[00:00:05] Hello, my name is Sally Moriarty-Flask. Welcome to: From His Word to Our Hearts, my weekly Bible Study podcast. Together we will explore the readings to be proclaimed at the Catholic Mass on Sunday, November 2, 2025, The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.
This week's episode is entitled: Being Raised up, and in these readings, we are reminded that we will all face our own deaths someday, but that inevitable reality should not make us anxious or afraid.
As we journey through the readings this week, consider the following:
When we do each face our individual death, we should do so with faith and trust in God. But how exactly do we go about that? Psalm 23 tells us that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. So, how do we prepare ourselves for that?
[00:01:05] Let's begin in prayer.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly Father, we praise you and we thank you for the gift of our life here on earth and for the next life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Help us to be the people you created us to be and live as you intend us to live in this life so that we can love and praise you eternally in the next. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now that we've opened our hearts in prayer, let's learn a bit about the feast we will be celebrating this week.
[00:01:40] This feast - the Feast of All Souls or The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed - is celebrated each year on November 2 and while the Church allows individual parishes to choose from among a number of appropriate readings, she assigns specific prayers in the Roman Missal for this celebration. Since it is assigned to a particular date, it doesn't often fall on a Sunday as it does this year.
All Souls is a day of prayer and remembrance for all the faithful who have died but are still in the process of being purified before entering the kingdom and it follows immediately after the Solemnity of All Saints (November 1st). And that Solemnity honors those holy men and women who already stand before the face of God in heaven, known or unknown, declared or anonymous.
You may recall that - a couple of weeks ago - I mentioned the terms Church Militant and Church Triumphant, which refer respectively to the Church here on Earth and the Church in Heaven. But there is yet another related term, the Church Penitent, which describes those whom we pray for on this feast… those men and women who have died in need of further purification before they are welcomed into heaven, for Catholics that means the souls in Purgatory.
[00:03:10] Now I am fully aware that in all of Christianity, purgatory is primarily a Catholic concept - rejected by many Protestant traditions. But I am a Catholic, so I include it here. And as I said, it specifically describes those for whom we offer prayers on this feast.
I also want to mention that all three of those terms are antiquated terms. The current Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to those groups as: the blessed in heaven, pilgrims on earth, and those being purified. Regardless of how those three groups are named, they all form one unified Catholic Church.
[00:03:54] Many faithful Catholics don't often consider that when they think about the Church. We tend to think of just our own local parish, or perhaps even our local diocese. And then we see or hear something specific about the Pope which reminds us to look beyond what we see locally… and think of the 1.4 billion Catholics around the world (and, yes, I said billion with a “b”), but again, all of that is still only one element of the entire Church… which, in its fullness, encompasses all the faithful down through the ages that are now in heaven or still in the process of being purified before they enter into heaven.
You'll notice one thing I didn't mention was the concept of hell. That's because the Church has never said that anyone is in hell, not even people we may think deserve it. Not even Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Osama bin Laden… anyone that we think may deserve hell. The Church has not declared anyone to actually be in hell because judgment is not up to us. Judgment is up solely to God.
The tradition of praying for the dead did not start with the Catholic Church. It actually dates back to the Maccabean revolt in the 2nd century BC as recorded in 2 Maccabees 12. Now, 2 Maccabees is not included in the Jewish Bible, but it is part of what is called the Apocrypha or the Disputed Books in the Protestant Bible.
The belief in individual life after death can actually be found in Judaism as early as the 6th century BC. And some of the strongest proponents of that concept were the Pharisees, which was a lay movement that, by all accounts, supported the Maccabean Revolt and then grew to prominence in the 1st century AD.
[00:06:04] After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, Pharisaic beliefs formed the basis of what came to be known as Rabbinic or Talmudic Judaism. As the concept of individual life after death became more widely accepted by Jews, the practice of praying for the dead also became more common. In fact, 2 Maccabees records that Judas Maccabeus took up a collection from among his soldiers in order to send money to Jerusalem to provide an expiatory sacrifice for those of their comrades who had died in battle. And he said that if the fallen were not expected to rise again, it would be superfluous and foolish to pray for them… but since they would rise again, atonement should be made for the dead that they may be absolved from their sin.
