My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
CONCLUSION OF WHAT HAVE BEEN SAID ABOUT
"THE WORLD BEYOND THE GRAVE"
The MATERIAL WORLD in which we live is a place in the universe in which there exists another world, THE WORLD OF SPIRIT. The one, the Material World, is TEMPORARY, PERISHABLE, AND AT SOME TIME WILL BE DESTROYED. The other, the World of the Spirit, IS UNCHANGEABLE, ETERNAL. The Material world, even though perishable and temporary, has inexhaustible and priceless beauties most suitable to make man happy, who was created by God to be its MASTER. And man is master of the material world because he IS A BEING SUPERIOR TO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT LIVES IN IT. Man was created by God OF TWO ELEMENTS. The one was MATERIAL, AN EARTHLY body, an element compatible with the surrounding material, earthly world, so that he would be able to adapt himself completely to it. The other IS THE SPIRITUAL ELEMENT, or BREATH OF DIVINE BREATHING, A SOUL, SUITABLE FOR THE OTHER HIGHER WORLD, THE WORLD OF THE SPIRIT, THE WORLD OF SOULS. And, for this reason, the life of man is A MATERIAL-SPIRITUAL ONE, but separated into TWO SECTIONS IN ACCORDANCE TO THE LIFE OF THE TWO WORLDS. The one section is called TERRESTRIAL LIFE, perishable, temporary, just like the world in which it resides. The other is called THE SPIRITUAL LIFE, IMPERISHABLE, ETERNAL LIKE THE WORLD OF SPIRITS.
Human nature was created according to the beauties of the two worlds. It is, i.e., ENDOWED BY GOD ABUNDANTLY, RICH WITH POTENTIALITIES THAT MAKE IT FEEL THE BEAUTIES OF THE TERRESTRIAL LIFE AND BE HAPPY. And, further, it is endowed with the needs of the body, the animalistic lower ones such that when a person satisfies them with THE PROPER MEANS, they provide many pleasures. The purpose, however, of these abilities is to make human beings able to feel and appreciate the beauties of the other life in the world beyond, IN THE SPHERE OF THE WORLD OF SPIRITS, THE WORLD OF HIGHER BEINGS, THE SPIRITUAL WORLD. And since TERRESTRIAL LIFE is temporary, and the world beyond is eternal, it is logical and natural, i.e., TERRESTRIAL LIFE SHOULD NOT HINDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN BEING ON THE ROAD ON WHICH IT WILL BECOME SUITABLE FOR THE ETERNAL LIFE IN THE WORLD BEYOND. And much more, it should CONTRIBUTE TO THIS. In other words, the MATERIAL LIFE SHOULD SERVE AS A PREPARATION FOR THE LATER SPIRITUAL LIFE.
For this to happen, however, man himself should want this. He himself should want his terrestrial life or earthly life to be such that it should be a suitable preparation for the world beyond. If this were to depend directly on God alone and we were to receive this development IN A PASSIVE MANNER, the gradual development of a fleshly-spiritual being would have been completely unnecessary. Surely God could have created us, from the beginning, higher spiritual beings, as the Angels are. Development means MOTION FORWARD OR UPWARDS. Will means action, endeavor. But that endeavor for motion, progress, REQUIRES AGAIN SUITABLE ELECTION OF THE WAY AND THE MEANS TO SUCCESS. The suitable means with which a person will use his terrestrial or earthly life so that his development and his existence which prove hikm to be suitable for the beauties of the life in the world beyond are called "MORAL MEANS," and the way is called the "MORAL LIFE."
God did not abandon man to himself in the selection of the moral means. He showed them to Himself. He wrote ON THE HUMAN HEART some safe and unchangeable beautiful laws. He further sent successively wise and inspired men who spoke to mankind concerning these laws and brought them to its attention. Among all peoples, in general, there appeared in the course of the centuries such inspired men sent by God who in some places were called "WISE" and in others "PROPHETS." And finally God sent His Only-begotten Son, not mere man, but the God-man, Who besides shedding His Blood on the Cross FOR THE REDEMPTION OF MAN, TAUGHT THE WHOLE TRUTH.
If man, after the coming of the Redeemer Jesus Christ, will follow His teachings, faith, works, and sanctification, he will be able with these alone to develop his being to a more SPIRITUAL DEGREE SUITABLE FOR THE WORLD OF HIGHER BEINGS, THE WORLD OF THE NOBLE SPIRITS. Mistakes are easy for man, but also easy is the correction, for as many times as they occur and for as great as they may be, THE CORRECTION IS SIMPLY SINCERE REPENTANCE.
The time limit for the preparation of the soul IS THE TERMINATION OF EARTHLY LIFE. The FINAL TIME, after which immediately begins the other stage and the life in the world beyond, is called "DEATH." If the effort for preparation was made, and made successfully, then death is the gate to the entrance into Eternal Blessedness. If the preparation was not made, then death is the BRINK OF THE ABYSS. But even though a person should always be prepared, for this reason, even in the eleventh hour, if he REPENT AND PREPARE, HE WILL NOT FALL SHORT OF THE OTHERS.
The pleasures of earthly life that are the result of the beauties of this world and of the satisfactions of the needs of the body, even the carnal needs, bring absolutely no hindrance to the efforts for preparation. The terrible hindrance IS THE UNLAWFUL USE OF THESE, AND THE ABUSE, THAT ON ONE HAND CONDEMNS A PERSON TO AN ANIMALISTIC CONDITION AND MAKES HIM IT’S SLAVE AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, MAKES HIM AN IDOLATER AND ONE WHO SCORNS GOD.
Enjoy life, O Christian, with its noble beauties and pleasures, but enjoy them CONSCIENTIOUSLY IN A CHRISTIAN MANNER. Your soul will continue such a life of the world beyond, and with greater beauties and pleasures, strewn bountifully to every worthy soul. Then death will become your best friend which, even though you never need to seek it, when it comes to meet you, you will embrace it with joy in your eyes. [Resources: The World Beyond the Grave or the After Life by Bishop Athenagoras Cavadas]
_________
"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
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 