Life in Heaven?

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toknowservelove

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What will heaven be like? What does scripture say? What have the saints had to say about heaven? What did the early church fathers believe about heaven? Does anyone know any good theological or apologetic books about heaven in particular? I’m not really talking about defending the idea or defending the idea of purgatory, hell or judgement. I’m just wondering what it will be like?
Thanks in advance.
 
toknowservelove said:
What will heaven be like? What does scripture say? What have the saints had to say about heaven? What did the early church fathers believe about heaven? Does anyone know any good theological or apologetic books about heaven in particular? I’m not really talking about defending the idea or defending the idea of purgatory, hell or judgement. I’m just wondering what it will be like?
Thanks in advance.
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"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Cor 2:9
**
“In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he, that sitteth on the throne, shall dwell over them.” Rev 7:15

“Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven.” - Pope St. Pius X**

Although the Bible discusses heaven, it is not possible to understand the full nature of heaven from a human perspective. Since heaven is where God lives, it must contain more physical and temporal dimensions than those found in this physical universe that God created. We cannot imagine, nor can we experience in our current bodies, what these extra dimensions might be like. NOONE can describe the kingdom of Heaven, nor it’s joys. In Heaven you will see God as he is, and you will forever dwell with him, and love him. You how they say ‘no two snowflakes are alike’? Well in the Kingdom of God, no to angels will be the same, no to people in Heaven will be the same. I just can’t explain it in words. You must actually be there to know. I hope to see you there one day.

With love, Christian:heart:
 
I really don’t have any sources to recommend - but I think in our lives God sometimes gives us little tastes of heaven. (little tastes like less than .001% of the joy of heaven, but still :p). As I imagine heaven, it is like that feeling when you have just made a really good confession, an you walk out dazed and floating on air and as if you’re drowning in the ocean of love of God and of His Mercy. Or like the feeling when you receive the Eucharist and are shaking from awareness of God’s presence and love. Or when you are kneeling in adoration or in front of the Tabernacle and you bow down your head and almost cannot look up at Him. OR when you have a little light of inspiration about God’s love for us, such as after reading an argument about how a creator exists, and you realize that you know Him and that He loves us so profoundly that verbum caro factus est et habitavit in nobis 👍. OR :rolleyes: those moments when you walk into a church and want to just fall down on your knees in front of the Tabernacle!

Ok, I know I rambled, but really all we have to do is think to those times when we felt a deep, deep love for God, or had an insight into just how much He loves us. Heaven will be infinitely better than that! It’s almost silly that we ask if we’ll recognize our loved ones in heaven, because the way I see it, we’ll know and love everybody there, and all of us together will only have eyes for God 🙂
 
The reason I am asking is because my Mom has alzheimers, but is still pretty lucid. She has been thinking a lot about death. My dad died a few years ago and she really misses him. She’s worried he won’t know her.

I realize we can’t know what heaven is like because nothing on earth compares to it. But, that doesn’t mean we don’t have anything to say about it. That would be like saying, well, we can’t say anything about God or know anything about Him because He’s just too different from us. God has revealed some things about heaven in Scripture and to saints. I’m just looking for some more resources to get my own mind straight on the subject.

The CCC doesn’t say too much, except that Heaven is union with God. There is also a beautiful quote from St Ignatius.

I was just hoping I might get more info, because I now find the subject quite fascinating. I’m certain there must be some good theologians who have expounded on what heaven might be like…
 
