The Ascension

It seems to me JRoberts and Michael_Legna that you two are saying the same things but leaving out the 'Person' part of the Incarnate two-natures in One Divine Person of CHRIST of whom we humans are an image and likeness.

You have to remember that we are discussing Mysteries of Faith.

You know . . . Three Divine Persons in One GOD . . . and . . .

CHRIST has two natures in HIS One Divine Incarnate Person, the Second Divine Person of the BLESSED TRINITY.

Unity of Person does not die even with dualism of natures . . . the Human and Divine natures found in CHRIST . . . nor with dualism of Body and Soul which forms our one Human nature.

CHRIST did not become like us so much as we were created to be Like HIM.

The Incarnate CHRIST is HE of WHOM we are the image and likeness. HE died the first death, just as we do . . . CHRIST dying unjustly, giving up HIS Divine and Human Life in Sacrifice for us. We dying as a Justice carried out . . . it being a part of the finite nature of our body to die . . . we having chosen ourselves over GOD's Life of Sanctifying Grace in the rejection of GOD which was Adam's Original Sin.

That is . . . CHRIST's Body and our Body was/are separated from HIS/our Soul for a time . . . CHRIST for three short days . . . we until Judgement day . . . and our soul awaits that day in a state of separation of body and soul called death . . . or asleep in the LORD . . . if we are Happily United with the LORD while awaiting that day.

Even though the first death is a separation of body and soul . . . still our Person does not ever die.

I believe the old Baltimore Catechism put it this way . . . that our body dies but our soul is eternal.

However, our Body, Mind and Soul are ultimately inseparable in that on judgement day our soul will be reunited with our body, which body will then be transformed either into a Glorified Body, Like CHRIST's, or transformed into a reprobate body, like Lucifer's.

Off the subject:

If we die the first death in union with CHRIST, it is called 'asleep in the LORD'.

It is that second death we need to worry about . . . which is Eternal Body and Soul separation from GOD the Trinity for all Eternity, because we never were formed into CHRIST nor HE in us.

Mary and the Church show us how to accomplish this Unity with CHRIST through Faith, Hope and most especially through Love.

The Sacramental Life of the Church, well Lived in penitent Holiness, is the Normal way of finding Unity with the Incarnate and now Glorified and Risen Bodily CHRIST. I Believe this. I don't expect all here to believe this. Just please don't arbitrarily negate the importance of the Flesh, though it is certainly the SPIRIT WHO gives Eternal Life to both the body and to the Soul.

I know that some think Mary gets in the way and they don't quite 'get' Mary's role in all of this Salvation. Mary, to me, is the sure way to Know and Understand CHRIST. She leads us to HIM bringing us together with Her Divine SON in Her Immaculate Womb, the Immaculate Womb of our Mother the Church, to be formed into CHRIST and HE in us by the action of the HOLY SPIRIT.

JR and ML . . . you two have very good things to say. Thanks for the example of your Faith and all the Teachings you two do your best to portray correctly for those who may be interested. I am of that mind as well . . . in Obedience to what we have been taught by our LORD through HIS Holy Mother, the Church, who ponders all of these things in Her Immaculate Heart.

GOD Bless you all and me too.