Pastor's Perspective

From the Desk of Drew Demarais...

Customs and Rituals January 2007

The state of perfect happiness that exists in no restricted place is heaven. It is where God’s special manifestation will be made to all. Heaven is mentioned frequently in Scripture under a wide variety of names: “Reign of God” (Mt 5:3, the “Father’s House” (Jn 14: 2), and the “crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4). St. Paul speaks quite fully of heaven, the requisite justification for attainment (Romans 8), and he speaks of the judgment that will declare the reward (1 Cor. 4: 1-5). Heaven is the reward and the manifestation of God, through Christ, and is the result of the love of God for mankind and man’s love of God in return (1 Cor. 2:9). The happiness of heaven will consist primarily of an infusion or submersion in God’s love or the participation through love of the beatific vision, the knowledge of God as He is in His being. The degree to which each one will participate will depend on his merit. Joined to this essential and fundamental supernatural beatitude will be the enjoyment of contemplating Christ’s humanity, companionship of the angels and saints, the perfection of natural endowments, and the satisfactions of peace without struggle, and the continued enjoyment without end, or for all eternity. Pope Benedict XII, in his constitution, “ The Blessed God” (1336), set forth the Church’s teaching concerning heaven, giving the scriptural tradition and stating that the blessed “see God’s essence directly, and face to face, and thus the souls of the departed enjoy the divine nature, and are thereby rendered truly happy in the possession of eternal life and peace.”

General Judgment  ~  General Judgment is the act of God, sometimes called the “ Day of Jahweh,” prophesied to follow the end of the world as we know it, the cosmic ruin of the earth and its inhabitants (Joel. 3:1-5; Acts 2: 17-21). It was to follow the second coming of Christ (1 Cor. 1:8). This time will be when the spiritual kingdom of God will be restored through the Second Coming, called the Parousia. It was foretold by Christ (Mk. 13:24). The event of the Parousia will be followed by the Judgment and the Renewal at the end. At this time, the former corporeal condition of man will be spiritualized; that is, men will arise in some transformation (1 Cor. 15: 35-57). Then will all be judged, and their eternal reward or punishment fixed (Jn. 5: 28-29).

Lamb of God  ~  In Jewish sacrifices, especially at the Passover, a lamb was often the victim. Thus, in Scripture, the lamb prefigured the Messiah.  As a title, it was applied directly to Christ by St. John the Baptist   (Jn 1: 29-34) when he pointed his finger at Christ and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God.”  In this sense, the lamb, a symbol of innocence, is Christ and He is designated as one sent by God to be offered up as God wishes. Further recognition of Christ as the Lamb of God was given at the Last Supper when Christ and his disciples gathered to eat the Pasch. The lamb as a symbol in Christian art refers to Christ.