INTRODUCTORY REFLECTION
The Sadducees present a rather comic scenario to Jesus. To which of her seven deceased husbands (all brothers) would the widow be married in the afterlife?
This fanciful hypothesis is worlds away from the gruesome reality of the execution of the seven Maccabean brothers. What links the trick question and the Maccabees’ defiant testimony is the issue of life beyond death.
It’s current again. Many funerals now celebrate the deceased’s past life rather than commend them prayerfully to God’s saving judgment. Some church-goers have lost faith in eternal life, while others have a naïve view of immediate heavenly bliss. There’s work to be done to forge a fresh account of our ultimate destiny in the heart of God – and the way there.
THE WEEK’S PRAYER FOCUS
For all who accompany the dying – family, friends, carers, nurses and doctors – that they will bear witness to the sure promise of everlasting life.
SAMPLE INTERCESSIONS
These intercessions are offered for selected use at Sunday Mass in the parish alongside those that express local needs and concerns.
PRESIDER
Dear friends, Jesus calls us to believe in the living God. Let us turn to God in prayer and ask for a heavenly blessing on all that lives.
READER
For all who face discrimination, danger or death for their religious beliefs, that they will be fortified by the power of God. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For the participants in the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference taking place in Egypt (6-18 November), that they will make binding commitments to the actions needed to address the global climate emergency. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For all victims of war and brutal aggression, that this year’s Remembrance Day will call the whole of humanity on the path of peace. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For scientists of every kind, that they will put their expertise and endeavours at the service of the world’s wellbeing, especially the poor and vulnerable. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For farmers, rural businesses and regional communities devastated by the floods in eastern Australia, that they will unite in enduring support for one another. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For the Catholic bishops of Australia, meeting in conference this week, that they will take decisive steps to implement the decrees of the Plenary Council. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For prison chaplains and volunteer visitors, that their pastoral care will bring prisoners comfort, healing and hope. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For ourselves, that we will be converted from a culture of waste to one that helps sustain and protect the world’s natural resources. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
For the recently deceased, those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time, and those we remember especially in the month of November, that they will be forever alive to God in Christ. (Pause) Let us pray to the Lord.
PRESIDER
O God, Creator and Sustainer of Life, you raised your Son to be the first-born from the dead. Deepen our faith in his promise of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord.