1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31 / Luke 7:11-17
Human beings are indeed an interesting and amazing species. They are the only species on earth to have intellect and will.
Humans are
also the only species known to build fires and cook their food, as well
as the only known species to clothe themselves and create and use
numerous other technologies and arts.
Yet at its
most fundamental, the human being is body and soul. Neither takes
precedence in importance and neither is also inferior to the other.
Hence when
St. Paul used the analogy of the human body to described the Church, he
was wise to mention that in the one Spirit we were all baptised and the
one Spirit was given to us all.
Yet at the
finality of death, when the soul leaves the body, the body becomes a
lifeless thing and over time it will also decompose and disintegrate.
Nonetheless
we believe in the resurrection on the Last Day and we have to leave it
to the mysterious power of God to gather up our remains for the
resurrection (unless we are still alive by then).
When Jesus brought the young man back to life in the gospel, He showed not only compassion.
Jesus showed that He is the Lord of life and that He has power over death.
We may be alive but we can just choose to be mediocre and just exist on earth, or we can choose to be loving and life-giving.
When we choose the latter, then we are truly offering our bodies as a living and loving sacrifice to God.