B: 13th Sun of Ord Time (27 June 2021) - HADES (Wis 1:13-15; 2:23-24)

“Death was not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living.... Hades holds no power on earth; for virtue is undying” (Wis 1:13-15).

Surprising in this pericope is the mention of Hades, which is the name of a Greek deity (also known as Pluto). In Greek mythology, Hades, after his and his siblings’ victory over the Titans, was given the underworld to be his realm, while Zeus took over the skies and Poseidon the seas. As the underworld is also the abode of the dead, Hades is beheld to be the god of the dead, too. But why would the sage employ this Greek deity in the book of Wisdom to depict death?

The term Hades occurs 106 times in the Septuagint and 10 times in the NT. However, it is remote that the Greek god of the dead is meant in its scriptural occurrences since it only functions either to denote the netherworld where the dead proceed (e.g., Gen 37:5; 1 Kgs 2:6; Tob 13:2), or as a personification of death itself (e.g., Prov 2:18; Song 8:6; Job 32:22). What is similar to Greek mythology is the portrayal of Hades as located in the depths of the world in contrast to the heights of the heavens (e.g., Mt 11:23; Lk 10:15), which is parallel to the contrast between the kingdoms of Hades and Zeus, respectively. This place—alternately referred to as Sheol in Hebrew—is bound by a gate that welcomes and locks up all who die (cf. Job 38:17, Wis 16:13). Nonetheless, it does not have power over those who trust in and are entrusted by the Lord as expressed by Jesus to Peter, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it (Mt 16:18). This point is expressed also in our first reading today: “For he [i.e., God] created all things ... and the dominion of Hades is not on earth” (Wis 1:14).

The most iconic tale on Hades in Greek mythology is his abduction of Persephone to be his wife (cf. Hesiod’s Theogony and Homer’s Hymn to Demeter). Her mother, Demeter, was devastated and mourned heavily on her loss. Being the Greek goddess of harvest, she abandoned the land to lie fallow and barren to the detriment of everybody who would depend on grains and fruits for food. With the intervention of the other deities, a compromise was reached between Hades and Demeter. The mandate was that Persephone would go back to her mother at springtime but would need to return to the netherworld during winter as Hades’ wife. This explains why the fields are unproductive during winter but thrive in springtime and summer. Noteworthy in this etiology is that Hades (i.e., death) does not have a perpetual control over Demeter (i.e., life). In fact, it has dominion over her for only three months in a year.

I see this tale on Hades and Demeter as relevant to our current situation when the pandemic has claimed millions of lives all over the globe. Despite all efforts to combat it, many still have succumbed to it. In reality, death is inevitable to knock at our doors one day. But as Demeter persevered in fighting for the return of her daughter, we should likewise fight for life and to live life to the fullest, unfazed by the pangs and pains of death. Let not our positive energy, enthusiasm, happiness, hope, and love be sapped from our spirits. Instead, let us be like St. Paul in exclaiming, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?... But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:55-56).

- Rex Fortes, CM

Post Scriptum:

The Filipino nation now grieves the passing of one of our better presidents in the person of Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III. He will be remembered dearly for fighting for democracy, justice, and honor of the Filipino people. Let his death not dampen our hope for our country’s betterment but inspire us to serve with simplicity and be united in standing for what is right.