Allocution, November 6, XXXII Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Singing)
Today, November 6, Sunday the 32nd of Ordinary Liturgical Time, we hear in all the Catholic Churches of the world the Gospel according to Saint Luke, chapter 20, verses 27 to 38.
(Gospel)
In the Profession of Faith or Symbol of the Apostles we affirm: “I believe in the Resurrection of the flesh and Eternal Life.” In the Profession of Faith or Symbol of the Christians of Nicea and Constantinople we affirm: “I hope for the Resurrection of the dead and the Life of the future world.” Pope Saint Paul VI in the Creed of the People of God states: “We believe in Eternal Life, we believe that the souls of all those who die in the Grace of Christ, both those who still must be purified with the fire of Purgatory, as those who are received by Jesus in Paradise as soon as they separate from the body like the good thief, constitute the People of God after death, which will be totally destroyed on the day of the Resurrection, in which these souls will be united with their bodies.
We believe that the multitude of those souls, who gather with Jesus and Mary in Paradise, form the Celestial Church, where they, enjoying eternal blessedness, see God as He is, and also certainly participate in different degrees and ways together. with the Holy Angels in the Divine Government of things exercised by the glorified Christ. However they intercede for us, and with their fraternal concern they greatly help our weakness.
We believe in the Communion of all the Christian faithful, that is, of those who pilgrimage on Earth, of those who are purified after death and of those who enjoy celestial bliss, and to unite in a single Church. And we believe, equally, that in this communion the merciful love of God and his saints is at our disposal, who always offer attentive ears to our prayers, as Jesus assured us: “Ask and you will receive.” Professing this Faith and supported by this hope, we await the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the century to come… amen.
(Singing)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us:
What does the expression Resurrection of the flesh mean?
The expression Resurrection of the flesh means that the definitive state of man will not only be the spiritual soul separated from the body, but also that our mortal bodies will one day have life again.
What is eternal life?
Eternal Life is that which begins immediately after death. This life will have no end, it will be preceded for each one by a particular judgment by Christ, Judge of the living and the dead, and will be ratified in the Final Judgment.
What is meant by heaven?
By heaven we mean the state of supreme and definitive happiness. All those who die in the grace of God and have no need for subsequent purification are gathered around Jesus, Mary, the angels and the saints. Thus forming the Church of Heaven, where they see God face to face, live in communion of love with the Holy Trinity and intercede for us.
(Singing)
Pope Francis said in his Homily on November 2:
“C”. We are in the waiting room of the world to enter heaven, to participate in that banquet for all peoples that the prophet Isaiah told us about, who says something that gladdens our hearts because it will make our greatest expectations come true. The Lord will abolish death forever, He will wipe away tears from all faces. It is beautiful when the Lord comes to dry the tears and it is ugly when we wait for someone else and not the Lord to dry them, and it is even uglier not to have tears. Then we will be able to say: “This is the Lord in whom we have waited, the one who wipes away tears. Let us rejoice, let us enjoy his salvation.”
” If we live waiting to receive goods so great and beautiful, that we cannot even imagine, because as the apostle Paul reminds us we are heirs of God or heirs with Christ, and we hope to live forever, we wait for the redemption of our bodies. Brothers and sisters, let us nourish our expectation of heaven, let us exercise our desire for heaven. It is good for us to ask ourselves today if our desires have anything to do with heaven, because we risk continually aspiring to things that happen, of confusing desires with needs, of putting the expectations of the world before the expectations of God. But losing sight of what matters to pursue the good would be life’s biggest mistake. Let’s look up, because we are on the way to the highest, while things from down here will not go up there: the best careers, the greatest successes, the most prestigious titles and awards, the accumulated wealth and earthly gains, everything is will vanish in an instant and all the expectations placed on them will be forever disappointed, and yet how much time, effort and energy we spend worrying and grieving about these things, letting the attention towards home fade, losing sight of the meaning of the journey, the infinity to which we tend, the joy for which we breathe. Let’s ask ourselves, do I live what the Creed says? Do I hope, that is, for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the future world? And how is my wait, do I go to the essentials or am I distracted by many superfluous things? Do I cultivate hope or do I continue to regret because I value too much so many things that do not matter and that will later pass away?
” While we wait for tomorrow, the Gospel helps us, and here comes the second word that I would like to share with you: surprise. Because the surprise is great every time we listen to chapter 25 of Matthew; is similar to that of the protagonists who says: “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in jail and come to visit you? When have we done it?”
(Singing)
An ancient tradition says that there was a fourth Wizard King who, to help an old man, arrived late for the appointment with the other three. He traveled on his own to Bethlehem, but the Holy Family had already left for Egypt where he tried to look for them, but did not find them, as he always got involved helping someone in need. Having returned to his home country, the Three Wise Men told him everything about the baby Jesus and in his heart the Fourth Wise Men promised to find him. When after thirty years he heard what was said about the prophet of Galilee, he wanted to see him. Unfortunately, he never arrived at the right time, as he always had to attend to the miseries he encountered along the way. Finally, as an old man, he managed to see Jesus going up to Golgotha and said to him:
All my life I have looked for you without being able to find you
Jesus answered:
You didn’t need to look for me because you have always been by my side, helping me when I was hungry, thirsty, sick, in prison. Now, come with me to the house of heaven to continue together forever
We pray with Pope Saint John XXIII:
“Holy Spirit, come to perfect the work that Jesus began in me, may the time come soon for a life filled with your spirit. Defeat every natural presumption you find in me. I want to be simple, full of the love of God and constantly generous, that no human force prevents me from honoring my Christian vocation; that no interest due to my negligence goes against justice; May no selfishness diminish the infinite spaces of your love in me; May everything be great in me. Also the cult of truth and promptness in my duty until death; May the outpouring of the spirit of love come upon me, upon the Church and upon the whole world… Amen¨
The Columbus cemetery is a teaching and catechesis of Eternal Life. Walk through the cemetery, describe what catches your attention the most about the images of the Crucified, the Risen Lord, the patient Jesus, the Virgin, the angels and everything that suggests you think about Eternal Life. Send your writing to the Archbishopric of Havana.
(Singing)
To the God who is necessary to us because he is the only one who can love us eternally we turn:
(Our Father Prayer)
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among all women and blessed is the fruit of your womb… Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death… Amen.
We receive the blessing of the Lord. We bow our heads to receive the blessing.
The God of all comfort, who with ineffable love created man and in the Resurrection of his Son has given believers the hope of resurrection, pour out his blessing upon you… Amen.
May he grant forgiveness of all guilt to those of us who still live in this world and grant to those who have died the home of light and peace… Amen.
And may we all be granted to live eternally happy with Christ, whom we proclaim risen from the dead… Amen.
And may the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit descend upon us, upon our families and always accompany us… Amen.
(Singing)