HOMILY FOR WEDNESDAY OF 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME.
THEME: SADDUCEES AMONG US!
BY: Benedict Agbo (Rev Fr)
*Tob 3: 1 – 17, Mk 12 : 18 – 27.
Righteous exalts a nation and sin brings nothing but reproach, Prov 14: 34. Sadducees among us like to doubt this ontological reality. They live as if money can buy everything in life including grace. The Sadducees who mostly belonged to the priestly class were rich, philosophical and aristocratic. They rejected the teaching of the elders and appealed only to the Pentateuch (the 5 books of Moses). They doubted the resurrection of the dead, reward / punishment after death, belief in angels and spirits, immortality, etc and tried to ridicule these at the slightest opportunity. In fact, they were atheists who still claimed to be religious leaders. Their lives were dictated not by the truth but by worldly comforts. Jesus reproves them in today’s gospel for their ignorance of the scriptures inspite of their claims of theological knowledge as priests.
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There are still Sadducees among us; who challenge the reality of miracles, gifts of the Holy Spirit like tongues, prophesy, healing, visions, exorcism, etc and even deny the resurrection of the dead, the existence of heaven and hell, etc. Many Sadducees in the Church live materialistic life and interprete the Bible according to their personal whims and caprices. Many Sadducees think for example that the Blessed Virgin Mary and indeed other Saints are dead and therefore cannot help us in prayers anymore. But Jesus is telling them today that they are wrong because those who die in the Lord are like angels in heaven and are still spiritually alife. Even the Bibles that do not have the deuterocanonical books show them that our God is God of the living not of the dead and whoever believes in him shall not die, Ex 3: 6, Jn 11: 25. May God bless you today!
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