What will heaven be like? Will it be boring?
No, heaven will not be boring. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, "The mystery of the blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond all understanding and description." Scripture speaks of it in images: light, peace, wedding feast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise…" no eye has seen nor ear heard, not the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him…. In the glory of heaven the blessed continue joyfully to fulfill God's will in relation to other men and to all creation. Already they reign with Christ… and with Him they shall reign forever."
Reprinted from July 18, 1997
Will we know our relatives and friends in heaven? Is there
any sadness in heaven?
The answers are yes and no. The fathers and doctors of the Church and the great saints all assure us that after the primary joy of heaven (the beatific vision), being joined to God in love and perfect happiness for ever, there will be secondary joys and among these will be the reunion with our relatives, friends, and ancestors, with no possibility of ever being separated from them again. There is no unhappiness in heaven. If someone we know is damned to hell, in heaven this tragedy will be seen by the saved in its true perspective, and there will be no sadness over any "separation," but only rejoicing in the perfect mercy and justice of God. Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, numbers 1023-1029.
Reprinted from December 24, 1999