Thank you! I wanted to know if the priest was the real thing or not-and he certainly proved himself to be IMO. I think its possible that he may even have been given a preview "glimpse " of the vision he spoke of. In any case good stuff.“This vision of God is an intellectual act by which the soul is filled to overflowing with an intuitive knowledge of God; a knowledge so perfect and complete that all the knowledge of Him attainable, in this world, by prayer and study, is like the feeble glimmer of the lamp compared to the dazzling splendor of the noonday sun.”
“In explaining this partaking of the divine nature in heaven, theologians make use of a very apt comparison. If, say they, you thrust a piece of iron into the fire, it soon loses its dark color, and becomes red and hot, like the fire. It is thus made a partaker of the nature of fire, without, however, losing its own essential iron-nature. This illustrates what takes place in the Beatific Vision in relation to the soul. She is united to God, and penetrated by Him. She becomes bright with His brightness, beautiful with His beauty, pure with His purity, happy with His unutterable happiness, and perfect with His divine perfections. In a word, she has become a partaker of the “divine nature,” while she retains her created nature and personal identity.”
- So, our vision of God is not in the physical sense of seeing him with the eyes, but more like knowing him much more than we ever could in this world.
-So, we do not lose our personality in Heaven, but we become more like God in His attributes.
“Not only shall we thus retain our personality, when united to God in the Beatific Vision, but we shall, moreover, retain all that belongs to the reality of human nature. For, as St. Thomas teaches, “the glory of heaven does not destroy nature; but perfects it.”* Therefore, when Scripture tells us that “we shall be changed,” we must not imagine that we shall be changed into angels, or into some other nature different from the human. The change means a supernatural elevation and perfection of our whole nature, and not its destruction. The transition or change of the child into the man neither changes nor destroys the faculties of his mind nor the senses of his body; neither does it create new powers or faculties which he had not before. His gradual growth into manhood only develops and perfects what the hand of God had placed in his nature on the day of his creation.”
In the chapter called ‘The Life of the Blessed in Heaven’, this part really stuck out to me:
“2. The life of heaven is one of rest. St. John says: “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Write: Blessed are they that die in the Lord. From henceforth now, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors.”* This is one of the most captivating features of heavenly life for the poor, and for all others who labored much in this world. It also gives the most exquisite consolation to those who, on account of peculiar difficulties in the practice of virtue, have been fatigued and wearied almost unto death. Their whole spiritual life was one of continual labor and struggle, which at times so disheartened them, that they felt strongly tempted to give up all further attempt at Christian perfection, and to seek consolation and rest in the pleasures of this world. Oh, how happy they now are! How grateful to God, who gave them the grace of final perseverance! They now enter into their rest, which shall never more be disturbed by toil or struggle. They now live a life of everlasting rest, though not one of inactivity. For, as we have already seen, the life of heaven is not one of inactivity, but one in which every energy of mind and body has its full and free action. As our life in heaven is a participation of the life of God himself, it must resemble that Divine Life, which, while it is ineffable rest, is ever active and operative in the creation, conservation, and government, not only of our own world, but of those millions of other worlds that shine above our heads. Nevertheless, this continual exercise of our manifold faculties in heaven, does not, as in this world, generate fatigue, weariness, or disgust; but is the never-failing source of the highest and most rational pleasure.”
-This part in bold really struck me as interesting, because it reminded me of something that Dr. Peter Kreeft had said in one of his books on Heaven, that God may allow us to co-create with Him. Kreeft says this on pg. 111 in “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven, But Never Dreamed of Asking” - “…our love of artistic creation is both a shadow of the Creator in whose image we are created and a foreshadowing of our creative task to come in Heaven. For our power over nature in Heaven may well extend to co-creating, in union with God…” In other words, does our love of creating, whether in art, music, or writing stories, point to some kind of creative power in Heaven, once our wills have been aligned to the will of God? And according to the words of Fr. Boudreau, just what does this activity exactly consist of? We can only ponder, but will not know anything for certain until we join the ranks of the Blessed (hopefully).
