DEATH: THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN THE LORD

My beloved brothers and sisters in the Only True Lord, God and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

DEATH: THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN THE LORD

Our Lord God Jesus Christ speaking to His Disciples says,

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill
the soul. But rather fear Him [God] Who is able to
destroy both soul and body in hell" [Matthew 10:28].

As Orthodox Christians we believe that DEATH is a mystery, and only in the light of Eternal Life, in the name of Jesus Christ, has its dreadful threat been transformed into a joyous and triumphant event for the believer. "Kill the body" refers to physical death, but the impossibility of killing "the soul" shows the IMMORTALITY OF THE HUMAN SOUL which is ours by God’s grace. We are taught by the Holy Apostle Paul who said: "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God, will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus…For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,, with the voice of an Archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus WE SHALL ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD. THEREFORE COMFORT ONE ANOTHER WITH THESE WORDS" [1 Thessalonians 4:13-18].

How wonderful and meaningful are the comforting words of Saint Paul to all those who believe in Jesus Christ, our Only Savior and God. It is very sad, however, that we Christians tremble before the idea of death. Our attitude reveals that we, as humans, deny the immortality of the soul thinking that we, in this way, might possibly extend our life here on earth. I recall how one day I was informed by a member of my church that one of my parishioners was dying at the hospital. I immediately rushed to visit him, but to my surprise and astonishment, I was refused entry into his room by his daughter. She said, "Father I cannot let you see my father and read a blessing or offer him the Sacraments, because he may think that he is dying." Her father, however, died soon after, but without either Confession or Holy Communion. That is how foolish some Christians can be.

There are many such incidents as the above mentioned unfortunate situation of Christians who are literally terrified by the thought that death is dreadful and it should always be feared. The other serious mistake for the Christian is NOT to be spiritually prepared. An Orthodox Christian should contemplate death constantly and be ready for this final event in his/her life here on earth. The most spiritually beneficial way is to participate frequently in the divine Mysteria (Sacraments) of our Holy Church. It is expected that all faithful have a mysteriake zoe (sacramental life), that one has a strong prayer life, that we have reconcile with our enemies and we have forgiven them, that we have repented of our sins, and that we have reconciled with our Lord through the Mystery of Repentance/Confession. The necessary and most needed sacrament for the dying is of course Holy Confession because through it we are cleansed of all sin and therefore, is the most appropriate and only way to appear before our Lord Christ, our Divine and Heavenly Judge.

But what is Death? "To this question, Christianity answers: "Death for man is a change of life." But just as this definition is a simple one, and we can express it with only a few words, so also in its essence, the reality of death, IS A MYSTERY THAT GENERATES MANY PROBLEMS. The spiritual, and the physical consequences of this mystery, which we call death, is very great and extensive so that our mind finds it impossible to conceive of the entire meaning of the consequences of death. And much more impossible is for the mind to define and enumerate all these consequences exactly for him who dies as for him who remains alive and has before him the impression of death which no one can avoid."

The Christian faith is the belief that "Jesus Christ is hte Son of God, the Savior of the human soul, which he redeemed by His sacrifice as the God-man on the Cross at Golgotha." In His teaching, Christ does not endeavor to persuade his followers that the soul is immortal. He takes it for granted, as absolutely and indisputably known. And on this recognized truth He defines the relations which that immortal soul should have with its Creator and in its behalf, He imposes the moral life, i.e., moral principles for life. On the other hand, it concerns those things which, because of their unimagined magnificence, would be inconceivable for impoverished human understanding. How can one describe the delicate color of the rose to a man born blind, or how can one describe the beauty of the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven to a man born deaf"

The truth is that man has an IMMORTAL SOUL. The teaching of the Orthodox Church is that the immortal soul is the TRUE ESSENCE of the person, that is his TOTAL SELF, his BEING, his PERSONALITY, the ONLY UNCHANGEABLE ELEMENT OF MAN, IS HIS SOUL. And the body with which he co-exists in life on earth IS PERISHABLE, CHANGEABLE AND, ALTHOUGH NECESSARY, YET SECONDARY. "Death is an event which causes a change in the condition of man. Death is only the momentary time element in which earthly life ends a human existence and a new life begins in the other world, without any interruption, even for a thousandth of a second, of the real existence of man."

Indeed, this is how we Christians accept death, because according to the Holy Scripture, we believe that after the death of the body, THE IMMORTAL SOUL CONTINUES TO EXIST. If the atheists or deniers of the soul do not consider the death of man to be different than the death of a dog or any other animal, this is of no interest to us. "That which happens, therefore, at this momentary time period of death is nothing more than that a human being IS SEPARATED FROM HIS FLESHLY BODY WHICH DISINTEGRATES INTO THE EARTHLY ELEMENTS FROM WHICH WAS CREATED, IN ORDER TO BE VESTED IN A SPIRITUAL SOUL, AN IMPERISHABLE BODY. In this manner, after death ONE REMAINS THE SAME PERSON, THE SME ENTITY, BUT ONLY AS A SPIRITUAL BEING." This is the teaching of Holy Scriptures, concerning death.

The basis of Christianity is that the Son of God, having become man, was crucified for the salvation of the human soul. But the salvation which the Savior, with His Sacrifice, underwent is NOT given to man WITHOUT SOME TERMS, GOOD OR BAD; NOR IS IT ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IN CHRIST AS THE SON OF GOD AND THAT THAT FAITH BE WEAK, A MERE FAITH, A DEAD FAITH, A FAITH WITHOUT OBLIGATIONS, A FAITH THAT ANYONE CAN HAVE, SINCE IT DOES NOT COST ANYTHING TO HAVE IT. Christian faith should be expressed by DOING THE WILL OF GOD, Jesus said:

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter
the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who DOES THE WILL OF
MY FATHER Who is in Heaven" [Matthew 7:21].

And the Holy Apostle James added:

"So faith apart from works is dead" [James 2:26].

And, again, Jesus sending His Disciples out to preach
concerning salvation, said to them:

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit" [Matthew 28:19].

Relating this command with the words that Jesus said to Nikodemos,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God" [John 3:5].

We find that FOR SALVATION, the Mystery of Baptism is NECESSARY, but also Holy Communion because for this, also, our Savior Christ explicitly said:

"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His
Blood, you have no life in you" [John 6:53].

All these together, FAITH, WORKS, and CONFIRMATION THROUGH THE HOLY SACRAMENTS are called APPROPRIATION OF SALVATION; THAT IS SALVATION, WHICH WAS GIVEN BY CHRIST, THE SAVIOR, TO BECOME OUR POSSESSION, MUST BE GIVEN WITH OUR COOPERATION (SYNERGY) THAT WE MIGHT BE CONSIDERED WORTHY OF IT BY GOD. Thus is imposed upon us by Christ. And if we are indifferent or negligent in appropriating our salvation, which Christ GRANTS TO US, if, that is, in one of these we are lacking, either in faith or good works, or neglect SANCTIFICATION THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS, we shall be worthy of CENSURE AND PUNISHMENT. Consequently, Christianity is a religion NOT ONLY of faith, but also of MORALS and A SANCTIFIED LIFE. For putting it into practice, there is the promise of reward, and if not, there is the threat of punishment; But neither the punishment nor the reward are given in the present life. They shall be given AFTER DEATH, as our Savior Christ said:

"Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit, the Kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world…" and to others: "Depart from Me,
you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels…"
[Matthew 25:34-41].
[Resources: The World Beyond the Grave or the After Life by Bishop Athenagoras Cavadas

(To be continued)

________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George