Vision of Life to Come

Having a vision of the life to come is not truly possible but believing it is something wonderful is important.  Here is a view expressed by Greatmartyr  Saint Euphemia ( 3rd century AD) to elder Paisios of Mount Athos, († 1994) when she mystically appeared to him in his cell to answer his prayers.

There was a third knock and the Elder felt someone coming inside his cell and walking through the corridor. He went to the door and there he saw St. Euphemia, who had miraculously entered his cell through the locked door and was venerating the icon of the Holy Trinity, which the Elder had placed on the wall of his corridor, on the right hand side of the church’s door.

Then the Elder told the saint: "Say: Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

St. Euphemia clearly repeated those words and immediately Father Paisios knelt and venerated the saint.

Afterwards, they sat and talked for quite a while; he could not specify for how long, as he had lost all sense of time while being with St. Ephemia. She gave the solution for all three matters he had been praying for and in the end he said to her:  "I would like you to tell me how you endured your martyrdom."

The saint replied: "Father, if I knew back then how eternal life would be and the heavenly beauty the souls enjoy by being next to God, I honestly would have asked for my martyrdom to last for ever, as it was absolutely nothing compared to the gifts of grace of God!"   (taken from: http://www.pigizois.net/agglika/paisios/11.htm) 

So often we only think of the wonders of this world.  But what greater wonder do we have in store for us when we enter the next world, where we are close to God for eternity. This is our aim to perfect ourselves so we too can be blessed with God's grace to be with God in heaven.  Thank you Saint Euphemia for this reminder.