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Heaven-Fullness
of Communion with God
Heaven is the fullness of communion with God, according to Pope John
Paul II. It is neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the
clouds but a living personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. This
perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity is the ultimate and fulfillment
of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.
Heaven is our meeting with the Father which takes place in the risen
Christ through the communion of the Holy Spirit.
In biblical language “heaven”, when it is joined to the
“earth” indicates part of the universe. As the scripture
says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
(Genesis 1:1).
In metaphor, heaven is understood as the dwelling place of God who
in thus distinguished from human beings. However, the biblical metaphor
makes it clear that God does not identify Himself with heaven nor
can he be contained in it. Heaven id the transcendent dwelling place
of the living God.
After the course of our earthly life, participation in complete intimacy
with the Father thus comes through our insertion into Christ’s
paschal mystery. St. Paul emphasizes our meeting with Christ in heaven
at the end of time with a vivid spatial image: “Then we who
are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in
the cloud to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall be always with
the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words:
(1 Thes 4:17-18).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church sums up the Church's teaching
on this truth: "By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has
"opened' heaven to us. The life of the blessed consists in the
full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished
by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who
have believed in him and remained faithful to his will. Heaven is
the blessed community of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ"
(n. 1026).
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH |
Tour
of the Relics of the Passion
(International Center
for Holy Relics)
www.HolyRelics.org
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| REFLECTIONS |
 “Jesus’
Baptism”
Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven,
submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke
3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of
the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the
cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning
of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah
52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among
sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s
will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death
for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust
and submission to God? 
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