Final Flatulence

Looking forward to marriage with Jesus and perfect love

11/25/2017

Luke 20:27-40 Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, 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 but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.  Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her." Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.

       The past couple of weeks I’ve had people ask me questions about life after death. What will it be like in the next life? And this should not surprise us because our Scriptures the last couple of weeks of Ordinary Time are inviting us to pray and ponder over these final stages of human existence: heaven and hell, purgatory and judgment. I’d like to address three of these questions people have asked me. First, will we know our loved ones in heaven; will we recognize our family and friends there? Second, is purgatory really a fire that will burn and scorch us? And third, will there be marriage in heaven, and will I be married to my spouse in heaven?

         These are not easy or simple questions to answer, and as always, we turn to the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church for answers. Why turn there? Well, because there the Holy Spirit speaks to us. The Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Sacred Scripture, and the Holy Spirit guides the Magisterium (pope and bishops) and the Tradition (saints and scholars) to speak to us through the Catechism. When we turn to the Bible and the Catechism, therefore, we turn to the Holy Spirit’s wisdom. But I also highly recommend you read a book by Scott Hahn called The Lamb’s Supper for reliable answers to really tough questions like these.

        First question: will we be able to know and recognize people in heaven, especially our loved ones? Some Protestant preachers teach we will not recognize them because it might diminish the happiness of heaven and distract us from Jesus. That explanation is understandable, but unnecessary. Why? Well, because when we love perfectly, we can love the unlovable, even those people who are hard to love will become easy to love. Scott Hahn observed: “Loving difficult people will refine us. Perhaps only in heaven will our love be so perfected that we can actually like these people, too.” Hahn continued: “St. Augustine spoke of a man who, on earth, had chronic gas problems; in heaven, his flatulence became perfect music” (The Lamb’s Supper, 154). So, you can look forward to that.

        Secondly, will there really be fire in purgatory that will burn and scorch our skin like an over cooked hotdog? The Catechism is clear on this point, teaching: “The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire” (Catechism, 1031). But I don’t think this means fire in a literal sense, but in a figurative, metaphorical sense. Hebrews 12:29 says, “Our God is a consuming fire,” but that doesn’t mean God is a huge bonfire and we can roast marsh mellows on his flames. Rather, God is a fire burning with love, a fire of love. Like the Doors sang, “Come on, baby, light my fire,” a fire of love. The fires of purgatory, therefore, are the fires of love that purify our love.

       And thirdly, will there be marriage in heaven? This was precisely the predicament the Sadducees raised with Jesus in the gospel today. A woman marries 7 brothers and after all die, whose wife will she be in heaven? She married them all. Jesus replies: “The children of this age marry and remarry; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age…neither marry nor are given in marriage.” So Jesus clear says “there will be no marriage in heaven,” right? Not so fast. Virtually the last lines of the Bible speak about the so-called “marriage supper of the Lamb,” that is, the marriage of Jesus. Revelation 22:17 reads: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come, [Lord Jesus]’.” If there is a bride, there must be a Bridegroom; and if there’s both bride and Bridegroom, there must be marriage. In other words, we won’t be married to each other in heaven; we will all be married to Jesus.

       

        With all due respect to Randy Travis, who sang, “I’m going to love you forever and ever, forever and ever. Amen,” that’s not exactly true. In heaven we will love Jesus first and foremost, and we will love each other (even our spouses) secondly. We will even love each other’s flatulence.

 Praised be Jesus Christ!