One of the tenets of our Creed is “I believe in the resurrection of the body.” The belief in the resurrection of the dead is an integral element of the Christian faith. In fact, the belief that there would be new life in God after our death here on earth was already intimated in the Old Testament. And Jesus in the gospel underlined that the dead will rise: “it is because our God is not the God of the dead but of the living, for to him all are alive” (see Lk 20:38). Jesus affirmed the resurrection of the dead in his own resurrection. St. Paul also tells us “If there is no resurrection of the dead then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1Cor.15:14-14). The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is the apex of the saving plan of God. The creed concludes with the profession of faith in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

We Catholics believe in the resurrection. We believe that after death, we will all be resurrected by Jesus. Just like the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we believe that we will be resurrected like Him. When we are resurrected, our bodies will no longer die or decay. Our bodies will be changed by Him and it will be glorious, just like His body. Many do not believe in this truth. One such group that did not believe in the resurrection in Jesus’ time were the Sadducees. They believe that once you die, that's it. It's all over when you die. You just lay on the ground. No heaven, no resurrection.

In the gospel reading of this Sunday, we can notice that they tried to ridicule the doctrine of the resurrection by citing a practice that is based on the Pentateuch. That is the practice of inheritance of widows. According to Deuteronomy 25:5-10, if a man died without producing an heir, the man’s brother should marry his wife and the offspring of this union would inherit the property and carry on the name of the man who had died. The Sadducees use this as an example to challenge the belief in the resurrection.

Interestingly, the answer given by JESUS in our gospel reveals how limited the Sadducees were in their imagination about the afterlife. The children of the resurrection do not marry. They do not remarry because their bodies will be changed by Him, and it will be glorious. The afterlife is different from our life here on earth. The Sadducees perhaps may have perceived the Resurection as reincarnation. But Jesus does not say that we will have reincarnation. Because the doctrine of reincarnation teaches that when we die, we will live again and again here on earth, but it's just a different kind. For example, if a person lived as a man in this life, in his next life, he will be a woman. Or a person will become an animal or a plant. The Lord Jesus Christ does not teach that. The resurrection that Jesus teaches is new life in God. We will not go back to our old ways in the resurrection. Rather, we will live and stay like the children of the resurrection.

So, what do all these have to tell us about our afterlife? First, life here on earth and life after death are Not Identical. Jesus is clear to state, though, that life in heaven will be different from what we have and experience on earth in this life. Our life here on earth is not the same as our life on the other side or the afterlife. It is said here in the gospel when we die, we will be like the angels; we will become pure spirits. In this life we are embodied spirits. Embodied spirits because our soul resides in our body that brings us to life every day.

Secondly, Life is not taken away from us, but it is transformed. Death is a new birth. We can compare it to the delivery that gives birth. The criterions of earthly life cannot be applied to life in the otherworld because the difference is substantial. “Is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (see Rm 14:17).

Thirdly, there is/will be no marriage in the next or second life. Note! Jesus did not say that you will not know your present wife or husband in the age to come; but rather that the relationship would be different. So if you get married here on earth that won't happen there; you will not marry there in the second life.

Fourth, Life after death is more than just an extension of what we have here on earth. Some people might think that life after death is only an extension of the things in this life. No.  Jesus made it clear that the life in eternal state is more than just an extension of what we have here on earth. Although we say that everything we do has eternal consequences. What we do now has consequences in the second life; whether small or large; whether you did it in the dark or in the light; whether you did it secretly or many people knew about it. But life on earth and life in the second life cannot be the same.

Fifth, there is no death in the afterlife. For the resurrected will not die any more but will live with the God of the living. So, when we die here and we transfer to the next life; when we cross-over and transfer to another dimension, there will be no more death: “May forever na sa kabilang buhay.” When we die our soul will exist in the next life without death. It is said in philosophy, anything that is spiritual is incorruptible. Anything spiritual will not dissolve, will not collapse. Jesus identifies the quality of life when he says neither can they die anymore because it is eternal life. That is why we say the definition of Christian life is a journey of going back to the father, to our true home. Jesus is our real life. So even when we say a lot about our lives: others will say my life is like a drama, my life is like the sea, my life is like a war. We have different definitions or descriptions of life. What is Christian life? Christian life is a journey of going back to the father. Our  journey back to God who is our true home

Sixth and last, the redeemed will be like the angels in heaven seeing and serving and praising God. It is so wonderful what we will live there in the second life. Our life will be very beautiful because we will be like the angels seeing and serving and praising God.

What then is our conclusion for this reflection?  We can enjoy life with much hope, adventure and confidence; and after all life will continue even in the next life. Enjoy your life now with meaning and full hope because this is not the real life yet. Whether you have cancer now; even if you are struggling now, you are going through a lot now, you always hope for the next life that you know is the real life. What you are experiencing now is only temporary. Your present condition is not your permanent condition in life. So your sadness, your pain, your fears will all pass away. There is a new life coming in our true home.