This very moment is eternal because there will never be a time that you do not exist. Jesus said if you follow Him, you "have eternal life." He did not say, "will". He used the present tense. If we remain in Him, this very moment is already in eternity. You will not have a "non-moment" ever! It is not possible for you to go out of existence. Even Aristotle said the soul has no parts and cannot fall apart. "Well", you say, "we all have to die." Our bodies may die -- although Mary's, Enock's, Moses' and Elijah's did not die -- but our souls will not have a moment of non-existence from the moment of our conception. Our souls are eternal. This very moment: relish it. Revel in the gift of it. Rejoice in it because you are and will be forever! Enjoy the security of knowing that this moment will go on forever! And one day your body will also be resurrected so that you will for all eternity be a full human being - body and soul - just as you are now. But your body will be glorified and beautiful beyond your understanding and imagination now. All the love you gave and received in this life will follow you into paradise. You will see your soul as God sees it. Once, St. Teresa of Avila had what she thought was a vision of Jesus. She fell on her knees in reverence to her Lord. Jesus did speak to her heart and said to her: "What are you doing, My dear?" She said, "I am worshipping You, my Lord!" Jesus said to her: "No, I was only showing you your own soul!" So, her soul was so beautiful she thought it was divine.
But what of those who do not wish to love God, keep His commandments or show love to those around them? (Jesus said" What ever you do for the least of my brethern you do to me. What ever you neglect to do to the least of my brethern you neglect to do it to me.") What of those who refuse God's mercy and to be merciful to others. Those who will not accept God's forgiveness and not forgive others as well. (Eventhough, Father Bohdan said: "God's Mercy is greater than all the sins of the world! Jesus died for all our sins.") How sad that some will refuse even the loving mercy of God. This is a sin against the Holy Spirit who offers forgiveness to all. Despair is the refusal, the non acceptance of God's merciful forgiveness. This refusal can become eternal if the soul refuses God's mercy at the very last moment when "Out of the body and present to the Lord " Jesus offers forgiveness at the most suprement moment. I pray that all souls will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior when they see Him face to face. But those who have refused Jesus' loving invitation at the moment of death, these will also be resurrected but not to bliss but to horror and shame, to the second death. But still they will be alive forever - body and soul. But to choose an eternity without God is to choose hell. Hell is the absence of God. I pray for all - even for Hitler, Bin Laden. Saddam - now and at the moment of their death so that they will accept God's mercy and steal heaven as did the good thief, Dismus!
But for all who truly love and choose God and accept His mercy, Jesus said: "Eye has not seen; ear has not heard; nor has it ever entered the immagination of man what God has in store for those who love Him!"
"O blood and water that gushed for from the heart of Christ as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"
[Comment from Benjamin: I shared this moment in a beautiful film by one of my favorite directors Bruno Dumont with Pio and he invited me to post the link here. The film is titled L'Humanite, and this excerpt depicts what might be called an 'eternal moment', a transfigured elevated state: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_Esn0fVYYM&feature=related"]
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