Even modern Jews believe that the deceased undergo purification after death. The Jewish people do not call that purgatory - it is called Gehenna or Gehinnom - but Jews, like Catholics, believe that - after death - any sin that remains with the deceased is burned away by the fire of God's purifying love, refining the dead before they enter the kingdom of heaven.
The practice of praying for the dead has always been common among Christians. During periods of Roman persecution, prayers for the dead were offered in the catacombs under the city of Rome. Tertullian (2nd century author & apologist) and Cyprian (3rd century bishop & martyr) both attested to the regular practice of praying for the dead. And a special day or time of prayer for all the faithful departed has been constant in Catholic Christianity from its inception, although when that has been observed has varied throughout history.
In the 6th century, it was part of the Easter season; in the 9th century, it was part of Advent. In the 11th century, Belgian monasteries declared November 2nd to be the date set aside to pray for the faithful departed… that date spread to other Western monasteries, then to Rome and throughout Italy in the 13th century, and from there to the rest of the Catholic Church.
The Liturgical Color for all souls is purple, which symbolizes penitence for those souls still being purified. However, black (which can symbolize mourning) or the color white (which symbolizes resurrection) can also be used.
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed has become an expression of spiritual solidarity among the living and the dead, a day of reflection to honor the memory of loved ones who have died, and sometimes to visit and decorate their earthly resting places.
The journey through grief is different for each person. It is often long and difficult, and reminders of those we have lost can arise unexpectedly. But this yearly feast reminds all of us that this road is never walked alone… and that a burden shared is a burden lightened.
Practically speaking, there are a number of different readings that can be used for this feast. It is best to consult your home parish to see what choice they have made. And because there are so many options, it would be impossible for me to try to cover them all right here. Instead, I will only cover the readings that are recommended by the USCCB. They're on the USCCB website, and those are the readings that my home parish will be using.
[00:10:20] So now that we have opened our hearts in prayer and have a better understanding of this week's feast, let's see what the chosen Scriptures have to say to us.
[00:10:32] Our Gospel this week is from John 6: 37-40.
“[Jesus said to the crowds:] ‘All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’”
This passage is part of the Bread of Life discourse in John's Gospel, although precisely where that discourse begins depends upon whom you ask. Some say it begins with verse 22, others say verse 35. Either way, this passage falls within its boundaries.
[00:11:37] This takes place after the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fish, which is actually at the beginning of chapter 6. The crowds are so astounded by what Jesus did in feeding the multitude that they follow him despite his best efforts to seek some solitude. In the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus says on two different occasions: “I am the bread of life” - he says it once in verse 35 and then again in verse 48. Some commentaries suggest that those two occasions invite Jesus’ listeners to enter more deeply into different aspects of that mystery. The first invites the faithful to believe more deeply in Jesus as the true Bread from heaven, and the second, then, is an invitation to perceive - and eventually receive - him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist under the outward form of bread. Those two realities are inextricably linked… without faith, we cannot be united to Jesus through the Sacrament of Baptism, nor can we recognize him or receive him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Saint Thomas Aquinas (13th century Italian priest, theologian, scholastic philosopher, Doctor of the Church, and one of the most influential thinkers in Western philosophy) wrote that the true Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist can only be perceived through faith.
[00:13:25] So, we must have faith in order to recognize Jesus and be united to him through Baptism so that we can, in turn, be nourished by him in the Eucharist.
[00:13:39] The portion of the Bread of Life discourse we hear this week focuses on the Invitation to believe in Jesus more deeply and see him as the source of our salvation.
[00:13:53] So, with all that in mind, let's listen again to Jesus in John's Gospel…
“[Jesus said to the crowds:]”
These are the same crowds that he fed with five loaves and two fish; the same crowds that followed him across the Sea of Galilee.
[00:14:11] “All that the Father gives me will come to me;”
The Father invites everyone into the kingdom of heaven, but not all will accept the invitation.
“and him who comes to me I will not cast out.”
In other words, the ones who accept that invitation are the ones that come to Jesus and the ones he will not cast out.
[00:14:39] “For I have come down from heaven,”
In the Incarnation.
“not to do my own will,”
Jesus is talking here about his human will, not his divine will. But even his human will was either aligned with or subservient to the will of the Father. And when it wasn't, we heard about it in Jesus’ own prayer - think of Matthew 26, when Jesus was praying to the Father in the garden the night before he was Crucified… he said: “Father, let this cup pass from me, yet not my will but your will be done!”
