How can we be happy in Heaven with out loved ones

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Davina200 said:
If my children or family members are not in heaven how could I be happy, knowing they are not there? :confused:
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One way to understand more of the wisdom of how we can be joyful and peaceful in Heaven without loved ones is through consideration of Love.

“Love is patient, is kind.” - 1 Cor 13:4
Since patience gets peace, and kindness gets happiness, we will always experience peace and joy because we are in Heaven, the perfection of patience and kindness (Love).

Here is one way to understand the science of how we can be happy in Heaven without loved ones.
In Heaven people want to follow the rules of love and follow the rules of love.
In Purgatory people want to follow the rules, but make mistakes.
In Hell people want to not follow the rules of love and therefore, do not follow the rules.

If a loved one is in Purgatory, we can be happy without them in Heaven because they are being purified to perfection, and it is only a matter of time before they fulfill the goal of always wanting to follow the rules of love. Since we are in Heaven, the matter of time before they become one with God, is relatively very small.
If a loved one is in Hell, we can be happy without them in Heaven because they are getting what they want.

Here is one other way to reconcile the happiness of Heaven without loved ones.
First, I tell my child, “You should be patient and kind, or you will lose peace and joy.”
Second, I offer my child examples provided by others, “See this person lost patience or wasn’t kind, and therefore lost peace and joy.”
Third, I demonstrate to my child the amazingness of the patience and kindness necessary to experience unbreakable peace with unending joy, “Being patient and kind for God, even in the face of unjust cruelty, to the point of death.”
I have done everything I can possibly do to help my child know the experience of Heaven. The only thing remaining is their choice to want to be patient and kind for eternal happiness, or want to be impatient and unkind without eternal happiness.
If they still want to be impatient and unkind knowing the consequences of disturbance, then even though they will experience distress, depression, boredom, and death, I can be happy knowing I did everything I could for them to know the consequence of sin, and they are getting what they want.

Thank you very much for your time, consideration, and offering such an excellent question to ponder! I look forward to further discussion, and may the peace and joy of living for Christ be with you always!
 
Some very good answers here…

This morning as I was looking at the latest answers, this idea popped into my head…

Taking the title of the thread…ask it this way…

How can God be happy in heaven without loved ones?

God loves us all…He desires that all be saved…yet he knows that all will not be saved…

Does this mean that God cannot be happy (or content or satisfied) in heaven?
Surely we would not say that God is unhappy in heaven…
So what is the difference…what constitutes the happiness.

It must be this.

God is happy because He knows that those who are not there are the ones who chose not to love Him. The ones who ARE there are the ones who DID choose to love Him.

Likewise - we will have the same knowledge as God. The ones who are not with us in heaven are those who have not chosen to love God.

Just a thought.

Peace
James
 
HoneyBea said:
I also wonder about this. I especially worry about never seeing my dogs again…this may sound silly but I can’t help it…it hurts…I can cope with family members because I know I will be reunited with them in heaven but my dogs I’m not so sure.
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My beloved four footed companion of 14 yrs passed away last week as my wife and I held and hugged her. If others feel it is silly that I have wept deep tears of sorrow for my beloved dog - so be it. I have also prayed to the Saints and have asked my daughter and friends in heaven to watch over my pet until I can get there to reunite with them all.

Yes, my friend it hurts to lose the unconditional love that our dogs offer us. Our love is only a small spark of the flame of love that is our loving God.

I also understand the distinction you make with regards to family. We can guide and help each along but each one makes his choice in the end. Our dogs cannot sin and only love us as they were created to do. I trust and love God that His love will include all the sparks of love I knew on earth.
 
I think that, looking at the bigger picture, our basic trust in God always has room for great expansion, without our needing to know exactly where He’s taking us. I appreciate the revelations given to Julian of Norwich, a 14th century believer/visionary whose “shewings” have been embraced by the Church-and quoted in the catechism. During the Black Plague she was burdened by concern over the fate of so many who were dying around her and she sought God for an answer to her questions. He responded by revealing to her, via locution, a profound and simple message that touched her and others deeply without revealing the entire plan. He said, **“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” **We’ll all be completely satisfied, with no room for doubt, that God, who is goodness and justice and love itself, has done the right thing.
 
I have just the opposite question. How can I be happy in heaven when I am surrounded by the people that made me miserable? My only thought is that the love I will experience will transcend the emotion we had on earth.
 
We must not forget that God is all merciful, but perfect justice as well. Those that wish to remain separated from Him, and remain His enemy, He will allow them to make their own choice. God doesn’t force anyone to love Him.

Also remember this, nothing unclean can enter Heaven. For people who have definitively and permanently rejected God, they do NOT want to be in His Presence. God won’t force them to be there. And this is my understanding of hell, that we are MADE to be with Him, and the suffering in hell is that we are completely separated from Him who we were made to be with. But with their final decision to reject God, those in hell would be in even more agony to be in His Presence.
 
markncols said:
I have just the opposite question. How can I be happy in heaven when I am surrounded by the people that made me miserable? My only thought is that the love I will experience will transcend the emotion we had on earth.
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All in Heaven will rejoice over one repentant sinner, including us and those we have forgivn on earth. We had to forgive them or we wouldn’t be in Heaven ourselves. And those we have hurt will rejoice in us, when we get there!. God Bless and Merry Christmas, Memaw
 
Chirst divides family, i am striving to get to heaven and my family is divided over me. My mother actually thinks she is heading to heaven but she isnt “devout” like really into it
 
Davina200 said:
If my children or family members are not in heaven how could I be happy, knowing they are not there? :confused:
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Putting this in present tense, If you knew they were engaging in mortal sin, and the consequence for their soul if they died in mortal sin is hell, how far would you go, this side of eternity, to try and influence them away from their behavior?
 
Firstly- who says we won’t be with our loved ones? We have no idea what heaven will be like. Secondly and more importantly- If you want to be happy in heaven look no further than right in front of you because you’ll be with GOD! What’s not to look foreward to? Keep shining the light and my peace be with you!:blessyou:
 
steve_b said:
Putting this in present tense, If you knew they were engaging in mortal sin, and the consequence for their soul if they died in mortal sin is hell, how far would you go, this side of eternity, to try and influence them away from their behavior?
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You are soooo right, and prayer would be the first start, then daily Mass if possible. I know soooo many Catholics that could go to daily Mass if they really wanted to. Or at least several times a week. Also spending time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Pour your heart out to HIM. Daily Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet. God has given us soo many blessed treasures to choose from. A few weeks ago, I made a Novena to St. Jude and then said a very specific prayer the next day on his Feast Day, and recieved an answer to that prayer within 3 hours!!. And the results are great. Never underestimate the help of our Saints. God Bless and Mary Christmas, Memaw
 
Memaw said:
You are soooo right, and prayer would be the first start, then daily Mass if possible. I know soooo many Catholics that could go to daily Mass if they really wanted to. Or at least several times a week. Also spending time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Pour your heart out to HIM. Daily Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet. God has given us soo many blessed treasures to choose from. A few weeks ago, I made a Novena to St. Jude and then said a very specific prayer the next day on his Feast Day, and recieved an answer to that prayer within 3 hours!!. And the results are great. Never underestimate the help of our Saints. God Bless and Mary Christmas, Memaw
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