Thursday, April 5, 2012
209. What is meant by the term “heaven”?
(Comp
209) By “heaven” is meant the state of supreme and definitive happiness. Those
who die in the grace of God and have no need of further purification are
gathered around Jesus and Mary, the angels and the saints. They thus form the
Church of heaven, where they see God “face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). They
live in a communion of love with the Most Blessed Trinity and they intercede
for us. “True and subsistent life consists in this: the Father, through the
Son and in the Holy Spirit, pouring out his heavenly gifts on all things
without exception. Thanks to his mercy, we too, men that we are, have received
the inalienable promise of eternal life.” (Saint Cyril of Jerusalem)
“In brief”
(CCC 1053) "We believe that the multitude of those
gathered around Jesus and Mary in Paradise forms the Church of heaven, where in
eternal blessedness they see God as he is and where they are also, to various
degrees, associated with the holy angels in the divine governance exercised by
Christ in glory, by interceding for us and helping our weakness by their
fraternal concern" (Paul VI, CPG § 29).
To deepen and explain
(CCC 1023) Those who die in God's grace and friendship and
are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever,
for they "see him as he is," face to face (1 Jn 3:2; cf. 1 Cor 13:12;
Rev 22:4): By virtue of our apostolic authority, we define the following:
According to the general disposition of God, the souls of all the saints… and
other faithful who died after receiving Christ's holy Baptism (provided they
were not in need of purification when they died,… or, if they then did need or
will need some purification, when they have been purified after death,…)
already before they take up their bodies again and before the general judgment
- and this since the Ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into heaven
- have been, are and will be in heaven, in the heavenly Kingdom and celestial
paradise with Christ, joined to the company of the holy angels. Since the
Passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, these souls have seen and do see
the divine essence with an intuitive vision, and even face to face, without the
mediation of any creature (Benedict XII, Benedictus
Deus (1336): DS 1000; cf. LG 49).
On reflection
(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. (CCC 1025) To live in heaven is "to be with
Christ." The elect live "in Christ" (Phil 1:23; cf. Jn 14:3; 1
Thess 4:17) but they retain, or rather find, their true identity, their own
name (Cf. Rev 2:17). For life is to be with Christ; where Christ is, there is
life, there is the kingdom (St. Ambrose, In
Luc., 10, 121: PL 15, 1834A).
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