I Am The Resurrection And The Life

Early this past Wednesday morning our nation breathed a collective sigh of relief as votes were finally tallied and it became clear that the progressive agenda had been rejected on a massive scale.  Depression, anxiety, fear, anger, were all lifted from our shoulders and we experienced something we had almost forgotten existed—not just relief but hope for a better future.  We were all changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”—these words are actually a quotation from St. Paul’s latter epistle to the Corinthians.  Let’s put them in context and then apply them not just to the results of our presidential election, but to our own life and death: “Behold,” says St. Paul, “I shew 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 trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”  Passing over the mention of the word “trump” as merely a coincidence (perhaps…), we see that this sudden and colossal change has to do with our own life, and ultimately our death.  St. Paul is telling us that death is not the end, that when things look their worst and our life seems to be drawing to its close, we should not despair.  Because death is followed by resurrection.  Death represents merely a change in the type of life we live.  For yes, we do continue to live even after we die.  It might seem like a contradiction, but we must see it in the context of our blessed Lord’s own death and the glorious Resurrection that followed.  He showed us by his own example, how death is not the end but merely the portal to an eternity of glory.  He showed us by his own Resurrection that he had conquered death and that death shall be no more.

The feeling of euphoria, relief, and renewed hope for the future that the election of President Trump has given us is nothing compared to what we will experience in the moments after death.  In that moment, we shall rise in spirit from our deathbed, from this life of pain and suffering, from this vale of tears, and in the twinkling of an eye we shall be changed.  The judgment we will instantly receive will (let us pray) open our eyes to the fact that we are no longer subject to the troubles and vicissitudes of this earthly existence, that our fears and feelings of hopelessness exist no longer for us, that we have escaped our mortal coil and will now live for ever in the glorious company of the saints, and in the beatific vision of our blessed Saviour.

The good feelings we are currently experiencing in the aftermath of so much stress and anxiety over the election are a very timely reminder of what we can expect when we die.  While we rejoice this week in our renewed hope for a better future, let’s look also to the big picture of our own lives, realizing that our death, like this week’s election, will also bring us, and on a far greater scale, the perfect happiness that no demon or democrat can ever take away.  Meanwhile, we have been given a reprieve, an opportunity to model our own lives after those of the saints.  Let’s set about now enjoying the peace and tranquillity of a nation that’s once more on the right path, a nation once more under God and at peace within itself.  Let’s use this time to turn our lives into a foretaste of the eternal happiness to come.