We are aware that during his ministry, the apostle Paul lived, moved and had his being with one eye looking at the heavens for signs of trumpet-blowing angels in advance of the second coming (the parousia, if you prefer the fancy Greek word). This notion is fairly evident in Sunday’s New Testament reading from 2nd Corinthians. All of this admonishment to the Corinthians about things eternal, temporary and unseen does betray Paul’s expectation that the parousia was imminent.
     The description of the afterlife, “an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure”, is quite poetic. There is marvelous and comforting news in this for us in contemporary time. Our earthly passage is temporary and is a mere prelude to what awaits us in the eternal communion with God.