[00:15:19] So, Jesus’ human will always aligned itself with the Father's divine will. And we hear that again in the very next phrase when Jesus says: I came…
“[to do] the will of him who sent me;”
Jesus was sent by the Father to do the Father's will.
“and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.”
This is salvation through Jesus… this is the salvation promised by Jesus… this is Judgment, the Second Coming.
[00:16:04] And again, the invitation is extended to all, but not all accept it! Those who do accept it - and live accordingly - will be raised on the last day. That's what we as Christians believe.
[00:16:24] But again, judgment isn't up to us. Judgment is up to God.
[00:16:32] “For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life;”
[00:16:42] Notice Jesus doesn't stop at see... he doesn't say that everyone who sees the Son will have eternal life… he includes believe… everyone who sees AND believes!
[00:16:56] Seeing isn't enough… saying we believe isn't enough… we have to see Jesus, acknowledge him as our Lord, and live according to his teachings! That's what we have to do as Christians… nothing less will be acceptable! But if we do all of that, Jesus promises…
“I will raise him up at the last day.”
[00:17:28] I said this before… we will - each and every one of us - face our own death… someday.
[00:17:37] How we face our death is up to us!
[00:17:41] We can face it with fear and anxiety and trepidation if we don't do our very best to live as Jesus taught us to live in this life. But that also means that we can face it with assurance and courage if we know that we have lived as Jesus taught us to live.
[00:18:09] But if we're not living up to that standard every day… if we don't see and love others as Jesus did… if we don't accept and forgive others as Jesus did…
Well, we're not dead yet! There's still time!
So, we need to work harder to be the people we were created to be…
to love all people - not just some people…
to accept all people - not just some…
to really see Jesus in everyone - not just a few.
Because if we do that, then we can face Jesus - when he comes to judge us - we can stand before him with faith and trust that we are prepared to dwell with him forever in the house of the Lord.
[00:19:07] That takes us to our First Reading which is from Wisdom 3: 1-9.
“[T]he souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seem to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and they're going forth from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.”
[00:20:32] The Book of Wisdom, sometimes called the Wisdom of Solomon, is part of the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament… along with Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Job, and Sirach. It is part of the canon of Scripture for Catholic and Orthodox Christians.
[00:20:53] Protestants, however, place it in what is called the Apocrypha or the Disputed Books. It is also not part of the Jewish Bible, although it was included in the Septuagint (the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible).
[00:21:10] Most Scripture scholars date the book to around the 2nd or 1st century BC which was, of course, long after the death of King Solomon, which is why calling it the Wisdom of Solomon is a bit problematic. But Solomon's wisdom, nevertheless, runs deep in the Jewish tradition.
[00:21:31] So, there remains a strong connection between King Solomon and the Book of Wisdom.
[00:21:37] Some commentators have suggested that this book was actually written in Solomon's honor, recording his past wisdom, thereby cementing the link between Solomon and the content of this book.
[00:21:53] Wisdom was most likely written by a well-educated Jew from Alexandria - the same place, by the way, where the Septuagint was translated and assembled. The main theme of the book is, of course, wisdom - which is often personified as a woman - who is with God for all eternity and who bestows the gift of divine wisdom upon mankind.
[00:22:22] So, let's break open this passage…
“[T]he souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,”
That is a beautifully poetic statement and we often assume that the author means heaven. But at the time this was written, the concept of individual life after death was still in the process of being developed. Saint Augustine (5th century bishop, theologian, philosopher, Doctor of the Church, and one of the most influential of all the early Church fathers of the Patristic Era) wrote: “You do not know where the saints have gone, but wherever they are they are with God. They went through suffering to a place without suffering.”
Which is a beautifully expanded way to talk about this first sentence.
“The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.”
And keep in mind that belief in individual life after death first arose in Jewish theology, sometime around the 6th century BC, as I said earlier, and that belief grew steadily in popularity over time. The Book of Wisdom was written several centuries into that development, so it was widely accepted by then that those who lived a righteous life would be rewarded in the afterlife.
