2/22/2019

   Q: What happened to historical objects in the Old Testament like the Ark of the Covenant?
 
Luke Schubert
St. Clairsville
 
   A: While many items likely have been lost due to destruction by human hands or just by nature, we are fortunate to have several historical objects of the Old Testament located either in places of worship, in museums or as building structures such as a portion of the Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Old Testament items that have been preserved provide us with not simply verification of a certain event that occurred in the Old Testament, but also we have a glimpse into the lives of the people, namely the chosen people with whom we share salvation history.
   A word of caution though, because it can be tough to verify the authenticity of a particular item. Tradition, the description in sacred Scripture, scientific evidence, as well as the church’s declaration that an item actually is authentic, is critical in our ability to ascertain the level of certainty. While it is helpful to discover Old Testament items from time to time, we must never allow material items to replace our supernatural faith, only to strengthen it.
 
   Q: Did the disciples of Jesus have faith and belief in Jesus, that he would rise from the dead after he was crucified? 
 
Michelle Pham
Steubenville
 
   A: The answer to your question can be found in the Gospel readings of Holy Week, including the Easter triduum, as well as the Gospel proclaimed on Divine Mercy Sunday, also known as the Second Sunday of Easter. The Gospel chronicles how the apostles fled; that the great majority of the apostles fled while Jesus was encountering his passion and eventual death by crucifixion. We know that one of the apostles, John, stood at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother Mary.
   Scripture, also, instructs that the disciples hid in the upper room for fear of pending persecution by those who did not believe in Jesus’ true identity. And, yet, we have Jesus entering the room, even though the door was locked, to strengthen the faith of his followers whose faith had been shaken by his suffering and death.
   Furthermore, St. Thomas has opportunity to touch Jesus’ resurrected body recognizing the wounds that were inflicted upon Jesus, thereby confirming Jesus’ identity.  What a tremendous turn of events for the apostles, the first bishops, from their hiding behind locked doors after Jesus’ death on the cross to the great majority of them experiencing martyrdom for the Gospel years and decades later!
 
   Q: Do we get our bodies back when we go to heaven?
 
Nevaeh Tingler
Wintersville
 
   A: This is another question in which I have to answer yes and no. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is quite clear that to rise from the dead means to rise with Jesus Christ. The catechism points out that in Paragraph 998 – Who will rise? All the dead will rise, “those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgement.” We know later on in the catechism that this will occur definitively at the last day, that is, at the end of the world for the resurrection of each one of us is closely associated with Jesus Christ’s return or “parousia.”
   While our immortal soul lives on after death, our mortal body will come to life again. Our very belief in the resurrection of the dead has been a critical element of our Christian faith from its very beginning.
   Remember, as a consequence of original sin by our first parents, Adam and Eve, our bodies were doomed to suffer bodily death.  By Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection and ascension to the Father, the paschal mystery, we have been afforded eternal salvation. We learn, also, in the catechism – Paragraph 1016 – That while at death the soul and body had been separated, at the resurrection, God will give incorruptible life to our body, namely eternal life that will be transformed by reunion with our soul. As Jesus Christ is risen and lives forever, it should be our certain hope that we will rise on the last day and live with him in heaven forever. This is our end game.
  
            May God bless you and your family as we quickly approach the Lenten season.