Breaking the Word

The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this parable. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. "Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.' In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Lk 15:1-10)

Tax collectors and sinners were near Jesus. Tax collectors were considered to be socially and politically wrong. They were collecting tax in the name of Roman king. Indirectly they accepted the Roman Empire and its authority over their own land. But the Jews believed that the land was given to them by God because of his promise to Abraham. No one else except God could have authority over the land.

Pharisees and Scribes would not associate with the tax collectors and sinners because they were against their own religion and they were working against their own God. Pharisees and their groups were against Rome and would not permit Rome to have any hold in their land. This was one of the main reasons why the Pharisees and the Scribes were against Jesus. Jesus joined hands with tax collectors and sinners (indirectly did he accept the Roman presence)

Jesus was not bothered about the earthly realities and their social political issues. He was concerned about the kingdom of God. The parables that he was using were talking about the rejoicing in heaven over the conversion of sinners. Jesus was concerned about the people of God and their belonging to the kingdom. This was the reason why he said: “there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents”.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us (his) flesh to eat?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever." These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. (Jn 6:51-59)

Death is a reality which each one of us as individuals and as a family and as a society has to reckon with. When we lose our dear ones we feel so much that nothing in this world can console us at that moment. Prayer, at the moment of lose, is to change and console us. Prayer at that moment stirs our faith and celebrates our faith. In praying for the dead we do two things: we highlight our faith in the power of God and we hold up the life of the person who has died.(to let God take care of things).

We pray for the dead because we believe (and this is a doctrine, the communion of saints) that we are still in vital communion with them. There is still (in spite of death) a vital flow of life between them and us. We who believe in the resurrection after death, feel love, presence, and communication reach even through death. We and they can still feel each other, know each other, love each other, console each other and influence each other. This is what consoles us and probably consoles them too.

Jesus who was with the Father came into this world to create relationship with the people. After his death and resurrection he continued this relationship. He communicated with his followers still continues to communicate. It is this that makes think of the dead and make us communicate with them, love them. Relationship continues beyond death. For us believers Jesus is the link. His body and blood (which are life giving) make this link eternal.