaving no descendants,
and the third likewise.
And the seven left no descendants.
Last of all the woman also died.
At the resurrection when they arise whose wife will she be?
For all seven had been married to her.”
Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled
because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
When they rise from the dead,
they neither marry nor are given in marriage,
but they are like the angels in heaven.
As for the dead being raised,
have you not read in the Book of Moses,
in the passage about the bush, how God told him,
I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob?
He is not God of the dead but of the living.
You are greatly misled.”
Opening Prayer: Lord God, I believe in your power to raise me to new life. I have already begun to experience your eternal life through Baptism. Teach me each day to share more deeply in your life, in the life of your Son, and in the life of the Spirit.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Sadducees and the Second Test: In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is demonstrating his authority as the Son of David and the New Solomon. He demonstrates divine wisdom and passes each of the tests put forth by the religious authorities. Yesterday, the Pharisees and Herodians asked him a difficult question about earthly, political authority. Today, the Sadducees ask Jesus a difficult question about marriage and eternal life. “The Sadducees were an elite and powerful party within Judaism, consisting of the priestly aristocracy, their families, and supporters. … They had more lenient religious views than the Pharisees, accepting only the Torah (not the Prophets or Psalms) as sacred Scripture, and rejecting traditions that had arisen more recently in Judaism, such as belief in angels, spirits, and the resurrection from the dead (see Acts 23:6-10)” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 243).
2. Understanding the Power of God and the Scriptures: On the one hand, Jesus tells the Sadducees that their denial of the resurrection from the dead shows that they do not understand the power of God. They do not know that God has the power to restore the dead to life and transform our existence. The Sadducees think that those who hold that there is life after death think that it is a continuation of earthly life. Jesus teaches them that life after death will be different. We will not become angels, since angels are pure spirits and do not have bodies, but will be like the angels and enjoy a glorious and eternal existence. “With this answer Jesus affirms several points denied by the Sadducees: life after death, bodily resurrection, and the existence of angels” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, 244). On the other hand, the Sadducees, by denying life after death, do not understand the Scriptures. Although Jesus could have quoted passages from Wisdom or Maccabees that speak about our life after death, Jesus acquiesces to the fact that the Sadducees only accept the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and demonstrates the existence of life after death by quoting from the Book of Exodus. Jesus points out that when God reveals himself and his name to Moses, he reveals that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This means that the three Patriarchs of Israel continue to have a relationship with God even after their death. The Lord is the God of the living and will bestow eternal life on the elect.
3. Paul’s Last Will and Testament: The First Reading is taken from Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. Paul is in prison and writes a farewell message to his closest and beloved disciple, Timothy. It reads a last will and testament. It is appropriate to read this letter together with the Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, since Jesus is also preparing his disciples for his passing. The letter
“is a moving account of how Paul, like a runner crossing the finish line, has reached the end of his apostolic career, with only the crown of martyrdom awaiting him (4:6-9). Young Timothy, instructed by the apostle for more than 15 years, is now asked to take up the mantle of his mentor and continue his ministry of preaching.. With death at his doorstep, Paul hurriedly sends a letter filled with fatherly wisdom and warnings to prepare Timothy for the struggles ahead” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, 395). Paul reminds Timothy of the two graces he has received. First, Timothy received the grace (gift) of priestly ministry through the laying on of hands (2 Timothy 1:6). Second, Timothy received the grace of salvation that makes us and enables us to be holy (2 Timothy 1:9).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I do not want to be misled like the Sadducees. Expose the lies of the devil that I am living or have accepted. Correct my thinking. Grant me a true conversion of heart. I want to think as you do and see the world through your eyes.
Living the Word of God: If you were to write a letter, a last will and testament, to your spouse and family, what would you write? What have you learned in your life that you would want to impart? What changes should you make today to live a better life and give a better example?