The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1956-04-27
Just Among Ourselves
Psssing Comment considered or Ineonside rate

lies be united in heaven? g. What will be the
standing of family TO family? g. What of widows
and wdowers who have remarked? 4 Does
any reunion of souls take place now in heaven,
or must such reunion Gf it occur at alb wait for
the resurrection of the body?
Before We or anyone else can make reply to
such questions certain facts must be called 10
mind First OF all only divine revelation can
give information on the points raised by
these questions. Secondly divine revelation is for
the essential good of human souls; it is never
made merely to satisfy curiosity,
Theologians have learned and listed the
supernatural qualities of the risen bodies Of the
just by studying Sacred Scripture which is one
of the sources of divine revelation, Sacred
Tradition being the other. The words of prophets
and evangelists, the Epistles of ST. Paul, the
Acts of the Apostles and the manifest qualities
of Our Lords Risen Body reported in Scrlpture)
in whose image the just will rise to glory,-all
these give us revealed knowledge of the gifts
or qualities which will be the supernatural dover
of the Blessed on and after the day of general
resurrection
We have no revealed knowledge which gives
direct and detailed answer to the questions raised
by our correspondent We have, however, the
assurance of Our Divine Lord Himself, recorded
in Revelation, that the JOY and glory of heaven
is something utterly beyond human power to
imagine or describe. From this fact we right.
ly conclude that nothing fine and honorable that
We value in this world will be absent from the
situation and condition of the just in heaven.
The essential beatitude of heaven is the direct
bahodng of God Himself. This is called the
Beatific Vision. To attain this Vision, the mind
of man is elevated and strengthened by the
gift or grace called the Light of Glory. ""lhs is
eternal life TO know Thee the one true God, and
Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent knowing
God in the Beatfic Vision is beholding God
directly in His essence. By giving the Light OF
Glory God in some manner and measure, I'M
parts Himself to the blessed soul: I'm Thy light,
we shall see Light"
Now man is not a soul alone, but a com
pound of body and soul. For this full personal
perfection he requires the body; on the day OF
general resurrection the body will be reunited
with the soul and will be supernaturally dow
cred with wondrous qualities. And then the super
abounding glory of the soul VIII overflow, SO
TO speak into the glorifed body, TO give It's
noble powers and operations, in so far as these
are suitable to the state of bessedness, super
natural fullness and perfection.
that whatever bodily man has experienced as
good and holy; whatever cultural perfec'
ton is suited to the state of blesSedneSs;
ever has been nobly cherished, honorably loved,
priced in fine affection, during earthly lie, VIII,
in some manner, have its place in the blessed
in heaven Since there will be no needs of body
or of race, there will be (and so much is plainly
revealed no marrying or giving in marriage, for
all will be as the angels of God. But whatever
h.~ nf and urap
as devoted love and high esteem,-will have its
place surely and this without conflict of persons
or IoyaltieS, even when there is question OF
multiple ties, as in the instance of remarrisd
widows and wdowers. Hot0 this shall be. we can
not tell that il shall be- we may be very sure.
Since God has given us our own family loves
and loyalties, these gracious gifts will not be
denied in heaven; yet they will surely not involve
any miSprizng of others or any failing to appre-
ciate the unity of all in the one blessed Family
of God and of Christ That soul shall recognize
soul. even before the resurrection of the body,
seems most certain, For each soul retains its
individual personality; by reason of its real re
lationship to its own body II Is constituted as
that one soul; and without doubt it can be recog-
nized as that one soul by other blessed souls.
Thus it appears that we shall know our own in
heaven that our own in heaven know one an
other now
There is 10 be sure, much mystery here. Yet
the mystery touches the manner of what we
sert of the blessed souls and their gifts and
activities rather than The facts of those gifts and
activities We know not how the most gracious
Lord will manage these things yet we under
stand that Almighty Power and Infinite Love
will arrange, and does arrange, everything
in the most wondrouS and reproducing way.
God moves from end to end nightly, and dis
poses all things we'll.
We need not feel that what puzzles our little
minds is any puzzle to God. His eternal Prov
idence does its work perfectly. We must not
presume to make suggestions to the Almighty.
We must never suppose that our love for our
own is greater than Gods love for them or for
ourselves. We cannot presume TO pick flaws in
the Perfect Plan or To sense certain hardships
or deprvationS as inevitable. In heaven, there
are no hardships deprivatons, there is com,
plete fulfllment perfect beattude, everlasting
life.
What can man know Of the things Cod hath
prepared for those that love Him. II man, after
Adams sin. had been consulted about the means
of Redemption, what could he have suggested?
He could not have thought, even had he dared 10
think, that God would actually become Man TO
redeem us Yet that is what happened, Ours is
the duty Of love and trust Cast all your care
unon Him for He hath care of YOU