Does God use you to help people? Can that happen because someone asked for your help? (Yes, and yes.). So can God use an angel when we ask the angel for help? Hmmm. Unless you really don’t believe God used anyone, but then explain all of Christian history.
I’m familiar with this apparent discrepancy. We understand the Bible to mean that marriage, as in consummate marriage, will no longer exist in marriage, but we don’t believe that the uniqueness of the blessing of a lifetime of marriage will somehow dissipate in the heavenly kingdom. The bond is understood to be eternal. (as is, to some extent, regrettably, all conjugal bonding). There’s a great priestmonk in Australia with many excellent talks online. I listen to him at www.orthodoxtalks.com. Free downloads and all that. Very encouraging material for any hard struggle. His name is Fr. Kosmos.
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition we have the sacrament of confession and absolution which actually, spiritually, on the level of your damaged soul, gives you a fresh start. Add to that some extra prayers and prostrations, which actually fight the flesh, and you’re well on your way. Transformation is real in Holy Orthodoxy.
Christ is Risen! Truly He is risen!
The beginning is about how some really big rats are lurking everywhere and the US is full of the biggest. She’s holding a rat in her arms. Cute.