SAINT ROBERT BELLARMINE (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

The first man, Adam, became a living being, the last Adam a life-giving spirit.

God certainly had lofty plans for men and women! Just think about our first parents. When God breathed life into Adam, he rose from the dust of the ground to take his place as the crown of all creation. But we know what happened: our hero stumbled. He chose independence from God, and that choice initiated a spiral of brokenness and sin for all his descendants.

Into this marred world God sent a new hero who did not falter. Instead of passing on sin as Adam did, Jesus passed on divine life. As St. Paul says in today’s first reading, Jesus, “the last Adam,” became a “life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). When he rose from the dead, Jesus became the first of many human bodies to rise in glory. His resurrection shows us that our bodies are more than a delivery system for our souls; they have eternal value.

This hope of bodily resurrection is the foundation of our whole faith. Christianity is more than a moral code followed by the hope of eternal rest for our disembodied souls. Jesus’ body, the same body that he had in his earthly life, is now at his Father’s side. And in Christ, our bodies too will be with him on the last day. Yes, the eyes you are reading with and the hands that are holding this magazine have a heavenly destiny!

So join with God in taking the long view. Before creation, he had a plan for you that extends past your fleeting natural life. You were made to be with him, transformed in body and soul, forever.

Today, take some time to lift your mind above the hustle and bustle of daily life. Try to imagine what it will be like to be glorified in heaven, freed from weakness, fear, self-interest, decay, and even time and space. As you do, ask God to fill you with hope—a hope that will sustain you in this life and help you look forward eagerly to the next.

“Jesus, help me to live in hope of the glorious life that awaits me.”

1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49
Psalm 56:10-14
Luke 8:4-15