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.
