Heaven
Heaven is the state of everlasting life and happiness in which we enjoy full communion with God and perfect happiness. We become like God in glory and live in the divine life of the Blessed Trinity. It is the ultimate state of supreme happiness achieved through perfect communion with the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary, the angels, and all the saints. It is considered the fulfillment of humanity's deepest longings, where individuals experience the immediate vision of God and live forever in unceasing love and peace. All souls in Heaven have an immediate vision of God, which is called the Beatific Vision. The Beatific Vision is the core experience of heaven, seeing God "face to face". It is a profound, direct encounter and intellectual knowledge of the Divine that satisfies all human desires.
CCC 1028: “Because of his transcendence, God cannot be seen as he is, unless he himself opens up his mystery to man's immediate contemplation and gives him the capacity for it. The Church calls this contemplation of God in his heavenly glory "the beatific vision”: How great will your glory and happiness be, to be allowed to see God, to be honored with sharing the joy of salvation and eternal light with Christ your Lord and God, ... to delight in the joy of immortality in the Kingdom of heaven with the righteous and God's friends.”
Heaven is principally a state of utter and absolute fulfillment. In the possession of God in the beatific vision the blessed will experience what cannot be put into words; a radical union with God that transcends anything we could envision. And it is precisely because of that radical union with God in Christ, the blessed will also experience a union with the other members of the Body of Christ that transcends our ability to imagine as well.
CCC 1024: “This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called "heaven." Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.”
The Catholic understanding of heaven is deeply rooted in Sacred Scripture. While heaven is a state of being rather than a physical location in the sky, Scripture uses rich imagery—such as the "New Jerusalem" coming down from heaven—to convey the beauty and glory of eternal life with God. Revelation provides a vivid image of paradise, promising that God "will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain." St. John the Evangelist writes of a vision of hope:
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people* and God himself will always be with them [as their God]. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, [for] the old order has passed away.” The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Then he said, “Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true.”
Here, after describing pain and suffering, St. John presents a vision of heavenly Jerusalem, a place where God and man will dwell together again as they did in the Garden of Eden. St John sees God’s original intent for creation. Sin and death have passed away, thanks to the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, replaced with joy, love, and worship. The image of the bridegroom prepared for the wedding feast is the same one that Christ described in his teachings. In the Book of Revelation, this New Jerusalem descends from Heaven after the world has passed away. It is a vision of a new reality after the end of time. And yet the vision makes reference not only to the end of the world but also the beginning of the Christian world.
As a side note, the Book of Revelation reflects the structure of the Liturgy of the Mass. St. John’s vision gives us a glimpse into the heavenly liturgy, the grand and continual worshipping of God by all of creation. The Mass allows us to participate in this heavenly liturgy because it is engaged in the same worship as the liturgy celebrated by the Church on earth. (See The Lamb’s Supper by Scott Hahn)
—Deacon Gerry Flamm
Texts for Meditation
Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loves me, so also I love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete." (Jn 15,5-8)
"Dear children! Today I thank you for all the sacrifices you have offered me these days. Little children, I invite you to open yourselves to me and to decide for conversion. Your hearts, little children, are still not completely open to me and therefore, I invite you again to open to prayer so that in prayer the Holy Spirit will help you, that your hearts become of flesh and not of stone. Little children, thank you for having responded to my call and for having decided to walk with me toward holiness." (Mary’s Message at Medjugorje, June 25, 1996)
Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain. (CCC 2562)
