Finally another post in my series on Theology of the Body. In a way today's is appropriate for November, since November is the month when the Church pays special attention to the saints in heaven and to all the dead. In this post, we continue to read what John Paul II said about the final condition of the elect: the resurrected body united with the soul, as presented in the book I've been quoting.
"According to Paul, the human body in the life to come will be imperishable, glorious, full of power, and spiritual. Paul's vision of the … body comes from his … experience of the risen … Christ. The resurrection … is a revelation of the ultimate destiny of man in all the fullness of his personhood.
"By contrasting the first man, Adam, with the 'second Adam' Jesus, Paul shows the two poles between which we find ourselves — between creation and the fullness of redemption. …We are children of Adam by nature, yet we are called to become children of [God] by grace. …
"The … man of the resurrection … is not the negation of the natural man …, but his fulfillment. The resurrection will complete and confirm the human person, as crested in the image one likeness of God. … The 'earthly man,' mired in sin, has the potential to share in Christ's perfect humanity.
"For all our failings, human beings have retained an interior desire for glory. Through Christ, this aspiration can be realized. …
"Previously, we spoke of the resurrection as the fulfillment of the nuptial meaning of the body in and through our perfect communion with God and the saints. Paul's discussion … seems to focus more on the individual person and the relation of body and soul.
"The resurrection … is a future event. But … its effects can be experienced in this life. Even now, we are called to bear the image of Christ, the risen one. Jesus' resurrection is already a reality, pushing the world toward its final transformation."
An der Grabstätte von Kronprinzessin Cecilie
1 week ago
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