metouro
posted on Dec 14, 2011 - 02:29 AM
I often focus on the departure from the body believing that I will conciously meet Christ and the Saints immediately upon my departure, with God's grace. I often focus on this issue more than on the life of the bodily resurrection and at times, I don't seem to look forward to the Resurrection as much as I do the daparture of the soul from the body.
I often feel this way because the departure from the body is more imminent whereas the bodily resurrection may come thousands of years from now.
The Disciples and the main message of the Gospel is Christ's Resurrection and our ultimate resurrection (bodily). The departure from the body will come first, the resurrection later. Most of my thoughts during my prayers, during the liturgy, during my daily contemplations are on the moment of death and my conscious life in Paradise. I give very little thought about the resurrection because I know it is much further away in time than the departure from the body. This is analogous to a student working hard and looking forward to graduation then worrying about finding a job later.
I often focus more on St. Paul saying, "I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better" than Christ saying, "...I will raise him up on the last day."
As an Orthodox Christian, is it wrong to feel this way?
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"...in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily"