That's what the author means by “the hand of God” and “no torment will touch them.” And if we read this passage in the context of the book, the author writes - in chapter 1 - that “God did not make death” and that “righteousness is immortal.” So, the overall message is that no matter what hardships the righteous endured in their earthly life, they will be at peace in the afterlife - whatever that looks like… whatever it's called. Modern Christians call it heaven. At the time, Jews may have called it the bosom of Abraham. In the Book of Revelation, we hear it called the New Jerusalem or the New Earth.
[00:24:48] Whatever that is called, such an afterlife exists where the just are rewarded by God.
“In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,”
To fully understand that, we have to look at this passage in the context of the entire Book of Wisdom.
[00:25:07] In the previous chapter (chapter 2), the author describes in detail the words and deeds of “the foolish” that he mentions here in this phrase - whom he also calls the ungodly - saying that they are wicked people and evildoers whose ally is death. So, this phrase means that those who are allied with death see the end of life on earth as a victory for death, with nothing beyond this earthly plane.
“and their departure was thought to be an affliction,”
Meaning that those who were righteous in life have come to a bad end after all… in the eyes of the foolishness.
“and they're going forth from us to be their destruction;”
I feel like a broken record, but I can't say this often enough… context here is crucial! In chapter 2, the foolish - the ungodly - say that when this earthly life ends, and I quote: “the body will turn to ashes and the spirit will dissolve like empty air” - meaning that the foolish really have absolutely no hope in anything beyond this existence; they do not trust in God or his providence; and they see the end of life here on earth as the end of everything.
[00:26:30] “but they are at peace.”
[00:26:34] The righteous lived with faith in God, they lived trusting in God's promises and his providence, they saw the end of this earthly life as the beginning of eternal life, so they are at peace!
[00:26:57] And remember, what does the author say? “Righteousness is immortal.”
“For though in the sight of men they were punished,”
Meaning that their lives may not have been happy and comfortable… they may have experienced hardship or suffering. And we see that in the Christian life, don't we? Jesus never promised happiness or comfort. In fact, he told us - in no uncertain terms - that we would have to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him.
[00:27:31] So, for those who lack faith and trust in God… the trials of this life do seem to be punishments. But the author assures us that…
“their hope is full of immortality.”
[00:27:47] Remember, the author said that “righteousness is immortal: therefore, the reward for righteousness IS immortality.
[00:27:58] “Having been disciplined a little,”
[00:28:01] The purpose of what the author calls discipline is to teach life lessons and promote personal integrity and ethics.
[00:28:14] Here the author of Wisdom suggests that the trials and hardships of life are a form of divine discipline - the actions of a loving heavenly Father that promote spiritual growth.
[00:28:32] So, “having been disciplined a little”…
“they will receive great good,”
[00:28:39] The NAB translates that as they will be greatly blessed. But the meaning is clear, that the righteous will be rewarded. And why will they be rewarded?
[00:28:53] “because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;”
[00:28:59] Worthy to be in his presence for all eternity.
[00:29:06] “like gold in the furnace he tried them,”
And if this phrase makes us think of the process of smelting precious metals - that's exactly what it's intended to do! When precious metals are smelted - when they are heated to extremely high temperatures - that separates out the impurities from the precious metal itself. And that idea became a common biblical metaphor for spiritual purification.
“and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.”
This would have made more sense to the Jewish audience that this author was writing to, because we don't offer burnt sacrifices anymore. But at the time, the smoke of that offering rose up to God from the altar in the temple. And that is primarily why the Catholic Church still uses incense - as a reminder that our prayers rise up to God.
“In the time of their visitation they will shine forth,”
[00:30:12] The “time of their visitation” is the Day of Judgment, also called the Day of the Lord in the Old Testament. And “shine forth” indicates that the righteous will radiate with the light of heavenly glory.
“and will run like sparks through stubble.”
If you've ever seen any type of fire, you should easily be able to picture what the author is talking about here. When sparks form, they shoot up and fly - float - in different directions. So, seeing sparks darting through stubble would have been a common image.
[00:30:53] “They will govern nations and rule over peoples,”
When the author says “they” he means the righteous, the holy ones, the saints - and by “governing nations and ruling over peoples” that means they will share in the reign of the Messiah - the Chosen One, the Holy One of God.
“and the Lord will reign over them for ever.”
[00:31:19] So, while the righteous participate in the reign of the Messiah, God will be the ultimate authority.
