“We fear eternal life because we don’t know what it’s like. But those who have experienced it have an irresistible longing in their soul to go there… The righteous are bathed in the ABUNDANT LIGHT of the Holy Trinity! They are not changed in any way. They fully retain their character, they remember everything from this life, and they care for us… There, they have other kinds of knowledge. They know countless things, but only God is truly all-wise. To go there, we must be crucified here… We must die to sin. Earthly pleasures bring pain — this is inevitable. But the pains of repentance and asceticism bring spiritual delights — paradise in the soul, even in this life. And this continues endlessly in the next life… You see them — rejoicing, joking, conversing, exchanging ideas — just like here, only without malice, hatred, or ego. Love reigns there.
When we pray for the departed, when we give hidden alms and perform the proper memorial services, we significantly improve their condition…
They depend on us, because after death, no one can help themselves. The living must go before them. While we are still alive, through repentance and struggle, we grow spiritually. They… are waiting for us. When someone rejoices in the Kingdom of God and sees great sorrow on earth for their sake, they keep a distance — that disturbs the peace of their soul. Like a joyful bride on her wedding day, saddened when she sees her mother mourning her loss… The calmer the souls of the sorrowful become, and the more they are consoled, the closer these souls can come to one another.”
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