There is frustratingly little description of Heaven in Catholic literature.97 St. Henry Suso was privileged with one such vision. Christ himself was his guide saying,
“Look up to Heaven where you belong. On earth you
are a stranger, and a homeless pilgrim. And just as a pilgrim quickly returns to his homeland, where his dear friends are waiting in longing, so should you also hurry to return to your homeland where people intensely long for your presence.98 They will greet you lovingly, and unite you to their happy company forever. And if you knew how 97 The NDE (near death experience) light tunnel is now part of common culture, and many NDE patients are also shown Heaven, Hell or Purgatory.
NDE’s exist as private revelations according to The Catholic Church, and may be evaluated and approved in the same manner as a private vision of a saint or a Marian apparition. The largest collection of NDE’s is available at www.nderf.org. The author examines NDE’s according to Catholic theology in his book, “A Catholic Understanding of the Near Death Experience.”
98 This sentence is a remnant of Christ’s original plan of proactive divinization of humanity. What we now know as salvation is really God’s original plan for communion, but now with the obstacle of sin to be overcome. The original plan was not to rescue man from Hell, but to cultivate his life into full union with God. We do not wait for Heaven, but work now toward our intended divine fulfillment, (Ws 4:13-14).
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they want you to struggle bravely in suffering and conduct yourself with valor in all the adversity that they have overcome, all your suffering would be more endurable.”
“The more bitterly you have suffered, the more
worthily you will be received. How wonderful the honor feels, how joy races through heart and spirit when a soul receives honor, praise and glory from me in the sight of my Father and all the Heavenly hosts because it suffered so much on earth in its time of struggle.”
“Look there, above the ninth heaven, there is another
heaven. This is the glorious court where the Heavenly host dwells. There, surrounded by ineffable splendor stand the eternal thrones from which the evil spirits were cast down and which now belong to the elect. Look how it glitters with hammered gold, how it glows with precious pearls, and is adorned with jewels and translucent crystal, alive with the sparkle of red roses and white lilies. Now look at the beautiful celestial fields, here is the valley of true joy.”
“Here one sees lovers’ glances dart joyfully back and
forth. Here are the strains of harps and violins; singing, dancing, and constant joy. Here all wishes are fulfilled, joy without sorrow and complete certainty that it will continue forever.”
“Move quietly forward and see how the sweet Queen
of Heaven hovers above the entire heavenly host. Look how her wondrous beauty gives delight and joy to all. See how the Mother of Mercy has her eyes turned kindly toward you and all sinners, and how she powerfully protects them and reconciles them to her beloved child the Christ.”
“Now turn with the eyes of pure intellect and see also how the exalted Seraphim and the loving souls of this choir of angels flame up ardently toward me continually. How the bright Cherubim move in and out of my eternal light; 125
look at the trinity of the second hierarchy, the Dominions, Virtues and Powers, how they in turn bring about the wonderful eternal order in the natural universe. See how the angelic spirits carry forth my messages and announcements. What a wondrous sight!”
This entire description of Heaven occurs within the very person of Jesus Christ, within his divine nature as the Trinitarian Son of God. Christ speaks of his own person as our resurrection (Jn 11:25), and so he is. It is then no surprise that the very person of Christ is our Heaven also, (CCC 260, 460, 1026; Mt 4:17, John 14:6). Heaven is an individual’s spiritual union with God, as the body of Christ. The resurrection is this union extended to the body.
Those fully divinized (Jesus, citizens of Heaven, angels, thrones, dominions, (Col 1:16)), give positive mediation only.
Those in Heaven can have no contact with sin or suffering, and make positive acts of virtue and prayer rather than remediation of sin into virtue. The continuing remediation of sin into virtue is the task of the ongoing Jesus Christ on earth, that’s us.
While the divinized human nature of Jesus may no longer
contact sin, his sacrifice in the Eucharist on earth does have a timeless quality, and is still efficacious even today.
Those in Purgatory give evidence that they may pray and
perhaps make good action according to their current state, but they may not gain in virtue or sin. Their efforts do have an effect on our world however, and many saints have called on them. Out of justice, they suffer in part their sins committed, and willingly so rather than propagate them on earth.
The Heavenly wedding feast that Christ speaks of is our full divine union, we shall participate in the divine nature of Christ, 126
(2Pet 1:4). This divine union as the fullness of Christ cannot occur until we are free of all traces of sin and self. We cannot
become Christ if we remain self. From 1John 3:2-3 we read,
“…we shall be like Him [God], for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope purifies himself, just as He [God]
is pure.”
“He died?……Maybe he died and he went to
Heaven.……It’s a little morbid……Well, Heaven’s a
little morbid; how do you get to Heaven, something
terrible has to happen.” From the television series
Mad Men season 6, episode 2.
This quote summarizes the understanding, or at least the statements of most religions. If one digs deep enough into the Catholic faith, one will find another truth…that Heaven, who is the very person of Jesus Christ, may be attained in this life.