Last week we spoke on the tenth article of the Apostles’ Creed, “the forgiveness of sins” wherein we proclaim our belief that the Church forgives sins through her Sacraments of Baptism and Confession.  In the eleventh article, “the resurrection of the body,” we profess our belief that our bodies will be restored to us at the final judgement of the world.

We have spoken already on the last judgement and the fittingness that all mankind be present in one place to be judged at the same time in the bodies they had when they lived on this earth, so  we will not repeat that here.  Rather we will speak on degrees of glory of the risen and the four qualities of the body of those who will live with God forever in eternity and those who will not.

When we say, “the resurrection of the body,”...
We believe that all mankind will receive their own body again at the general judgement.
“I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth.  And I shall be clothed again in my skin; and in my flesh I shall see my God.”  (Job 19:25,26)

We believe that the heavenly bodies will differ in glory depending on the merits of the saint and that these bodies shall have four qualities: impassibility, brightness, agility, and subtilty.

St. Paul summarizes the manner of the resurrection of the just in I Corinthians 15:39-44.
“All flesh is not the same flesh, but one is the flesh of men, another of beasts, another of birds, another of fishes.  And there are bodies celestial and bodies terrestrial; but one is the glory of the celestial and another of the terrestrial.  One is glory of the sun, another the glory of the moon, another the glory of the stars.  For star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead.  What is sown in corruption, shall rise in incorruption.  What is sown in dishonor, shall rise in glory.  What is sown in weakness, shall rise in power.    What is sown a natural body, shall rise a spiritual body.”

In this brief passage, notice two things: one, there is a hierarchy among saints in heaven; two, the bodies of the saints will change in four ways.

“As star differs from star, so is the resurrection of the dead.”  There is a hierarchy in heaven among creatures. Ranking of saints is in proportion to the grace they have earned from God.  The more grace, the more glory, and a higher place at the eternal banquet.  “He (Christ) will render to everyone according to his works.” (Mt 16:27); “the vision of God is according to merit” (Florence, 1434).  Said again: there is no equality in heaven; there is no affirmative action program in the celestial sphere.  This is most evident in the fact that the Blessed Virgin is superior even to the highest angel in heaven while that angel surpasses any other material creature.

Opposed to this doctrine, some Christians, however, believe that everyone is equal in heaven.  Luther taught as Christ externally  imputes His grace, so all receive an equal measure. And so many Christians say, “Mary was a holy woman, but not greater than other holy women; yes, she bore the Christ Child but God could have chosen any holy woman for that task!”  But such wrong  thinking does injury to what God did do.  Besides this, God does man no injustice by favoring some of His creatures over others.  Thus those who play a more important role deserve a higher reward, as those do who fight more bravely in overcoming an adversary, than those who do neither.  In the measure that we strive to know, love, and serve God while in this valley of tears, so shall the just man merit a proportionate crown at the end of his life.
 Besides different degrees of glory, the risen bodies of saints shall have four qualities: impassibility, brightness, agility, and subtilty. 

“What is sown in corruption, shall rise in incorruption.”  This refers to ‘impassiblity’ of the resurrected body of the just.  Impassible means ‘not subject to pain.’  The risen body of the just will not suffer. “Neither mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow shall be anymore; for the former things are passed away.” (Rv 21:4)

“What is sown in dishonor, shall rise in glory.”  This refers to the ‘brightness’ of the risen body of the just.  Brightness means ‘radiant.’  The risen body will shine like the sun with a brilliancy in proportion to the grace obtained from God.  “The just shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt 13:43) 

“What is sown in weakness, shall rise in power.”  This refers to ‘agility’ of the risen body of the just.  Agility means ‘with ease and quickness.’  The risen body shall be finally free of material constraints; the body will move about by the simple use of the will.   “I will to be in Montana”; and just as soon, I am there.  St. Augustine tells us the soul can go anywhere by this mode.  “The just shall shine and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds.” (Wis. 3:7)
 
“What is sown in a natural body, shall rise in a spiritual one.”  This refers to ‘subtilty’ of the risen body of the just.  The resurrected body of the just shall finally be under the total control of the soul.  No longer will the just man experience any inordinate movement in the body.

In his catechism, St. Thomas Aquinas mentions the bodies of the damned shall rise with qualities directly opposed to the just.  These are: ‘passibility’- although incorruptible, the bodies of the damned will be subject to pain which they shall experience in proportion to their sins.  “Their worm shall not die, nor shall their fire be quenched.”  (Is. 66:24); ‘darkness’- they shall have no glow of God’s grace within. “Their countenances shall be as a face burnt.” (Is. 13:8); ‘heaviness’- they shall be as if chained down, “bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with manacles of iron.” (Ps. 149:8); ‘carnality’- their body shall rule their soul. “The beasts have rotted in their dung.” (Joel 1:17).

These are a few doctrines regarding the eleventh article of the Apostle’s Creed.

“Behold I tell you a mystery: We shall all indeed rise again, but we shall not all be changed.” (Cor. 15:51)  Good and bad will rise together at the last judgement; but only the bodies of the just will receive a body that is changed in glory.

St Catherine once had a vision of a soul in sanctifying grace.  Its shining brightness was so beautiful she could not look at it very long.  She cried out, “If I did not know that there is only one God, I should think this was another God.”  Questioned by her confessor, she told him, “There is nothing in this world comparable with what I have seen.  If you could see a soul in sanctifying grace, you would sacrifice your life a hundred times for its salvation.” Having asked her angel what made the soul so beautiful, he told her “It is the image and likeness of God dwelling in the soul by grace that makes the soul so beautiful.”

By bearing our burdens ~ patiently ~ for the love of God here on earth, so shall we obtain some semblance of this radiance as reward.

May God grant us the grace to live now on earth as always ready to die.  May He grant us grace to see one day our bodies happily changed in glory most wondrous!