Confidence And The Resurrection

Certissima fiducia est Christianorum divinitus promissa resurrectio mortuorum. Hanc enim veritas repromisit; Veritas autem mentiri non potest. Vera est igitur de resurrectione corporum promissio veritas, quia Veritas quae mentiri non novit, totum necesse est impleat quod promisit. Hanc autem resurrectionem corporum, ut futuram certissime noverimus, ipse Dominus nobis in suo corpore dignatus est demonstrare. Resurrexit Christus, ut resurrecturum se non dubitet Christianus. Quod enim praecessit in capite, sequitur in corpore. Nosse autem debemus, dilectissimi fratres, duas esse mortes et duas resurrectiones. Dicitur enim mors prima, dicitur et secunda. Porro primae mortis duae sunt partes: una qua peccatrix anima per culpam descedit a Creatore suo, altera qua, judicante Deo, excluditur per poenam de corpore suo. Mors autem secunda ipsa est mors corporis et animae punitio sempiterna. Per mortem ergo primam, anima boni et mali hominis ad tempus a suo corpore separatur. Per mortem vero secundam, anima solius mali hominis in aeternum cum suo corpore cruciatur. Utraque ergo mors omnem hominem tenebat obstrictum, quia naturae transgressio unumquemque peccati propagine tenebat obnoxium. Venit autem Dei Filius immortalis et justus, et ut moreretur pro nobis, carnem mortalem suscepit ex nobis. In qua carne, quia nullum potuit habere peccatum, sine reatu pertulit peccati supplicium. Secundam itaque primae mortis partem, id est solius corporis mortem, Dei Filius pro nobis accepit, per quam a nobis et dominationem peccati, et poenam aeternae punitionis abstersit. Hoc ergo Christus nunc in mundo misericorditer operatur, his quos ad bene vivendum hortatur, donans fidem ut recte credant, tribuens charitatem ut bonis operibus libenter insistant. In novissimo vero die, ad hoc eos corpore resuscitare dignabitur, ut eis aeternam beatitudinem largiatur. Resuscitati ergo in anima per fidem, dilectissimi fratres, cum justitia vivamus, ut etiam corpore ad aeternam laetitiam resurgamus. Sentiemus primae resurrectionis munus quod nobis largitus est Christus, ut, cum, resurrexerimus corpore mereamus cum ipso Salvatore sine fine regnare, quando absorbebitur mors in victoriam et dabitur fidelibus vera vita veraque laetitia, cum idem omnipotens Deus pro meritis fideli, atque bonorum operum dabit suis fidelibus regna coelorum. Qui cum Patre et Spiritu sancto vivit et regnat Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Odilo Cluniacensis Abbas, Sermo V, De Resurrectione Domini Source: Migne PL 142. 1004b-1005a

Most certain is the confidence of Christians, Divine is the promise of the resurrection of the dead. For this the truth promised, and the Truth is not able to lie. True, therefore, is the promise of the truth concerning the resurrection of bodies; for because the truth does not know how to lie, completely necessary it is that He fulfill what He promised. Indeed this resurrection of the body, that we might know it most certainly will be in the future, the Lord Himself in his own body condescended to demonstrate. Christ rose, that the Christian not doubt his own resurrection. For what goes before in the head follows in the body. We should know, dear brothers, that there are two deaths and two resurrections. 1 For it is said that there is a first death and a second death. However the first death has two parts, one by which the sinful soul is by fault is cut off from its creator, and the other, when by the judgement of God it is shut out as a punishment from its body. The second death is the death of the body and the soul in eternal punishment. By the first death, then, the soul of the good and of the evil man is for a time separated from its body. By the second death, however, only the soul of the evil man along with his body is tormented in eternity. Both deaths, then, have been imposed on every man because by the transgression of nature all were seized by the propagation of sin. But then came the immortal and righteous Son of God, and that He might die for us He took up our mortal flesh. In which flesh, because He was not able to have sin, without guilt He underwent the punishment for sin. The second part of the first death, that is the death of the body alone, the Son of God accepted for us, by which he washed off from us the domination of sin and eternal punishment. Thus Christ in the world acted mercifully, exhorting men to the good life, giving faith that they might believe rightly, offering love that they freely take to good works. However on the last day He will give eternal blessedness to those who are worthy to be raised in the body. Therefore revived in soul by faith, dear brothers, in righteousness let us live, that even in the body we may rise to eternal joy. Let us know the gift of the first resurrection that Christ has given to us, that when we have risen, we merit in the body to rule without end with our Saviour, when death is swallowed up in victory, 2 when true life and joy is given to the faithful, when the same almighty God for the merits of the faithful, and good works, gives to them the kingdom of heaven. He who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, God forever and ever. Amen. Saint Odo of Cluny, Sermon 5, On The Resurrection of the Lord 1 Apoc 20.6 2 1 Cor 15.54