Wednesday 3 October 2007

Heaven.

I've been tagged by Esther to answer this meme:

St. Julian of Norwich describes heaven as a place of "eternal joy". She explains: "But we are not blessedly safe, possessing our endless joy, until we are all in peace and in love, that is to say wholly contented with God and with all his works and with all his judgments, and loving and content with ourselves and with our fellow Christians and with everything which God loves, as is pleasing to love."
This meme has one question:
How do you envision heaven?
As part of my conversion story I have told you that God granted me the great consolation of sensing His Presence in the Tabernacle. He has since removed this and I must accept His Presence on Faith. Sometimes when I am looking at the Tabernacle I try and remember what I once experienced-but it is hard.

Even so I think it was a gentle touch of heaven. It is an absolute sureness of the Love of God, like a warmth that wraps you and fills you.

I think heaven must be a little like that but far far more intense.

I wonder if that Love will pour into us so much that not only will we be able to love God completely, but one another.
I know I will not be a wife in heaven-though I think I will still love my husband; but I will still be a mother and I hope to have all my 'treasures for heaven' pulled through those pearly gates.

I hope I can be with all 8 of my children- the six I have here and the two God has taken.
I also pray that those I love-who are not Christian or who may have struggled to find Grace at the moment of their death may have found that great fount of Mercy and be saved.I pray in particular for a friend who died of his alcoholism.
I envision heaven to be place where we can work much harder for the welfare of others-the Church Militant and the Church Suffering, because we will be so much more focused on God's Will and so much more sure of what that is.

Esther wonders what Blessed Margaret of Costello might look like in heaven.

Of course being Catholic we are not dualist's; we are not souls trapped in a body, we are whole body and soul and so the separation of body and soul at death is temporary and on the Last Day we are resurrected with a resurrected body.

Some time ago I read of a disabled lady who was angry and horrified to be told that in heaven she would not be disabled. She insisted that her disability was part of her. I know Deaf people who think they will be Deaf forever because it is part of how they see themselves.

While she awaits the resurrection Blessed Margaret's body is still deformed-though in corrupt. But I do not believe that when she is raised she will still be so.

And I surely hope that if I get to heaven I wont be taking any wheelchairs, crutches or painkillers with me!!

I believe the saints who say that heaven is full of song and music (and no one is dirging "Bind us Together" or "Love is his word").

Can't think who to tag yet-

1 comment:

EC Gefroh said...

When my dear little grandma died recently, I actually thought about whether or not she would be able to hear. She had been deaf since childhood. Thanks for responding to this meme.