Face to Face

Looking forward to the resurrection of the body

9/22/2021

Lk 9:1-6 Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

One of the beautiful things about the Catholic faith is the emphasis on both body and soul. And perhaps nowhere is this emphasis emphasized more than at funerals. One Protestant friend said, “You Catholics really do funerals right!” Why? Well, at every funeral we honor the dignity of the body. We sprinkle the casket with holy water, we drape a large white pall on top of it, we bless it at the end with incense. And we pray for the “resurrection of the body” of our beloved dead.

In other words, we want their body to be in heaven and not only their soul. The soul going to heaven is only half of the story. The really dramatic conclusion will be the end of time when Jesus raises our lowly bodies buried in the earth to be like his glorious body in heaven. The resurrection of the body, therefore, is the real end of salvation history.

In the gospel today, we see Jesus also emphasize care for both the body and the soul as he sends out his apostles on mission. Pay close attention to the mandate Jesus gives to the Twelve. We read: “He gave them authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Can you hear Jesus’ concern for both the body and the soul? When Jesus give them “authority over all demons” and power to “proclaim the Kingdom,” he bestows spiritual power on them to heal the soul.

But when he commands them to cure diseases and heal the sick, Jesus is likewise concerned for the bodies of believers. So, Jesus gives them natural power over infirmities of the body. Jesus knows that one day he will raise that lowly body and make it glorious on the great day of resurrection. By healing that body today, therefore, he is putting a down-payment on that great day. Jesus, like the Catholic Church he established, is in the business of saving both the body and the soul, the whole person created in God’s image and likeness (Gn 1:27).

My friends, do you ever wonder why the Church carries on so many social services as well as sacramental ones? Why bother so much with the bodies of believers if they all end up “six feet under and pushing up daisies?” Why do we have Catholic Charities that helps the poor? Why do we support the Hope Campus for the Homeless here in Fort Smith? Why did we take up a second collection for Haiti in the aftermath of their earthquake? Why did we organize a medical mission trip to Honduras to provide medical care for the poor?

Why do we operate Catholic hospitals to heal the sick? Why do we run Catholic schools to educate the whole child?  Why do we support pro-life organizations and soup kitchens and clothes closets? For one simple reason: we believe in the resurrection of the body, and all the social services of the Church – in imitation of our Master who healed the sick – is a down-payment for the glorious day of resurrection. We heal the body today as we await the ultimate healing of heaven tomorrow, namely, the resurrection of the body from the dead.

We have had a lot of funerals lately: indeed, three funerals just this week. Joanne Rinke’s funeral was Monday, Isabelle Birnbaum’s funeral is today, and Jackie Wimberly’s funeral will be Friday. As we lay our beloved dead to rest, do not think this is the end of the story. All the work we did to preserve that body does not turn to dust and ashes. Rather, it will be raised on the last day. Why do we accord such honor and dignity to the body at the funeral Mass? Because we believe the body will be raised on the last day and we will see Jesus face to face. And you can only see face to face if you have a body.

Praised be Jesus Christ!