Life Everlasting
ShareIn commenting on the judgment, we spoke of Purgatory and Hell. Now we consider Heaven. The Second Epistle of Peter 1:4 says by grace we are "sharers in the divine nature." We learn from John 1:1 that the Father speaks a Word. It is not a vibration in the air, but it is substantial, it is the Second Divine Person, coming from the Father by as it were an infinite stream of knowledge. Between Father and Son arises love, which again is substantial, is the Third Person, the Holy Spirit, coming forth by a stream of infinite love. Only a being that is part divine could as it were plug into these infinite streams. Grace in this life gives us the basic ability to do that.
As we saw in speaking of hell, death breaks the bond between our spiritual intellect and the material brain. Then the lights go on, and one knows God greatly even without seeing Him. The soul, if properly purified, and if all debts to the objective order are paid, will finally reach that vision, that seeing of God. We are all finite, limited receptacles, trying to take in the Infinite. In this life our capacity for that can grow indefinitely, with increases of sanctifying grace. In heaven, whatever capacity the soul has will be completely filled, fully satisfied. Since the vision is infinite, it can never become dull. Further, St. Augustine says (City of God 10:7) that the angels participate in God's eternity. Eternity for God is timeless. Things do not just go on and on, He takes in everything in one view, as it were. Similarly the soul in that vision does not just go on and on: it simply is unbelievably fulfilled, happy, satisfied. St. Augustine said well (Confessions 1:1): "You have made us for yourself, and restless are our hearts until they rest in you."
When the glorified body at the resurrection is joined to the soul, it too will share in its own way in the reward the person has earned. It will be as we said, on the pattern of the glorified body of Christ.
The Blessed too will be united with others there, especially those close and dear to them in this life. Thus, as a secondary source of blessedness they will have eternal fellowship with Our Lady and all the saints.
Taken from The Basic Catholic Catechism
PART FIVE: The Apostles' Creed IX - XII
Twelfth Article of the Creed: "And life everlasting. Amen."
By William G. Most. (c)Copyright 1990 by William G. Most
Related Q and A
186. Who are rewarded in heaven?
Those are rewarded in heaven who have died in the state of grace and have been purified in purgatory, if necessary, from all venial sin and all debt of temporal punishment; they see God face to face and share forever in His glory and happiness.
(a) The happiness of heaven consists in the beatific vision and the consequent joy of the blessed. This happiness is not postponed to the end of the world but begins as soon as all venial sin and the temporal punishment for sin have been remitted.
(b) The body participates in this happiness only after the resurrection at the end of the world.
(c) The blessed rejoice in the company of Our Saviour, the Blessed Virgin Mary, all the angels and saints, and the friends they knew on earth who have attained the reward of eternal life.
(d) There is no sorrow or pain in heaven; the joy is complete, though unequal, throughout an eternity.
The Baltimore Catechism, no. 3, Lesson 14
