Wisdom 4:7-14

The just man, though he die early, shall be at rest.
For the age that is honorable comes
not with the passing of time,
nor can it be measured in terms of years.
Rather, understanding is the hoary crown for men,
and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age.
He who pleased God was loved;
he who lived among sinners was transported –
snatched away, lest wickedness pervert his mind
or deceit beguile his soul;
For the witchery of paltry things obscures what is right
And the whirl of desire transforms the innocent mind.
Having become perfect in a short while,
he reached the fullness of a long career;
for his soul was pleasing to the Lord,
therefore he sped him out of the midst of wickedness.
But the people saw and did not understand,
nor did they take this into account. 

Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Through baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live a new life.
If we have been united with him through likeness
to his death,
so shall we be through a like resurrection.
This we know; our old self was crucified with him
so that the sinful body might be destroyed
and we might be slaves to sin no longer.
A man who is dead has been freed from sin.
If we have died with Christ,
we believe that we are also live with him.
We know that Christ, once raised from the dead,
will never die again;
death has no more power over him.

Hope will not leave us disappointed,
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
At the appointed time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for us godless men.
It is rare that anyone should lay down his life
for a just man,
though it is barely possible that for a good man
someone may have the courage to die.
It is precisely in this that God proves his love for us;
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Now that we have been justified by his blood,
it is all the more certain that we shall
be saved by him from God’s wrath.
For if, when we were God’s enemies,
we were reconciled to him by the death of his Son,
it is all the more certain that we
who have been reconciled will be saved by his life.
Not only that; we go so far as to make God our boast through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

See what love the Father has bestowed on us
in letting us be called children of God!
Yet that is what we are.
The reason the world does not recognize us
is that it never recognized the Son.
Dearly beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall later be has not yet come to light.
We know that when it comes to light
we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.

Judas the ruler of Israel then took up a collection
among all his soldiers,
amounting to two thousand drachmas,
which he sent to Jerusalem to provide
for an expiatory sacrifice.
In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way,
inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view;
for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again,
it would have been useless and foolish
to pray for them in death.
But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward
that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness,
it was a holy and pious thought.
Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.
 

If death began its reign through one man
because of his offense,
much more shall those who receive the overflowing
grace and gift of justice live and reign through
the one man, Jesus Christ.
To sum up, then:
just as a single offense brought condemnation to all men,
a single righteous act brought all men acquittal and life.
Just as through one man’s disobedience all became sinners,
so through one man’s obedience all shall become just.
The law came in order to increase offenses;
but despite the increase of sin,
grace has far surpassed it, so that,
as sin reigned through death,
Grace may reign by way of justice leading to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
Death came through a man; hence the resurrection of the dead comes through a man also.
Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will come to life again, but each one in proper order;
Christ the first fruits and then,
at his coming, all those who belong to him.
After that will come the end, when,
after having destroyed every
sovereignty, authority, and power,
he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father.
Christ must reign until God has put all enemies under his feet,
"and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Scripture reads that God
"has placed all things under his feet."
But when it says that everything has been made subject,
it is clear that he who has made everything
subject to Christ is excluded.
When, finally, all has been subjected to the Son,
he will then subject himself to the One who made all things subject to him,
so that God may be all in all.

I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me:
"Write this down: Happy now are the dead
who die in the Lord!"
The Spirit added, "Yes,
they shall find rest from their labors,
for their good works accompany them."

I, John, saw new heavens and a new earth.
The former heavens and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no longer.
I also saw a new Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down out of heaven from God,
beautiful as a bride prepared to meet her husband.
I heard a loud voice from the throne cry out:
"This is God’s dwelling among men. He shall dwell with them
and they shall be his people and he shall be their God who is always with them.
He shall wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there shall be no more death or mourning, crying out or pain,
for the former world has passed away."
The One who sat on the throne said to me, "See, I make all things new!
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
To anyone who thirsts I will give to drink without cost from the spring of life-giving water.
He who wins the victory shall inherit these gifts; I will be his God and he shall be my son."

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.
The village was not far from Jerusalem - just under two miles -
and many Jewish people had come out to console Martha and Mary over their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet him, while Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would never have died.
Even now, I am sure that God will give you whatever you ask of him."
"Your brother will rise again," Jesus assured her.
"I know he will rise again," Martha replied, "in the resurrection on the last day."

When Jesus saw the crowds he went up
on the mountainside.
After he had sat down his disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them:
"How blest are the poor in spirit: the reign of God is theirs.
Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled.
Blest are the lowly; they shall inherit the land.
Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness;
they shall have their fill.
Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.
Blest are the single-hearted, for they shall see God.
Blest too the peacemakers;
they shall be called sons of God.
Blest are those persecuted for holiness’ sake;
the reign of God is theirs.
Blest are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of slander against you because of me.
Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven.

On one occasion Jesus spoke thus:
"Father, Lord of heaven and earth, to you I offer praise;
for what you have hidden from the learned and clever you have revealed to the merest children.
Father, it is true. You have graciously willed it so.
Everything has been given over to me by my Father.
No one knows the Son but the Father, and no one knows the Father but the Son –
and anyone to who the Son wishes to reveal him.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you.
Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart.
Your souls will find rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light."

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Have faith in God and faith in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places; otherwise, how could I have told you
that I was going to prepare a place for you?
I am indeed going to prepare a place for you,
and then I shall come back to take you with me,
that where I am you also may be.
You know the way that leads where I go."
"Lord," said Thomas,
"we do not know where you are going.
How can we know the way?"
Jesus told him: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through me."

Jesus told the crowd:
"I myself am the living bread come down from heaven.
If anyone eats this bread he shall live forever;
the bread I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world."
At this the Jews quarreled among themselves, saying,
"How can he give us his flesh to eat?"
Thereupon Jesus said to them:
"Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal,
and I will raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink.
The Man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
Just as the Father who has life sent me and I have life because of the Father,
so the man 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 died nonetheless,
the man who feeds on this bread shall live forever."