Tobit 3:1-11, 16-17 / Mark 12:18-27
Our faith tells us that while we have a life in this world, we also have an eternal life in heaven.
In fact, with faith and hope, we can see that our life in this world is a preparation for the eternal life of the next world.
So we can say that we have two lives – one in this world, and the other one in the next.
But, another way of looking at it is that we have two lives in this world.
And the second one begins when we realise that we have only one life in this world.
In the 1st reading, Tobit and Sarah had thoughts about ending their lives in this world.
They were in despair and distress, but they also prayed to the Lord for help.
And their prayer found favour before the Lord and Raphael was sent to bring remedy to them both.
In a way, it can be said that their second life on earth is about to begin.
In the gospel, Jesus gave a teaching about life on earth and life in heaven.
His most profound statement is that God is not God of the dead, but of the living.
When we put our faith and hope in God, then Jesus will lead us to live life to the full, and we will walk confidently from the life of this world to the life of the next.