December 19, 2014
The Manner of the Resurrection
A reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians 15, 35 – 49:
But some may say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come back?”
You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind; but God gives it a body as he chooses, and to each of the seeds its own body. Not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for human beings, another kind of flesh for animals, another kind of flesh for birds, and another for fish. There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the brightness of the heavenly is one kind and that of the earthly another. The brightness of the sun is one kind, the brightness of the moon another, and the brightness of the stars another. For star differs from star in brightness.
So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak, it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one.
So, too, it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being,” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual was not first; rather, the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, earthly, the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
In a week’s time, we shall celebrate the Great Feast of the Birth of Jesus, Our Savior. This feast is called Christmas and we are called to keep Christ in Christmas. Some people write Xmas and this is terrible for they have left out the name of the one we are celebrating. We are called to prepare ourselves for this Feast which is the birthday of Jesus, the Son of God, who was born in Bethlehem for the salvation of all the people of the world. I am praying that the Lord will bless each one of you in a very special way on His birthday.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“I ask you My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters this special question: What does the Resurrection mean for you? You have all heard about My resurrection but how many truly understand what this means. All human beings have been born corruptible and so you are all to die one day. There is no human being that will live forever. I, Jesus, was born on earth with a human body and I had to die as a human being. Death comes when life is gone from our bodies. A dead body is buried in the ground and it will corrupt there. It is true that some bodies are burned and only the ashes are left. It is the same thing only that the corruption happened quickly by burning. All bodies are buried and will remain in the grave until the end of time. However, I am the exception. My body remained in the grave only three days and then I came back to life with a spiritual body and this body will never die again. As you know I could go through walls which I did when I came to visit the Apostles after My resurrection. The resurrected body has greater power than the earthly one you have and can do many more things than the body you have on earth. It is an everlasting body and this body cannot feel tiredness or sickness or weakness. So the resurrected body is a great marvel and you will receive such a body at the end of the world. So, My friends, I call you to follow Me and you will have a resurrected body like mine and you will live with Me in heaven. I want you all with Me in eternal happiness. I love you all.”
Father Melvin
P.S. The storm we were supposed to have passed with hardly anything. We got one cm of snow but it is all gone with the rain that came after the snow. I thank the Lord.