Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

In today’s Gospel lesson from Luke, Jesus corrects the Sadducees, who mistakenly believed that there is no resurrection from the dead.

In this passage, Jesus refers to the story of Moses and the burning bush. In that episode, Moses said that God is “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” About this specific phrase, Jesus has this to say:

“Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

Through this simple description, Jesus says that those who have died are now alive to God.

The Church in her wisdom has taken the witness of the scriptures, including this passage, to teach that the saints currently live in God’s presence, that they are fully alive and aware of our lives here on earth.

For this reason, and because death is not permanent, but is in fact abolished by Christ’s resurrection, the Church has taught that the saints, who surely live in the presence of God, can receive our prayers. 

That such a practice and traditional belief developed makes sense, given the familial emphasis on shared intercession and prayer in our present day-to-day lives. Why should we not offer our prayers for intercession to those whose life and faith are known to us, and who have become beautiful, radiant saints in the life of the Church?

Thus, we cry out to the Mother of God, a “ready helper for those who repent.” She is a motherly figure even to us, one who has compassion and sympathy for us in our struggles. We trust that she is fully alive and speaking to her Son on her behalf.

Salve Regina, mater misericordiae,
vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve
Ad te clamamus… 

Hail Queen, Mother of Mercy,
Our life, our sweetness and hope,
To thee we cry…

Yours in Christ,

—Justin