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Heaven as fullness of intimacy with God (1 Jn 3, 2-3)

Catechesis by Pope John Paul II on the History of Salvation
General Audience, Wednesday 21 July 1999 - in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese & Spanish

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
1. When the form of this world has passed away, those who have welcomed God into their lives and have sincerely opened themselves to his love, at least at the moment of death, will enjoy that fullness of communion with God which is the goal of human life.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “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 fulfilment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness” (n. 1024).

Today we will try to understand the biblical meaning of “heaven”, in order to have a better understanding of the reality to which this expression refers.

2. In biblical language “heaven”, when it is joined to the “earth”, indicates part of the universe. Scripture says about creation: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gn 1:1).

Metaphorically speaking, heaven is understood as the dwelling-place of God, who is thus distinguished from human beings (cf. Ps 104:2f.; 115:16; Is 66:1). He sees and judges from the heights of heaven (cf. Ps 113:4-9) and comes down when he is called upon (cf. Ps 18:9, 10; 144:5). However the biblical metaphor makes it clear that God does not identify himself with heaven, nor can he be contained in it (cf. 1 Kgs 8:27); and this is true, even though in some passages of the First Book of the Maccabees “Heaven” is simply one of God's names (1 Mc 3:18, 19, 50, 60; 4:24, 55).

The depiction of heaven as the transcendent dwelling-place of the living God is joined with that of the place to which believers, through grace, can also ascend, as we see in the Old Testament accounts of Enoch (cf. Gn 5:24) and Elijah (cf. 2 Kgs 2:11). Thus heaven becomes an image of life in God. In this sense Jesus speaks of a “reward in heaven” (Mt 5:12) and urges people to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (ibid., 6:20; cf. 19:21).

3. The New Testament amplifies the idea of heaven in relation to the mystery of Christ. To show that the Redeemer's sacrifice acquires perfect and definitive value, the Letter to the Hebrews says that Jesus “passed through the heavens” (Heb 4:14), and “entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself” (ibid., 9:24). Since believers are loved in a special way by the Father, they are raised with Christ and made citizens of heaven. It is worthwhile listening to what the Apostle Paul tells us about this in a very powerful text: “God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-7). The fatherhood of God, who is rich in mercy, is experienced by creatures through the love of God's crucified and risen Son, who sits in heaven on the right hand of the Father as Lord.

4. 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 clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thes 4:17-18).

In the context of Revelation, we know that the “heaven” or “happiness” in which we will find ourselves is neither an abstraction nor a physical place in the clouds, but a living, personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. It is our meeting with the Father which takes place in the risen Christ through the communion of the Holy Spirit.

It is always necessary to maintain a certain restraint in describing these “ultimate realities” since their depiction is always unsatisfactory. Today, personalist language is better suited to describing the state of happiness and peace we will enjoy in our definitive communion with God.

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).

5. This final state, however, can be anticipated in some way today in sacramental life, whose centre is the Eucharist, and in the gift of self through fraternal charity. If we are able to enjoy properly the good things that the Lord showers upon us every day, we will already have begun to experience that joy and peace which one day will be completely ours. We know that on this earth everything is subject to limits, but the thought of the “ultimate” realities helps us to live better the “penultimate” realities. We know that as we pass through this world we are called to seek “the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1), in order to be with him in the eschatological fulfilment, when the Spirit will fully reconcile with the Father “all things, whether on earth or in heaven” (Col 1:20)."


After the Catechesis, Papa Giovanni Paolo II greeted the pilgrims in various languages:

Je salue les pèlerins francophones présents à cette audience, notamment les scouts du diocèse de Bordeaux et tous les jeunes. Que Jésus vous garde dans son amour, et vous comble de sa joie et de sa paix! J’accorde à tous de grand cœur la Bénédiction apostolique.

I extend a special welcome to the young people taking part in the Forum of the European Youth Parliament, as well as to the Saint Vincent Ferrer Chorale from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and the Taiwanese Native Folklore Group, accompanied by Cardinal Shan. Upon all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims, especially those from England, Scotland, Korea, Taiwan, Canada and the United States, I invoke the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May you have a happy and blessed summer!

