Eternal Life – What Is It? (Part II)

By Fr. Christopher Foeckler, MJ • St. Josaphat Formation Center, Phoenix, AZ

St. Paul offers us the best clue to the nature of Eternal life in his first letter to the Corinthians (13: 12): “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.” God indeed knows me perfectly from top to toe, from before I was conceived in my mother’s womb, He knows me fully. And I am to know Him fully, St. Paul is saying! How is this possible? Remember what St. John said, “we will be like Him”. The only way to know God fully is to have His knowledge. Now we are beginning to understand the nature of Eternal Life – to be like God and to see Him face to face.

Here is why Baptism is so important: we receive Sanctifying Grace which is a participation in the very life of God. It is also called the “seed of glory”. By it, we begin to share the very life of God who dwells in our souls and begins to transform us with every good act into the image of Christ. “We are now sons and daughters of God, what we will be has not yet been revealed, but when He appears we will be like Him and see Him as He is”. Sanctifying Grace comes to full maturity in the next life and will make us like Christ, as He is, with a complete sharing in His Divine Nature, having His knowledge of God the Father and all that the Father knows fully! Far from being boring or monotonous, Eternal Life will be living forever in God’s eternal Present. It will not be day-to-day or in any way like this world. All the moments of human history will be present to us, all the corners of the universe we know and any that may exist elsewhere will be revealed to us and open to our contemplation and admiration in God. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary, from the moment of her Immaculate Conception, enjoyed the fullness of Sanctifying Grace and throughout her life she never dimmed it, but only increased it with every act of Faith, Hope and Love! It is only right, then, that we celebrate the Assumption of her body and soul into Eternal Life and beg her to “pray for us sinners, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ”!