Theme: Life after Death
There are two types of people on earth. The first type of people looks forwards to the future and plans ahead. They believe in some kind of life after death. If there is injustice in this life, justice will be done in the next. Therefore, they try to lead a life of morality and are willing to suffer patiently, believing that there will be a final Judgment Day when God will reward the righteous and punish the wicked. People of the second type are usually either ignorant or rich and powerful. They enjoy the moment and couldn't care less what takes place after death. The rich and powerful encourage people to believe in God and claim that God blesses them with the power and wealth they are enjoying. In reality, they make use of God to justify their power and riches. However, they dislike the idea of a final Judgment Day because their riches usually came from an unfair manner. Therefore, the prospect of resurrection is unpleasant to them.
The Sadducees in the gospel reading today were a political party formed by the priests of the Jerusalem Temple. They were rich and powerful and did not believe in resurrection. It was because deep in their hearts, they were afraid of God's judgment after death. The money they had in their purses was usually dirty money. For example, they collected money from traders to do maintenance works of the Temple. In return, they allowed them to sell sacrificial animals in the Temple area. The most lucrative business was money exchange which would be given to people who offered the priests the most money. That explains why Jesus was furious and cleansed the Temple of traders after he had entered Jerusalem triumphantly.
The Sadducees were intelligent people. They challenged Jesus with a hypothetical case to prove that there is no resurrection and therefore no Judgment Day. They made use of a Mosaic law to prove that resurrection would create a contradiction. Since God cannot contradict Himself, therefore, there is no resurrection. How did they prove it?
Of course the Sadducees were wrong because God is not a God of the dead (Luke 20:38). If God were a God of the dead, what's the point of believing in such an impotent God? You believe in Him but He cannot give you life. He cannot guarantee you life. Since our God is a God of the living, He deserves our belief and adoration.
Since there is resurrection and there is life after death, we must lead this present life on earth carefully. There are consequences of whatever action we take. The consequences will bring judgment back on us. Most of us are ordinary people. It is extremely rare for us to commit mortal sins. Therefore, we should pay attention to our words and deeds and be careful not to damage our relationship with people. After resurrection, there will be no more death. There is no need of a husband-wife relationship to give birth to children. We are all brothers and sisters. We will be leading an eternal life, a life forever. There will be no time limit. Today, I do not know you well. In heaven, we will have endless life to know each other. Just imagine, there are many interesting people out there for you to befriend. Therefore, do good in order to gain a place in heaven. Otherwise, you may not be able to live with those people you want to meet. Be kind to each other. You don't want to live forever with someone you dislike but out of God's mercy, she also gains a place in heaven like you. You cannot argue with God who can go to heaven with you, can you? Be merciful to people in need, the poor, the sick, the refugees and the ignorant. They may not be able to repay you in this life. In heaven, you will have many people grateful to you.
Brethren, this month of November is a good opportunity to practise mercy, especially to those who cannot help themselves. I am talking about all the souls in the Purgatory. Promise me. Say five mysteries of rosary for these miserable souls in purgatory every day.
They made use of a Mosaic law which required the brother of a deceased man to take his wife to give birth to an heir for the dead man. When the seven brothers and the woman were alive, the woman had only one husband at a time. Now, if there were resurrection, seven men would be her husbands at the same time. But the Ten Commandments which came from God forbid adultery. If there were resurrection, the woman would be committing adultery because she would have seven husbands at the same time. It would be contradictory for God to allow adultery and at the same time allows resurrection. Since, the idea of resurrection contradicts the Ten Commandments. Therefore, there is no resurrection.
God bless.
常年期第三十二主日（丙年）
主題：死後的生命
世上有兩類人，第一類人富前瞻性，他們相信人死後以某種生命繼續存在。倘若於今世沉冤受屈，來世正義必得伸張。因此，他們持守道德生活，願意耐心地忍受磨難，相信末日審判時，天主會賞善罰惡。第二類人多是無知者或者坐擁權貴者，他們享受目前的快活，無視身後之事。有權有錢的人通常鼓吹別人信神，並說權勢財帛是神的賞賜，其實是借助神明，為他們的權勢財富辯護。可是，他們並不喜歡末日審判的觀念，因為他們的財富多是來於不義。所以他們不歡迎復活。
今天福音中讀到的撒杜塞人是耶路撒冷聖殿的司祭所組成的政治黨派。他們有錢有權，而且不相信有復活。在他們心底深處，害怕死後天主的審判。他們的財富，多是不義之財。例如，為了籌募聖殿的維修費用，司祭向商人索取金錢，容許他們在聖殿範圍擺賣祭祀的牛羊。而最賺錢的貨幣找換，當然是獻金高者得之。這說明了為甚麼耶穌榮進耶路撒冷後，憤怒地驅趕商人，清理聖殿。
撒杜塞人是高智商的人，他們用一個假設的案例，挑戰耶穌，推翻復活審判的概念。他們運用梅瑟的「為兄立嗣」法律，證明復活會產生矛盾。天主是不能自相矛盾的，所以沒有復活。他們是怎樣證明的呢？
當然撒杜塞人是錯的，因為天主不是死人的天主（路20:38）。倘若天主祗是死人的天主，你相信祂，但祂不能給你生命，不能保證你的生命，這樣無能的天主，不信也罷！但我們的天主卻是活人的天主，祂值得我們相信和敬拜。
既然死後有復活，有永生，今世我們必須謹慎生活了。所有的行為都有後果，這些後果將來會審判我們。我們祗不過是普通人，很少犯下大罪。因此我們反而要謹慎自己的言行，不要傷害我們與人的關係。復活後再沒有死亡，因此不再需要生兒育女的夫妻關係了，到時大家都是兄弟姊妹。我們會享受永生，再沒有時間的限制了。今天我並不熟識大家，在天堂上，我們有用不盡的時間深入了解對方。試想想，那裡有很多我們希望結交的有趣的人。因此，多行善事去爭取天堂的一席位吧，否則，你未必能夠與你渴望相聚的人一起了！對人和善吧，你總不想與一個你不喜歡，但天主卻出於慈悲收留她的人，在天堂上永遠與你一起嘛！你能否定天主的決定嗎？對有需要的人慈悲吧，對那些貧窮、患病、流離失所及無知的人慈悲吧。他們在今世未必能報答你，在天上，有很多人會感激你。
各位兄弟姊妹，十一月是實踐慈悲的好機會，特別是為那些不能幫助自己的人，我是指煉獄裡的靈魂。答應我，每天為煉獄中可憐的靈魂唸一串玫瑰經吧。
梅瑟的「為兄立嗣」法律，要求無後的亡者的兄弟，娶亡者的妻子，為兄弟生子，繼後香燈。當七個兄弟和那婦人在生之時，婦人在任何時刻，祗有一個丈夫。但復活後，婦人將同時是七個男人的妻子。但從天主而來的十誡禁止通姦，有復活的話，婦便犯了通姦之罪。倘若天主容許復活，便出現通姦的情況，天主豈能自相矛盾呢？所以沒有復活。
天主保祐。
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