Sehr herzlich grüße ich alle Pilger und Besucher aus den Ländern deutscher Sprache. Insbesondere heiße ich die Schülerinnen und Schüler willkommen und wünsche ihnen schöne und erholsame Ferien. Gern erteile ich Euch und Euren Lieben daheim sowie allen, die über Radio Vatikan oder das Fernsehen mit uns verbunden sind, den Apostolischen Segen.

Dirijo un cordial saludo a los peregrinos de lengua española, en particular a las Religiosas Misioneras del Divino Maestro que celebran el aniversario de su Profesión, así como al grupo de quinceañeras y demás grupos venidos de México, Argentina, Colombia, otros países de Latinoamérica y España. Os invito a pedir a la Virgen, nuestra Madre celeste, que os guíe hacia la participación plena en la gloria de Cristo.

Saúdo todas as pessoas presentes de língua portuguesa, especialmente os vários grupos do Brasil e de Portugal - da diocese de Beja -, desejando que esta peregrinação a Roma seja frutuosa para a vossa vida pessoal, familiar e social, encaminhando-a rectamente pelas sendas do Céu, onde esperamos encontrar-nos de novo. De coração, vos dou a Bênção Apostólica.

Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua ceca

Un cordiale benvenuto ai pellegrini provienienti da Praga e dintorni.

Possa il vostro pellegrinaggio alle tombe degli Apostoli Pietro e Paolo rinvigorire la vostra fede e l’amore per la Chiesa di Cristo. Con questi voti, volentieri vi benedico.

Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!

Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua slovacca

Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini slovacchi da Bratislava e Slatviná.

Cari pellegrini slovacchi, in questo tempo di vacanza siete venuti in pellegrinaggio a Roma.

Che questa visita alla Città Eterna, con la visione dei suoi valori culturali e spirituali, vi sproni a conoscere più profondamente Cristo e il suo Vangelo.

Impartisco di cuore la mia benedizione apostolica a voi e a tutti i vostri cari.

Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!

Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua ungherese

Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini dall’Ungheria, da Esztergom, Fertód e Mezótur!

La speranza della vita eterna vi dia forza per sopportare le difficoltà del pellegrinaggio terreno. Vi imparto volentieri la Benedizione Apostolica a voi ed ai vostri cari.

Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!

Traduzione italiana del saluto in lingua lituana

Saluto cordialmente i pellegrini giunti dalla Lituania.

Cari fratelli e sorelle, auspico che l’odierno incontro rimanga nella vostra memoria come un momento importante di riflessione e di preghiera, incoraggi ciascuno a costruire una vita di pace, in armonia con i fratelli e con Dio.

Affidando voi, i vostri cari e tutta la Lituania all’amorevole protezione della Beata Vergine Maria, Madre della Chiesa, imparto volentieri la Benedizione Apostolica.

Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!

* * *

Rivolgo un cordiale benvenuto a tutti i pellegrini di lingua italiana, in particolare alle Suore Oblate del Sacro Cuore di Gesù, che in questi giorni stanno partecipando al Capitolo Generale. Auguro loro che sull'esempio della Fondatrice, la Madre Maria Teresa Casini, si impegnino con rinnovato slancio caritativo e missionario nell'opera della nuova evangelizzazione alle soglie del terzo millennio.

Saluto anche i partecipanti al Convegno internazionale di laici appartenenti ai movimenti ed alle fraternità laicali dell'Ordine agostiniano. Carissimi fratelli e sorelle, auspico che questo incontro, che annovera partecipanti provenienti dai cinque continenti, accresca la comunione fraterna tra voi e stimoli il vostro generoso impegno di testimonianza cristiana secondo il carisma agostiniano.

Infine, saluto con affetto i bambini bielorussi, ospiti della Parrocchia Santa Croce in Macerata. Il Signore protegga voi, cari ragazzi, e quanti vi hanno accolto.

Rivolgo, infine, uno speciale pensiero ai giovani, ai malati ed agli sposi novelli.

Domani ricorre la memoria liturgica di santa Maria Maddalena, discepola del Signore Gesù, prima testimone della sua risurrezione.

Auguro a voi, cari giovani, di sperimentare personalmente la forza liberatrice dell'amore di Cristo, che rinnova profondamente la vita dell'uomo. Esorto voi, cari malati, ad offrire le vostre sofferenze per la conversione di chi è prigioniero del male. Ed incoraggio voi, cari sposi novelli, ad essere segno della fedeltà di Dio anche con il perdono reciproco, motivato dall'amore.



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