“Those who trust in him will understand truth,”
[00:31:33] Faith in God enables us to accept his wisdom - the wisdom of the Scriptures - as the ultimate objective truth. NOT one truth among many, not an alternate truth - because there is no such thing - but the unbiased, impartial, transcendent truth of God!
[00:32:00] The only truth that is real… and the only truth that really matters.
“and the faithful will abide with him in love,”
[00:32:11] God is love. Therefore, those who are with God exist in his love.
“because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.”
It's interesting that in the NAB translation, the words “elect” and “holy ones” are switched… the NAB says: “grace and mercy are with his holy ones and his care is with his elect.”
[00:32:41] Also of interest is that this phrase is omitted in some ancient copies of the Book of Wisdom in this particular place, and some commentaries suggest that its appearance here is a mistake - perhaps an error in copying. This same phrase appears, word for word, in chapter 4 of Wisdom, where the author talks about the rewards of the righteous. It doesn't matter whether the phrase was intended to appear twice or not, the phrase is appropriate and it's a nice way to bring that particular passage to a close.
[00:33:18] Regardless of how this passage is translated, the message we need to take away from it is that - in the end - the righteous will be rewarded with eternal life in God's presence, enjoying his light and love for all time.
[00:33:35] This reading is a common choice for Funeral Masses because the overall tone is upbeat and hopeful, and it reminds us that the reward promised to the righteous is the same promise that Jesus Christ makes in the Gospels… if we deny ourselves, if we take up and carry our cross, if we follow Jesus, then he will raise us up on the last day.
Scripture tells us we must be righteous in this life… we must face both our lives and our deaths with faith and trust in God… and if we do that, then we will be prepared to dwell in the house of the Lord for all eternity.
[00:33:35] That brings us to our Responsorial Psalm, which is Psalm 23, and the refrain is:
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
[00:34:46] And here are the verses:
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.”
“He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows.”
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
[00:35:39] This Psalm is a Psalm of Trust in God, and it is attributed to King David. It depicts God as a Shepherd, a Guide, and the Host of a Banquet whose blessings include peace, refreshment, assistance, and comfort. This Psalm confirms that God cares not just for the Jewish people as a whole - not just for all of humanity as a whole - but for each individual as well.
The reference to a table and cup in the third stanza suggests that it may have been part of a Thanksgiving Communion Sacrifice in the temple at some point (if you'd like to learn more about what a Thanksgiving Communion Sacrifice is - it's described in Leviticus 12). And having one's head anointed with oil was a way of showing hospitality to an honored guest… remember, both Matthew and Mark recount that Jesus’ head was anointed with perfumed oil in the home of Simon in Bethany.
This Psalm is also a common choice for Funeral Masses, again, because the message it conveys is one of hope and assurance.
[00:37:04] That takes us to our Second Reading, which is from Romans 6: 3-9.
[00:37:12] “[Brothers and sisters:] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our former man was crucified with him so that the sinful body might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For he who has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”
[00:38:27] Remember, Romans is what is called an Ambassadorial Letter, meaning that Paul wrote it to introduce himself to the Christian community in Rome in an effort to enlist their aid in launching a missionary journey to Spain (which never happened). The city of Rome, of course, was the capital of the Roman Empire and was primarily pagan and notoriously corrupt.
[00:38:56] How a Christian community became established and thrived in Rome is still a bit of a mystery. Some have suggested that Jewish pilgrims returning from Jerusalem brought the good news of Jesus to Rome, and that may have been the spark that ignited the development of a Christian community. But truth be told, no one knows for sure.
[00:39:23] Some archaeological sources mention that Peter ministered to an already established Christian community in Rome in the 40s, and tradition holds that he was executed in Rome sometime in the 60s (some sources say as early as 64 AD, others put it closer to 67 AD - the same year Paul was executed) either way, both Peter and Paul's executions took place during the reign of Nero.
[00:39:56] This letter suggests that the Christian community in Rome was made up of both Gentile and Jewish converts, and that the community's faith was firm and profound.
[00:40:10] We don't hear that in this passage - again context becomes so important to understand the totality of the Scriptures - but when you read the entirety of the letter to the Romans, you get that message very clearly.
It was probably written sometime during Paul's Third Missionary Journey (54 to 58 AD) and Paul is universally regarded as the author of this letter. Romans is the longest and most theologically complex of any of Paul's letters - remember he had been preaching for nearly 20 years when he composed this letter - and it still stands as one of the most theologically influential Epistles in all of the New Testament.
