Thursday, August 20, 2020 –
Heaven. How does one even begin to describe the magnificence that is HEAVEN? How does one even remotely understand the eternal glory and unending joy of being face-to-face with our Creator for all eternity?
Well, here is what the Catechism says about Heaven (Spoiler Alert: even the Catechism admits heaven is “beyond all understanding and description”):
1023 Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they “see him as he is,” face to face…
1024 This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity – this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed – is called “heaven.” Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.
1025 To live in heaven is “to be with Christ.” The elect live “in Christ,” but they retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own name…
1026 By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has “opened” heaven to us. The life of the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who have believed in him and remained faithful to his will. Heaven is the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.
1027 This mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond all understanding and description. Scripture speaks of it in images: life, light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father’s house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise: “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.”
1028 Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself opens up his mystery to man’s immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for it. The Church calls this contemplation of God in his heavenly glory “the beatific vision”…
1029 In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God’s will in relation to other men and to all creation. Already they reign with Christ; with him “they shall reign for ever and ever.”
Right. Okay. So…um…HEAVEN. Let’s try to bullet point this as best we can:
- Heaven is forever
- Heaven is beyond all understanding (sort of like a “you had to be there” kind of thing)
- Because of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, the gates of heaven were opened to us….
- ….BUT we still need to know Him, love Him, and do His will (repent of our sins!)
- It is the eternal reward for those who die in God’s grace and perfectly purified AND those who die in God’s grace, but need a little more time being purified (AKA purgatory)
- Heaven is perfection; the perfect life with God
- It is the ultimate happiness
- We are with Christ and in Christ, but also find our “true identity” (AKA the knowledge of creation is made manifest to us)
- We are face-to-face with God in all His splendor, which we call the “Beatific Vision”
- God gives each of us in heaven the capacity we need to completely and wonderfully contemplate Him
While trying to adequately explain the awesomeness of heaven is not the easiest thing in all of creation, trust me! It is definitely where you want to end up after death. Christ did His part in dying for our sins. You need to do your part to care for your immortal soul. Go to Confession!
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us.
