Resurrection means complete transformation of our self that is definitive and belonging to the divine order. This is what we see in the resurrection of Jesus Christ whereby he became a life-giving Spirit in contrast to Adam who became a living being in his creation by God (See 1 Corinthians, 1: 45). Resurrection implies death and coming to life again with a transformed and transfigured body that may be termed a "spiritual body" (See 1 Corinthians, 15: 42-44). The great philosopher of the 20th century Ludwig Wittgenstein has this to say about death and eternal life: "Death is not an event in life: we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present. Our life has no end in the way in which our visual field has no limits" (Tractatus Logico-philosophicus, 6. 431). We see here how eternal life can be understood philosophically using our ordinary language by comparing it with the limitlessness of our visual field for the sake of understanding the concept of 'endlessness'. The right way of considering eternal life is not an infinitely long time, but timelessness itself. The consequence of this understanding is very relevant to our present life that will have repercussions on our eternal life, especially because living in the present meaningfully is most important.
Living in the present does not mean that the past has no relevance nor that the future has no impact on our lives in the present. It means that given the fact of the influences of the past and the future, we have to live moment to moment with alertness so that our present life may flow smoothly into eternal life. In fact, we already start living eternal life from the temporal end to be changed into the unchangeable life eternal. Jesus invited us to "watch and pray so that we may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing,but the flesh is weak" (Matthew, 26: 41). This was said in the context of his prayer at Gethsemane when the disciples took it easy and slept through the agony of Jesus in spite of warning them. It shows that our dependence on God is absolutely necessary to convert our temporal life into the eternal one and the primary means for the same is our humble payer for power from above. Prayer is effective when its effects are seen in our lives like the shedding of the old personality in us for a new one. This means a revolution in our life through a new outlook, new aspirations and positive qualities of life. Such a life heralds the beginning of eternal life, the culmination of which is in the Kingdom of God announced by Jesus (See Mark, 1: 15; Matthew, 3:2).
The life of Jesus was ordered to glorification through resurrection before which it passed through the daily challenges and obstacles causing suffering and death. His life is our model to be followed for self-transformation leading to glorification through our own resurrection. Suffering and death are inbuilt into our lives accepting which whole-heartedly for transforming them into effective means of wholeness in our lives is approved by God through His Son, Jesus Christ. If we are prepared to accept ourselves with all our limitations, trying to overcome them if possible, we are already on the road to eternal life. All our religious practices are meant to enrich ourselves before God so that the graces showered upon us may be utilized to improve our final destiny. If we follow the instructions of Jesus, demonstrated by his own life, our lives will be enriched with permanent love, joy and peace reigning in our hearts. This is but the beginning of eternal life already here on earth!
Living in the present does not mean that the past has no relevance nor that the future has no impact on our lives in the present. It means that given the fact of the influences of the past and the future, we have to live moment to moment with alertness so that our present life may flow smoothly into eternal life. In fact, we already start living eternal life from the temporal end to be changed into the unchangeable life eternal. Jesus invited us to "watch and pray so that we may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing,but the flesh is weak" (Matthew, 26: 41). This was said in the context of his prayer at Gethsemane when the disciples took it easy and slept through the agony of Jesus in spite of warning them. It shows that our dependence on God is absolutely necessary to convert our temporal life into the eternal one and the primary means for the same is our humble payer for power from above. Prayer is effective when its effects are seen in our lives like the shedding of the old personality in us for a new one. This means a revolution in our life through a new outlook, new aspirations and positive qualities of life. Such a life heralds the beginning of eternal life, the culmination of which is in the Kingdom of God announced by Jesus (See Mark, 1: 15; Matthew, 3:2).
The life of Jesus was ordered to glorification through resurrection before which it passed through the daily challenges and obstacles causing suffering and death. His life is our model to be followed for self-transformation leading to glorification through our own resurrection. Suffering and death are inbuilt into our lives accepting which whole-heartedly for transforming them into effective means of wholeness in our lives is approved by God through His Son, Jesus Christ. If we are prepared to accept ourselves with all our limitations, trying to overcome them if possible, we are already on the road to eternal life. All our religious practices are meant to enrich ourselves before God so that the graces showered upon us may be utilized to improve our final destiny. If we follow the instructions of Jesus, demonstrated by his own life, our lives will be enriched with permanent love, joy and peace reigning in our hearts. This is but the beginning of eternal life already here on earth!
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