The resurrection of the body

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I have always been intrigued with the idea of the resurection of the body. I would love to hear what you all think of it and I would also like to know the official catholic teaching on it.

-- Angelo (anglead56@hotmail.com), April 28, 2003

Answers

Response to The resurection of the body

Jmj

Hello, Angelo. You have a good name -- shared with Blessed Pope John XXIII (formerly known as Angelo Roncalli).

At the end of the Apostles' Creed, we say:

"I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. "

The Catholic Church's official teaching on the Resurrection of the Body (which you requested) are summarized in this section of the new Catechism.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 28, 2003.


Response to The resurection of the body

Sorry about the bad link. Please try this.
JFG

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 28, 2003.

Response to The resurection of the body

Thanks John, I checked the link and it explained a lot. I suppose my question sort of multiplies now.

Death is the consequence of sin, I understand that. And Jesus' death was, unlike ours, not because of his sin but in atonement for ours. It also seems that after the resurrection, Jesus continued to have a physical body. He certainly ate and was seen. He even was able to have Thomas touch him. What sort of body was it? Had he stepped on a thorn while walking, would he have felt pain? had he cut himself would he have bled? I mean we all believe in the resurection of the body but we know so little about its nature. Now since Jesus never sinned he should have had an incorruptible body from the start even if he did submit to death. So was there any real difference between the body of christ before death and the one after? For that matter, what of Mary's body. She was saved from original sin even before her birth and we believe she never sinned and was assumed body and soul into heaven i.e. the same body that she had on earth was what she took to heaven. So what makes the resurected body different from the ones we have now? I find it all so intriguing.

-- Angelo (anglead56@hotmail.com), April 28, 2003.


Response to The resurection of the body

Jmj
Hello again, Angelo.

1. "What sort of body was it?" It is usually referred to as a "glorified body," just as we will have at the end of the world.

2. "Had he stepped on a thorn while walking, would he have felt pain?" No. The glorified bodies of the righteous will never suffer again.

3. "had he cut himself would he have bled?" No. It was a perfect body that could pass through solid substances (doors/walls) and could not be wounded by other solid substances. Remember that he had St. Thomas put his fingers and hands into his wounds -- yet they were wounds that were not bleeding any more.

4. "I mean we all believe in the resurection of the body but we know so little about its nature." True, but we aren't completely without information, thanks to the gospels.

5. "Now since Jesus never sinned he should have had an incorruptible body from the start even if he did submit to death. So was there any real difference between the body of christ before death and the one after?" The difference was that he willed to have a "passible" body (one capable of suffering and dying) before the resurrection, but not after.

6. "For that matter, what of Mary's body. She was saved from original sin even before her birth and we believe she never sinned and was assumed body and soul into heaven i.e. the same body that she had on earth was what she took to heaven. So what makes the resurected body different from the ones we have now?" St. Paul tells the Corinthians:

"So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being;' the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual which is first but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

"I tell you this, brethren: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Lo! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable nature must put on the imperishable, and this mortal nature must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'"

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 28, 2003.


Response to The resurection of the body

We still have the problem of Mary's body. If it was normal human like ours, that would bleed and feel pain, how was she assumed into heaven without dying and resurecting?

-- Angelo (anglead56@hotmail.com), April 29, 2003.


Response to The resurection of the body

Good question, Angelo.

There are two other instances in the Bible: The prophet Elijah and someone before the flood. Where did they go?

-- Elpidio gonzalez (egonzalez@srla.org), April 29, 2003.


Response to The resurection of the body

Angelo, you asked: "If [Mary's body] was normal human like ours, that would bleed and feel pain, how was she assumed into heaven without dying and resurecting?"
The Church does not teach that she did not die.

Of course, God is all-powerful, so He can change a mortal, earthly body (e.g., that of Elijah) into a glorified body in an instant, even without death and resurrection.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), April 30, 2003.


i think Mary seems to be coming back always known as "Resurection" but probally when she died she wasn't able to accomplish what she wanted she cant rest.

-- Jessica Martin (sk8tergirl_212@yahoo.com), October 29, 2003.

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