We were created for one purpose: to get
to heaven! St. Ignatius in Principle and
Foundation expresses this with utter clarity: Man is created to praise God,
reverence God, serve God and for the salvation of his soul---another way for
saying to get to heaven…. The classical
catechetical text reiterates it in almost the same way: “We are created to know
God, love God, and serve God in this life so as to be with Him forever in
Heaven.” To motivate us on our Highway
to heaven, below are ten wonderful things that we can expect once we get to
heaven and indeed we should long and yearn for heaven. “As the deer yearns for
the running waters, so my soul yearns for you, O Lord my God.” May our yearning for God become a reality in
being welcomed by Jesus one day in Heaven!
Even the most vivid imagination still cannot comprehend and penetrate
the extraordinary greatness of what awaits us in heaven. St. Paul reminds
us: “What
eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human
heart, what God has prepared for those who love him.”(I Cor. 2: 9)
Ten extraordinary Blessings of Heaven
ABSENCE
OF SUFFERING. While on earth it is a
time of constant struggle, unexpected pain and suffering, filled with
insecurities. In Heaven there will be none of the above. The suffering that we willingly accepted
from God in reparation for our many sins will be a jewel in our crown of glory.
St. Paul reminds us: “The sufferings of the present time are nothing in
comparison for the glory that awaits the sons and daughters of God.
ABSOLUTE PEACE. In the present state of affairs, across the
world, we always encounter wars, starting with Cain who killed Abel. Our Lady
of Fatima said that the reason for the World wars and the wars in general is sin
and that if people did not stop sinning then a worse world war would breakout which
happened--- the Second World War. St. Augustine
defines peace as “The Tranquility of order.”
In Heaven order is total and peace universal! SHALOM! PEACE BE WITH YOU!
UNALTERABLE JOY! In this “Valley of tears” (The Hail Holy
Queen) our emotional state can be compared to a roller coaster, for many
today! One day our joy has no limits; we
have reached the top of the Roller Coaster; the following day is a “Downer” in
which a cloud of desolation seems to almost totally blind us. Not so in heaven.
In heaven the joy will be complete.
Jesus said that He will come to us and our joy will be complete! JESUS is the reason for that joy--- We will
always be with Him!
PERMANENT LIGHT! Judas left Jesus that first Holy Thursday
night and entered into the profound darkness of the night--- a very clear
symbol of sin! Sin is leaving Jesus and entering
into the thickets of darkness! In Heaven
the face of Jesus will shine on us at all times and we will not have any need
for lamps our lights because the face God Himself will be our Light never to
fade, dim, or extinguish! Jesus is the “Light of the World “who will be our
light in Heaven for all eternity! Lord, while
I still have life, cast out any darkness that might be lurking in the inner
recesses of my soul!
NO SICKNESSES. Not only will we be free
from any forms of suffering, but related to this, we will experience no forms
of sickness--- neither emotional, physical, moral, spiritual, social,
psychological--- the whole gamut—no sicknesses at all. As a result of Original Sin one of the consequences
is the debilitating effect of the body resulting in sicknesses. No longer in
heaven! All the doctors will be out of
business!
SAINTS.
The Saints will be our best friends and for all eternity. Even the best
of human relationships in this limited world in which we live are subject to
unfaithfulness and often failure. Not so
in heaven! All of the saints will be our
friends and forever. These are the “Masterpieces of the Holy Spirit.” (Blessed
Pope John XXIII). Joyful, dynamic,
strong, intelligent, affective, interested and interesting, charismatic—all of
these words describe to a limited to degree all of the saints. They will be your best friends and you will
be theirs. Your dialogue in friendship
with them can be at any time, any length and with total openness! You can enter in dialogue with one of them,
two of the saints, or with many at the same time! How we should yearn to go to heaven to be
with these best of friends!
ANGELS.
If that were not sufficient to have so many best of friends in the
saints, there is still more--- THE ANGELS!
The angels are superior to saints in the power of their intellect as
well as the intensity of their will. Like the saints, the angels will be your
companions and friends for all eternity. St. Thomas Aquinas divided them into
ranks called choirs: Seraphim, Cherubim, virtues, dominations, powers,
archangels and angels. There are myriad upon myriads of angels and each is a
species unto himself! While on earth our
Guardian Angel is constantly on the watch to protect us from the countless
enemies and circumstances that could trip and trick us into sin. In heaven, no
more! Our Guardian Angel and Angels---
like the multitude of saints—will be our best of friends!
THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. “Hail Holy Queen, mother of Mercy our life
our sweetness and our hope…” In Heaven
we will no longer be in this valley of tears….
The clouds of sadness and despair all coming from sin will be gone. Many of the greatest artists in the world have
tried to paint the majesty, greatness and the beauty of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, but have fallen far short! An
artist painted a strikingly beautiful image of Our Lady of Lourdes and it was
presented to the “seer”—St. Bernadette. Despite the remarkable beauty of the
painting, St. Bernadette could only respond within air of sadness, “No, she is
much more beautiful, much more beautiful, much more beautiful…. No artist in the world—even the
greatest—could not, cannot nor ever will be able—to paint the glorious majesty
and beauty of Mary the Mother of God.
For that reason Saint John Berhcmans, S.J. Stated:
“I want to keep my eyes pure in this world so as to contemplate with
ever greater clarity the beauty of the face of Mary in heaven.” In heaven Mary will be our joy, our hope, and
our Mother for all eternity!
JESUS OUR ELDER BROTHER AND BEST FRIEND. Of even greater magnitude will be the
Presence of JESUS. While one earth, in this constant battle ground, sad to say,
we can lose the Friendship of Jesus due to committing mortal sin. Having crossed the finish line, having
slid “safe” into home-plate, having been
awarded the “Gold-medal” of grace, Jesus will be our Friend, Companion, Lord,
God and Savior as well as our King for all eternity! All of our deepest yearnings and longings
will be fulfilled in the Person and Presence of Jesus the Lord.
THE BLESSED TRINITY.
Loneliness, isolation, separation, abandonment--- all of these painful
realities are non-existent in heaven. Heaven is family! The saints, the angels,
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Jesus, but still more…. The nature of God Himself is
family; that is the most Blessed Trinity--- the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. God will be our loving Father for all eternity; The Son (Jesus) will be
our elder Brother forever; the Holy Spirit will be our intimate Friend
eternally. We will love them and they
will love us and we will be absorbed in this endless bond of love.