When you are saddened by loss

Someone will ask, "How can the dead be raised to life? What kind of body will they have?" You fool! When you plant a seed in the ground, it does not sprout to life unless it dies. And what you plant is a bare seed, perhaps a grain of wheat or some other grains, not the full-bodied plant that will later grow up. God provides that seed with the body he wishes; he gives each seed its own proper body.

Listen to this secret truth: we shall not all die, but when the last trumpet sounds, we shall all be changed in an instant, as quickly as the blinking of an eye. For when the trumpet sounds, the dead will be raised, never to die again, and we shall all be changed. For what is mortal must be changed into what is immortal; what will die must be changed into what cannot die. So when this takes place, and the mortal has been changed into the immortal, then the scripture will come true: "Death is destroyed; victory is complete!"

"Where, Death, is your victory?

Where, Death, is your power to hurt?"

Death gets its power to hurt from sin, and sin gets its power from the Law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

"Do not be worried and upset," Jesus told them. "Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for your. I would not tell you this if it were not so. And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am. You know the way that leads to the place where I am going."

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?"

Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you have known me," he said to them, "you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him."

Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them:

"Happy are those who know the are spiritually poor;

the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!

"Happy are those who mourn;

God will comfort them!

"Happy are those who are humble;

they will receive what God has promised!

"Happy are those whose greatest desires is to do what God requires;

God will satisfy them fully!

"Happy are those who are merciful to others;

God will be merciful to them!

"Happy are the pure in heart;

they will see God!

"Happy are those who work for peace;

God will call them his children!

"Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires;

the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!