Victor R. Claveau, MJ
“Outside the Catholic Church, the idea of heaven has suffered because the only section of Protestants who talk very much about it—Protestants of the non-conformist type—having no theology on the subject, have been forced more and more to use the imagery of Scripture. For centuries they have talked, preached and sung of heaven as a place of harps, hymns, crowns of gold, streets of jasper. These, of course, are symbols intended to convey a vivid impression of endless happiness. In themselves they give no notion of the life of heaven any more than pictures of men with wings give a notion of the being of angels. As symbols they are made only as ornaments to a great body of teaching, in which the life of heaven is expressed in its true relation to the nature of God and the nature of man. Lacking this true teaching—owing to its suspicion of ‘theology’—Protestantism has for centuries had no food for its mind save the symbols, while an admirable stimulus to the imagination, are not food for the intellect. The result is that for the average man heaven, thought of in terms of endless hymn-singing is not attractive.”[1]
The prophet Isaiah, quoted and amplified by Saint Paul, has told us, in words that should be familiar to all, that, “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.”[2]
Saint Paul, however, qualifies the saying of the Prophet, at least insofar as it applies to the knowledge of Christians; for he adds in the very next verse, “This God has revealed to us through the Spirit.” In his Epistle to the Romans, Paul tells us that, “Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made.”[3]
Saint Paul compels us to see that when we perceive the beauty in nature, we arrive at a miniscule glimpse of the invisible glory of heaven.
Elsewhere Paul has compared our earthly knowledge of God and heaven with the vision enjoyed by the blessed, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.”[4]
The beauty of God’s creation surrounds us at every moment; all that is required is to have eyes to see. Yet, the most majestic scene of nature, or even the love in the heart of the Blessed Mother while gazing on the face of her infant Son cannot begin to compare with what heaven offers. God is perfect love. In heaven there is perfect love. We will become “deified.” In other words, we will be absorbed into the pure love of God, and we will spend eternity getting to know Him. As Saint Paul understood, there are no words in any language that can adequately describe heaven.
Indeed, knowing this, how many of us would not want to go to heaven at our journey’s end? Recently, while addressing a large group of teenagers on the subject of salvation, I asked, “How many of you want to go to heaven when you die? Every hand was raised. I then asked, “How many of you want to be living saints.” Two hands went up. Many appeared to be disappointed when I told them that they had to be a saint to get into heaven, as nothing imperfect can be in God’s presence. Few of these young men and women realized that there were certain qualifications that had to be met in order to enter into the majesty of God.
Saint Paul refers to Christians as saints. While we are on earth we are imperfect saints striving for perfection. Heaven is the domain of perfected Saints.
The general rule is: “He who lives holy, will die holy.” The most dangerous thing in this world is to delay our conversion from sin to virtue.
All who live “of the world” are dead to God. In order to get to heaven, we must die to this world before we die in the body. What happens to us when we die is dependent upon the state of our souls at that moment. If our love of God and man has been perfected by our submission to the will of the Holy Spirit, we will enter Heaven.
Saint John the Evangelist, quoting Christ, said, “The ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me.” How could Saint John say those words? He did because Jesus dwelt in his soul.
The “ruler of this world,” refers to Satan, who is the king of all the wicked; and the “world” is understood as the company of all sinners who love the world, and are loved by it.
Saint John also adds in his first Epistle:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”[5]
Saint James speaks in his epistle chapter 4, “Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is in vain that the scripture says, ‘He yearns jealously over the spirit which he has made to dwell in us’”? But he gives more grace; therefore, it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.’”[6]
In his first letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul says: “You must go out of this world”; and in another place in the same letter: “But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
Here we are clearly told that the whole world and those who live of the world will be condemned on the last day, but not those who merely live in it, without loving the evil of it. The just and the holy are in the world but not of the world. The wicked are not only in the world but of the world. The people are filled with the pride of the Devil rather than with the humility of Christ.
Our Lord, when asked, “Are they few that are saved?” replied, “Strive to enter the narrow gate”; and more clearly in Matthews Gospel does he speak: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24) “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”[7]
It is very difficult to live in the world and to despise the pleasures of this world. The good things in life—riches, honors, pleasures, are not entirely forbidden to Christians, but only the love of them, as is the misuse of them. We must make holy use of godly pleasures and we must persevere, through prayer, in faith, hope, and charity, that we will never lose our sound moral compass.
Christ calls us to perfection. Matthew 5:48 – “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Can we be perfect? Most would say no, but why would Christ set a goal for us that is unreachable?
We must understand the definition of perfection, Luke 10:25-28 – “And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? How do you read?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all of your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered right; do this, and you will live.’”
He who loves God fulfills the precepts, which relate to the first tablet of the law, the Ten Commandments; and he who loves his neighbor fulfills all the commandments, which relate to the second.
At the same time, He also wished to teach us which virtues are necessary to attain perfect justice. “For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”[8]
[1] Frank Sheed, A Map of Life, (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1947), pp. 30-31.
[2] 1 Corinthians 2:9.
[3] 1:20.
[4] 1 Corinthians 13:12.
[5] 1 John. 2:15-17.
[6] 4:4-7.
[7] Matthew 7:13-14.
[8] 1 Corinthians 13:9-13.