How does one perfect saint differ from another perfect saint?

[laircy]

I have been wondering. It seems that so much of what defines our “personality” is really just the measure of virtue or vice we have, or our views on the world, or what our interests are (some of which can be bad). Someone may be a nice person, who has the virtue of kindess. Someone else a hot-tempered person, who is prone to the sin of wrath. Someone else a shy person who ideally would learn to come out of their shell. Or someone is quite the hippie-druggy-new age kind of person… But in heaven where all are perfect, what differentiates them anymore? Surely not only one “type” of person is in heaven? What are those legitimate differences that make our personality?

 

[dshix]

I have been wondering. It seems that so much of what defines our “personality” is really just the measure of virtue or vice we have, or our views on the world, or what our interests are (some of which can be bad). Someone may be a nice person, who has the virtue of kindess. Someone else a hot-tempered person, who is prone to the sin of wrath. Someone else a shy person who ideally would learn to come out of their shell. Or someone is quite the hippie-druggy-new age kind of person… But in heaven where all are perfect, what differentiates them anymore? Surely not only one “type” of person is in heaven? What are those legitimate differences that make our personality?

That’s a very interesting question. I think the key point here is that “perfect” does not mean “the same”. One saint can be greater than another saint, having a more clear vision of God, and enjoying a greater reward, but the lesser saint is still perfect. Perfection does not imply that there is not a greater perfection possible. God Himself is infinite perfection, and all of His creatures in Heaven are unquantifiably perfect, but not infinitely perfect.

Also, personality remains, and since every person God created has a different personality in some way (though many may appear very similar here on earth), in Heaven, all of our differences will be beautifully visible and contribute to the greater glory of God.

 

[TK421]

I have been wondering. It seems that so much of what defines our “personality” is really just the measure of virtue or vice we have, or our views on the world, or what our interests are (some of which can be bad). Someone may be a nice person, who has the virtue of kindess. Someone else a hot-tempered person, who is prone to the sin of wrath. Someone else a shy person who ideally would learn to come out of their shell. Or someone is quite the hippie-druggy-new age kind of person… But in heaven where all are perfect, what differentiates them anymore? Surely not only one “type” of person is in heaven? What are those legitimate differences that make our personality?

I think the animal kingdom is actually a good example to draw from. We see whales, crabs, manta rays, sharks, otter, penguins, seals, seagulls, wolves, deer, bears, lions, raccoons, prairie dogs, porcupines, foxes, snakes, iguanas, turtles, frogs, salamanders, cats, dogs, eagles, hummingbirds, and so the list goes on. They all have different personalities and attributes which make them part of the cosmos of creation, and reflect some unique facet of the infinite beauty of God. A wolf shows ferocity. A penguin shows endurance. A snake shows shrewdness. An eagle shows splendor. A hummingbird shows swiftness. All of these earthly creatures of God are signs of divine truths.

If we were to pretend these creatures all possessed rational souls as human beings do, a penguin would strive towards holiness, and a turtle would strive towards holiness, and an eagle would strive towards holiness, and this holiness would all be recognizable by each of them, and yet in “becoming perfect” an eagle would not cease to be an eagle, but rather, would become a more perfect version of itself.

 

[HelenRose]

I have been wondering. It seems that so much of what defines our “personality” is really just the measure of virtue or vice we have, or our views on the world, or what our interests are (some of which can be bad). Someone may be a nice person, who has the virtue of kindess. Someone else a hot-tempered person, who is prone to the sin of wrath. Someone else a shy person who ideally would learn to come out of their shell. Or someone is quite the hippie-druggy-new age kind of person… But in heaven where all are perfect, what differentiates them anymore? Surely not only one “type” of person is in heaven? What are those legitimate differences that make our personality?

What differentiates a rose from a lily.
A sunset from a sunrise.
The beauty of a star and the beauty of the moon.

A snow covered mountain
and the roar of the ocean waves.

The personalities of each human being and the beauty of each soul will be unimaginably more wonderful than we have any way of imagining here on Earth.

 

[PietroPaolo]

I have been wondering. It seems that so much of what defines our “personality” is really just the measure of virtue or vice we have, or our views on the world, or what our interests are (some of which can be bad). Someone may be a nice person, who has the virtue of kindess. Someone else a hot-tempered person, who is prone to the sin of wrath. Someone else a shy person who ideally would learn to come out of their shell. Or someone is quite the hippie-druggy-new age kind of person… But in heaven where all are perfect, what differentiates them anymore? Surely not only one “type” of person is in heaven? What are those legitimate differences that make our personality?

If you read biographies of the saints you’ll see they constitute the most diverse group in human history. Scholarly saints like Thomas Aquinas, cloistered saints like Therese of Lisiuex, saints of great poverty like Francis of Assisi, saints who were wealthy like Louis X of France, child saints, old saints, male saints, female saints. Saints that were great warriors like Joan of Arc, saints who suffered silently like so many martyrs. You’ll find saints from all nations, all cultures, and all times. It is sin that is boring, that is depersonalizing. Sin makes us all drab, all the same. In Hell, everyone will be the same - self-absorbed and hate-filled. In Heaven, each of us will be perfect, but will be perfectly us - unique and entire. It’s a beautiful mystery, but, again, the best way at it is simply to get to know the saints, they couldn’t be more different.