From the Sermons of Saint Alphonsus:
  1. According to the Apostle, no man on this earth, can comprehend the infinite blessings which God has prepared for the souls that love him. " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Cor. ii. 9.) In this life we cannot have an idea of any other pleasures than those which we enjoy by means of the senses. Perhaps we imagine that the beauty of heaven resembles that of a wide ex tended plain covered with the verdure of spring, interspersed with trees in full bloom, and abounding in birds fluttering about and singing on every side ; or, that it is like the beauty of a garden full of fruits and flowers, and surrounded by fountains in continual play. " Oh ! what a Paradise," to behold such a plain, or such a garden ! But, oh ! how much greater are the beauties of heaven ! Speaking of Paradise, St. Bernard says : O man, if you wish to understand the blessings of heaven, know that in that happy country there is nothing which can be disagreeable, and everything that you can desire. " Nihil est quod nolis, totum est quod velis." Although there are some things here below which are agreeable to the senses, how many more are there which only torment us ? If the light of day is pleasant, the darkness of night is disagreeable: if the spring and the autumn are cheering, the cold of winter and the heat of summer are painful. In addition, we have to endure the pains of sickness, the persecution of men, and the inconveniences of poverty ; we must sub mit to interior troubles, to fears, to temptations of the devil, doubts of conscience, and to the uncertainty of eternal salvation.
  2. But, after entering into Paradise, the blest shall have no more sorrows. " God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." The Lord shall dry up the tears which they have shed in this life. " And death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow, shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat on the throne, said : " Behold, I make all things new." (Apoc. xxi. 4, 5.) In Paradise, death and the fear of death are no more : in that place of bliss there are no sorrows, no infirmities, no poverty, no inconveniencies, no vicissitudes of day or night, of cold or of heat. In that kingdom there is a continual day, always serene, a continual spring, always blooming. In Paradise there are no persecutions, no envy ; for all love each other with tenderness, and each rejoices at the happiness of the others, as if it were his own. There is no more fear of eternal perdition ; for the soul confirmed in grace can neither sin nor lose God.
  3. " Totum est quod velis." In heaven you have all you can
    desire. " Behold, I make all things new." There everything is new ; new beauties, new delights, new joys. There all our desires shall be satisfied. The sight shall be satiated with beholding the beauty of that city. How delightful to behold a city in which the streets should be of crystal, the houses of silver, the windows of gold, and all adorned with the most beau tiful flowers. But, oh ! how much more beautiful shall be the city of Paradise ! the beauty of the place shall be heightened by the beauty of the inhabitants, who are all clothed in royal robes ; for, according to St. Augustine, they are all kings. " Quot cives, tot reges." How delighted to behold Mary, the queen of heaven, who shall appear more beautiful than all the other citizens of Paradise ! But, what it must be to behold the beauty of Jesus Christ ! St. Teresa once saw one of the hands of Jesus Christ, and was struck with astonishment at the sight of such beauty. The smell shall be satiated with odours, but with the odours of Paradise. The hearing shall be satiated with the harmony of the celestial choirs. St. Francis once heard for a moment an angel playing on a violin, and he almost died through joy. How delightful must it be to hear the saints and angels sing ing the divine praises ! “They shall praise thee for ever and ever.” (Ps. Ixxxiii. 5.) What must it be to hear Mary praising God ! St. Francis de Sales says, that, as the singing of the nightingale in the wood surpasses that of all other birds, so the voice of Mary is far superior to that of all the other saints. In a word, there are in Paradise all the delights which man can desire.
  4. But the delights of which we have spoken are the least of the blessings of Paradise. The glory of heaven consists in seeing and loving God face to face. " Totum quod expectamus," says St. Augustine, " duaa syllabas sunt, Deus." The reward which God promises to us does not consist altogether in the beauty, the harmony, and other advantages of the city of Paradise. God himself, whom the saints are allowed to behold, is, accord ing to the promises made to Abraham, the principal reward of the just in heaven. " I am thy reward exceeding great." (Gen. xv. 1.) St. Augustine asserts, that, were God to show his face to the damned, " Hell would be instantly changed into a Paradise of delights." (Lib. de trip, habit., torn. 9.) And he adds that, were a departed soul allowed the choice of seeing God and suffering the pains of hell, or of being freed from these pains and deprived of the sight of God, " she would prefer to see God, and to endure these torments."
vanitasvanitatum94.blogspot.com/2009/11/heaven.html
 
If you are into some heavy reading, here are a couple of good books.

From Glory to Glory: Texts from Gregory of Nyssa’s Mystical Writings

On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ: Selected Writings from St. Maximus the Confessor

St Gregory speaks of the “Divine Darkness”, It describes beginning to approach that which is unknowable.

St. Maximus describes an “infinite” journey back to God that never ends. A constant state of moving towards the infinite.

Like I said, I thought they were “heavy” reads, but fascinating none the less.
 
Thanks, just the kinds of things I was looking for. I am especially interested in what saints and mystics have to say. I’m thinking this may become a life-long study.

On a bit of an aside, I often find when I ask a question, God sends things to me in a myriad of ways. I was looking at a podcast from the eastern dominican friars, and they just posted a talk about heaven…hmmmm. Very interesting.:heaven:
 
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