Here is a link that more specifically shed some light on the question of whether Heaven is a spiritual or physical abode. Read the link in the section on Heaven, under ‘On the Nature of Heaven.’ This book was written by a priest probably during the late 17th century, but wasn’t published until 1899. It was also given imprimateur status in same year. Really good read.I’ve been contemplating lately about heaven and whether is it a “spiritual” or physical abode. I read an article here at Catholic Answers which made me think of it even more. In this article the author noted that heaven was beyond our conception, and so if physical was a unlike this physical realm we presently preside in. I tend to lean toward “spiritual” because the thought of a physical abode seems “out of touch” with contemporary science; I parenthesize spiritual for the reason that it’s not relatable, like an apple to a pear. A pear is like an apple but when suggesting a pear is like an apple it really doesn’t do the taste of an apple justice—they aren’t the same.
I’d like to hear your thoughts as to whether heaven is either a spiritual abode or a physical abode. And please if you’re able, use references from scripture, catechism, or the writings of saints when posting.
How can it be s spirtual “state of being” according to Pope JP I’m and Jesus and Mary be there?These important enlightenments come from some of the Wednesday lectures of Bl. John Paul II.
ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2heavn.htm
He admits to an inadequacy that words have in describing heaven, hell and purgatory only to say that it is neither a physical place or an abstraction but more a relationship.How can it be s spirtual “state of being” according to Pope JP I’m and Jesus and Mary be there?
Im sorry for your loss.He admits to an inadequacy that words have in describing heaven, hell and purgatory only to say that it is neither a physical place or an abstraction but more a relationship.
One of the real blessings that we have due to ‘the saint of our times’, Pope JPII, is that he was a true mystic. When we read his writings, we are drawn into his own real experience of communion with God and ‘dwell’ there in a sense and can recognise the essence of particular relationships.
This is what I recognise through StJPIIs words. The different types of relationships that I experience in my life. His relationship with Mary was genuinely one of Mother and son. I feel that too when I look at and contemplate the Pieta. Seeing Mary holding her Sons lifeless body across her lap is heartbreaking. When someone you love dies, the relationship still continues for the rest of your life. It is no longer physical and after a time, it is not emotional. My experience of losing a baby to stillbirth 25 years ago represents this to me somewhat. There is no physical relationship and I’m no longer overwhelmed by emotional feeling… but there is a space in my life for him and always will be. Noone every forgets their baby.
So this seems to me to speak of heaven. That space is technically not measurable in any real way… but it is one of the most real things of my existence. Where StJP quotes the CCC "By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has “opened’ heaven to us.”… To me I sort of understand because losing someone I loved and was part of me, opened to my sense, a ‘space’ where my maternal love for my son, dwells.
When he says that the sacramental life is an anticipation of heaven… that is how I understand those moments. When my relationship with Christ is expressed fraternally or maternally or my relationship with God the Father and Mary is filially real… my obligation to the sacramental life gives way to love. There is a true sense of relational perfection that we can’t know in this life.
That’s how I would explain this life in the spirit to someone. Heaven is not a completely removed distant place. We are already moving to and fro within the relationships of our life and with the living Christ and His holy Mother.
As JPII admits, words are inadequate to explain mystery. The Real Presence in the Eucharist and even the resurrection also defy laws we depend on but dwelling on these realities doesn’t require finding an explanation that conforms to physical laws. Dwelling on mysteries in a trusting way, essentially makes us all mystics to some degree and that is where faith lies.Im sorry for your loss.
If heaven isn’t a physical place then how can Jesus and Mary’s bodies be there?
Just by the number of explanations one can find on the internet, it’s obvious its difficult to put into words but… Jesus and Mary entered Heaven only after they were glorified, and a glorified body is a spiritual body, so is Heaven in a spiritual realm and is that how they were able to be there? jesus could walk through walls and appear and disappear at will so couldnt that be how they were able to enter this spiritual realm?As JPII admits, words are inadequate to explain mystery. The Real Presence in the Eucharist and even the resurrection also defy laws we depend on but dwelling on these realities doesn’t require finding an explanation that conforms to physical laws. Dwelling on mysteries in a trusting way, essentially makes us all mystics to some degree and that is where faith lies.