There are certain mysteries in life that can never be fully explained but still intrigue the human mind and heart. What happens to us after we die is one of those mysteries. Imagining the fullness of joy and the completion of every one of our hopes and desires is worthy of our time and meditation, as long as we know that we will get glimpses of the truth but never complete understanding. The Scriptures offered on the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time help us in that meditation and conversation about eternity and afterlife.

We hear about brothers who are willing to endure great suffering and agony with the belief that there is a resurrection after we die. In the Gospel, we hear the quandary of a woman who married several brothers and wonders what will happen to her in eternity. Many married people take this Scripture passage as a less than favorable outlook on marriage, but it is not intended to be that at all. In fact, marriage is selected as a part of the image offered in the Gospel because of its intense meaning and blessedness. People who are involved in a loving, compassionate and generous marriage hope that their relationship would last forever, even into eternity. But try to imagine the analogy of the Gospel. As wonderful and fulfilling and beautiful as the relationships are that we have here on earth, we can’t even imagine the fullness of seeing God face-to-face and having our relationship with God become the primary relationship.

Our sense of what will happen after death should be a source of freedom and security for us, rather than a source of fear and trembling. To know that an unconditional and eternal relationship with God is available to us, we would have our focus on living our best life each day, instead of worrying about the future. That freedom of God’s promise would allow us to love more deeply, sacrifice more completely and surrender to love more honestly. We would surrender the idea of earning God’s love or making Him happy, dedicating ourselves to respond in love to God who has loved us already. Our moral choices would not be based on the fear of getting caught, but on the desire to respond in love to the greatest of lovers.

Imagine how attractive our Catholic Christian faith would be if our choices were made out of love instead of fear. Archbishop Rozanski is calling us to a renewal of evangelization in our parishes, institutions and personal lives. Scripture tells us clearly that people were attracted to Jesus because of His willingness to meet each person as brother or sister. The necessary foundation of true evangelization is moving from fear of punishment to the hope of love eternal. That conversion would allow us to live in the world in such a way that others would want to come and be a part of our community and drink in the love that lasts for all eternity. The promise of God seems to be too good to be true, but it is true and trustworthy.

Let us celebrate vocations — our marriages, comitments to the single life and our commitments to priesthood, the diaconate, religious life — in such a way that people see them as healthy and holy. Let us live attractive lives, filled with joy and hope. These commitments are not the ultimate, but we can live them as a sign of God’s faithfulness that people can experience in the world through us. I sometimes look in the mirror and ask myself this question: If I saw this guy in a crowd doing the work that he’s doing, would I be drawn to his joy and freedom, or does he always looks so busy and tired and worried? That outside appearance flows from the interior attitude of our minds and hearts. Do we know the promise of eternity and live out of that promise, or do we still live in fear and anxiety?

Father Donald Wester is pastor of All Saints Parish in St. Peters.