|
Shin
|
 |
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2010, 08:12:56 PM » |
|
Well.. there's more to this which I think I'd like to look up more on.. especially regarding such matters as St. Paul being caught up to 'the third Heaven' where it gets more obscure.. but here is what I have so far from my past reading, calling it to mind as best I recall (forgive me for working from imperfect memory)..
Heaven is essentially a hierarchical structure as well as one of degrees and differences for its inhabitants.
Each person in Heaven has a different degree of the beatific vision. This degree depends both on nature and on merit, i.e. the good we do on earth. The more we do God's will on earth, the greater the vision of God and His love we experience in Heaven. Also, we are all naturally created for a different role in Heaven, so we start off on that -- and depending on how we do on earth either fall short, essentially equal, or excel higher than it.
No one will have exactly the same degree of the beatific vision, just as no person is alike interiorly or in the deeds he does throughout his life -- every life is different.
This is similar to and parallel to the angelic choirs, i.e. the highest choir, the Seraphim, have the greatest vision of God of all the angels, and know Him more intimately than the lower choirs. However, they too have merit, but their merit was in a single moment rather than all our lives. Their merit depended upon the single act of will in which they chose to follow God instead of Satan -- the merit in that act, its force and character, either fell short, equalled to, or excelled their position in Heaven by nature.
(St. Michael the Archangel for example, I tend to think rose especially high in Heaven via merit, because of his humility. "Who is like God?" he gave answer to Lucifer's challenge.)
In Heaven, those who experience God's love more intimately and knowledgeably, as teachers, teach those who experience and know less, the deeper mysteries of God.
So how you act on earth, it is not merely, 'aiming for purgatory' or 'aiming for Heaven', but 'aiming for the highest degree of Heaven and vision of God that He desires for us.' So the more good we do on earth, the more we obey His will, through various good acts, sacrifices, penances, virtuous deeds, etc. the greater our vision of God in the next life, for all eternity.
Every little thing matters. Every moment matters. We were not created for this life, to focus on and simply enjoy it, and ignore the next. The opposite instead. Every passing moment.. that passes into eternity.. changes our forever.
By nature man is 'a little lower than the angels' (Psalm 8:5). Men who especially excel beyond their natural place, i.e. meritting especially supernaturally, are raised up and fill positions in Heaven that are missing angels to fill them. These missing or empty places, were meant to be filled by the fallen angels, who of course, falling, did not fill them. St. Francis of Assisi for example, took a throne meant for an angel, as one friar saw in a vision.
Our Lady, Queen of Angels and Saints, excels all of Creation, angels and saints in her beatific vision and intimacy with God, so much so, it is quite beyond us. We can never aspire to her heights.
When all the positions in Heaven are filled, then will come the end of the world. I.e. all the roles are filled, there is no more need for more of mankind, and just like the angels, no more will be created. And so in Heaven there is no marriage, and at the Last Judgement all of mankind will be judged.
The Catholic Encyclopedia puts some of it this way:
"There are various degrees of beatitude in heaven corresponding to the various degrees of merit. This is a dogma of faith, defined by the Council of Florence (Denz., n. 693 — old, n. 588). The Bible teaches this truth in very many passages (e.g., wherever it speaks of eternal happiness as a reward), and the Fathers defend it against the heretical attacks of Jovinian. It is true that, according to Matthew 20:1-16, each labourer receives a penny; but by this comparison Christ merely teaches that, although the Gospel was preached to the Jews first, yet in the Kingdom of Heaven there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, and that no one will receive a greater reward merely because of being a son of Judah. The various degrees of beatitude are not limited to the accidental blessings, but they are found first and foremost in the beatific vision itself. For, as we have already pointed out, the vision, too, admits of degrees. These essential degrees of beatitude are, as Francisco Suárez rightly observes ("De beat.", d. xi, s. 3, n. 5), that threefold fruit Christ distinguishes when He says that the word of God bears fruit in some thirty, in some sixty, in some a hundredfold (Matthew 13:23). And it is by a mere accommodation of the text that St. Thomas (Supp:96, aa. 2 sqq.) and other theologians apply this text to the different degrees in the accidental beatitude merited by married persons, widows, and virgins.
The happiness of heaven is essentially unchangeable; still it admits of some accidental changes. Thus we may suppose that the blessed experience special joy when they receive greater veneration from men on earth. In particular, a certain growth in knowledge by experience is not excluded; for instance, as time goes on, new free actions of men may become known to the blessed, or personal observation and experience may throw a new light on things already known. And after the last judgment accidental beatitude will receive some increase from the union of soul and body, and from the sight of the new heaven and the earth.
. . .
In heaven there is not the least pain or sadness; for every aspiration of nature must be finally realized. The will of the blessed is in perfect harmony with the Divine will; they feel displeasure at the sins of men, but without experiencing any real pain.
They delight greatly in the company of Christ, the angels, and the saints, and in the reunion with so many who were dear to them on earth.
Very special joys are granted to the martyrs, doctors, and virgins, a special proof of victories won in time of trial (Revelation 7:11 sq.; Daniel 12:3; Revelation 14:3 sq.). Hence theologians speak of three particular crowns, aureolas, or glorioles, by which these three classes of blessed souls are accidentally honoured beyond the rest. Aureola is a diminutive of aurea, i.e. aurea corona (golden crown). (Cf. St. Thomas, Supp:96.) "
|
Saints' Discussion Forums
Author
