The Ascension
Submitted by jroberts on Mon, 2007-05-21 06:22.
Yesterday (or last Thursday), Liturgical Churches celebrated the Ascension; i.e., the point when 40 days after the Ressurection, Jesus ascended bodily into heaven. What do y'all think are the implications for that? Do you think of Jesus as still having His ressurected body? Do you think we'll have bodies in heaven?
Tabernacles of CHRIST Living in us
Anything beyond what the Catechism says is speculation to us Catholics. But we are allowed to speculate as long as we don't contradict Scripture or the teachings of the Church.
Here's my view:
We will not ever be Angels . . . though similarly to the Angels, we will not marry nor be given in marriage in the Life to come.
At the Last Day, our former Body will be rejoined to our soul and then transformed in an instant into either the reprobate eternal body of the damned or the Glorified Eternal Body of those who die in union with CHRIST.
Our Glorified Body will be similar to CHRIST's own Risen and Glorified Body. The Risen CHRIST could walk through walls, on water, be in more than one place at the same time, etc . . . it seeming that the Glorified Body will assume the properties proper to Heaven's Supernatural Order rather than be limited to the properties proper to time and space of our current finite existence. Heaven is wedding earth. Heaven will rule.
CHRIST's Glorified Body still bears the marks of HIS Crucifixion, such as in the vision of Heaven where the Lamb of GOD is seen standing upon the altar of GOD as if slain. But these marks are sources of Life giving Grace and Power and Mercy. They are not painful in the Life to come. CHRIST has those marks. I do not believe that any of us will have those marks . . . not sure about those who bore those marks on earth though, the stigmatists.
Our Bodies and Souls will truly be Tabernacles of CHRIST Living in us through HIS Eucharistic Presence by the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT and we as a Priestly People will minister to the entire Universe, even to the Angels, I Believe. This last is what Satan refused to accept . . . we humans being lower than the Angels by nature but being lifted up perhaps beyond them by Grace.
We are soooooooo entirely unworthy of any such a thing. Humility and repentance is/are the key(s) to obtaining this blessing through and in CHRIST.
Presently, our current Baptized bodies are temples of the HOLY SPIRIT, as long as we remain in the state of Grace and do not commit a mortal sin. What we will be is really not yet imagined . . . even with what has been said above.