[00:41:02] So, let's listen to what Paul has to say…
“[Brothers and sisters:] Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?”
[00:41:17] This is a common theme in several of Paul's letters. We descend into the waters of Baptism as into the grave and emerge reborn into new life in Christ.
[00:41:33] Baptism unites us to Christ - Crucified and Risen - so that, united with his death, our sins are put to death and our souls are filled with holiness and with life.
[00:41:50] “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
[00:42:08] Jesus' Resurrection brought him into a new, transformed life, and our Baptism prepares us to live the same way… with our souls cleansed of sin and full of grace.
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his,”
Paul is not saying that we will all be crucified as Jesus was.
[00:42:35] We will all face death at some point - not by crucifixion as Jesus did, but we will all die… that is a reality of our earthly existence. And that's what Paul means.
[00:42:50] He then goes on to say…
“we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
Meaning the resurrection of the body. We are not all going to be laid in a tomb and miraculously raise ourselves three days later - that's not what Paul is saying! But we do share in Jesus’ Resurrection because we follow where he leads - meaning the resurrection of the body. And that's precisely what we proclaim every time we pray the Creed - whether it's the Apostles’ Creed or the Nicene Creed - they both profess that we believe (or look forward to) the resurrection of the body… the physical resurrection of our glorified bodies.
[00:43:40] “We know that our former man was crucified with him”
[00:43:44] The NAB translates “former man” as “old self” - our old self was crucified - and that is talking about Baptism.
[00:43:56] We descend into the waters of Baptism and emerge clean… our sins are put to death and our souls are cleansed.
“so that the sinful body might be destroyed,”
It means that we die to our former way of life through the grace of the Holy Spirit.
“and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.”
[00:44:24] And that happens through the Sacrament of Baptism.
[00:44:30] “For he who has died is freed from sin.”
[00:44:34] Being freed from sin means we are justified - we are put in right relation - with God. That does happen after death, but it does not happen miraculously and immediately when a person dies.
[00:44:51] Paul doesn't indicate a time frame here, you will notice. That is precisely where the Catholic and Jewish concepts of purification come into play.
[00:45:01] Time does not exist beyond this earthly plane.
[00:45:08] So yes, the dead are freed from sin, but through the process of being purified by the fire of God's love, not by magic.
“But if we have died with Christ,”
Through Baptism
“we believe that we shall also live with him.”
[00:45:31] Paul says that in Galatians 2, right? “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
[00:45:41] “For we know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;”
[00:45:46] Jesus defeated death for all time and now lives eternally in the kingdom of heaven - Risen, Glorified in heaven for all time.
[00:46:02] “death no longer has dominion over him.”
Because Christ destroyed death through his own Death on the Cross, his Risen humanity is forever victorious over death and, through the Sacraments of the Church, he shares that victory with us.
[00:46:30] When we are Baptized, we become adopted sons and daughters of the Father, adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus… and it is that identity that forms the basis of our hope and trust in God.
[00:46:47] It is that identity that unites us to Jesus… that is life within us when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist… that leads us in the paths of righteousness.
[00:47:07] And when we fail, we have the Sacrament of Reconciliation to restore that righteousness.
[00:47:16] It is that identity that allows us to shine with the light of God's love… and through which we are given to Jesus by the Father… so that he will raise us up on the last day.
[00:47:39] So, how do we prepare ourselves to dwell in the house of the Lord forever? There's really only one answer!
[00:47:48] We do so by living as Jesus taught us to live - every day…
By loving others as Jesus taught us to love - every day…
By forgiving everyone as Jesus taught us to forgive - every day…
And by trusting that God will keep his promises!
[00:48:14] If you would like to reach out to me with questions or comments, send me an email at
[email protected]
Thank you for spending this time with me and until next we meet, may God shower his blessings upon you like a soft and gentle rain, and may he hold you - safe and secure - in the palm of his hand.
From His Word to our hearts is produced by SFS Audio Solutions.
The content of the show was assembled by me, Sally Moriarty-Flask.
Our music was composed by Jimmy Flask and is used with the permission of the composer. All rights reserved.
Information regarding references used in preparing the exegesis for this podcast is available upon request.
Thank you for listening and God bless.
