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182 pages

English

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Everyone hopes to go to heaven, but what do we really know about it? There are thrilling promises in Scripture but not an abundance of detail about the nature of heavenly existence. Another source of insight and hope can be found in the writings of the saints throughout history.What the Saints Said About Heaven: 101 Holy Insights on Everlasting Life combines Scriptural passages, saintly writings, and prayers from the heart, all organized into a daily meditation format. It provides inspiring thoughts on subjects such as: what the Beatific Vision will be like, on being in heaven with loved ones, about Angels, Saints and what we will do in our resurrected bodies.What the Saints Said About Heaven is the ideal gift for every Christian, and serves as an encouraging reminder that each day we spend on earth is a preparation for the ultimate joy of life to come.

Sujets

Christianity

Catholic Church

Christian theology

Philosophie et théologie

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Publié par	TAN Books
Date de parution	15 octobre 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780895559951
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0400€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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© 2011 Richard Ballard, Ruth Ballard, Ronda Chervin
All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-89555-872-5
Cover design by Milo Persic, milo.persic@gmail.com.
Cover image : Detail of Heaven from the Last Judgment, Angelico, Fra (Guido di Pietro) (c.1387–1455)/Museo di San Marco dell’Angelico, Florence, Italy/The Bridgeman Art Library International
Icons © Ruth Ballard. All rights reserved.
All quotations from the Catechism (CCC) are taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (second edition). Doubleday, 2003
All Scripture quotations are taken from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Some Saints’ quotations have been abridged for length or clarity.
Printed and Bound in the United States of America.
TAN Books
Charlotte, North Carolina
2011
Prayer to St. Joseph, patron of a happy death: O Blessed Joseph, who yielded up your last breath in the arms of Jesus and Mary, obtain for me this grace, O holy Joseph, that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.” Amen
Ruth’s dedication:
To Richard, my husband and best friend, for his ever-constant love and support; to Ruth M. Carpenter, my grandmother, for her example of faith and courage both in life and in death; to Jody Cole, my teacher and friend, who shared her passion for iconography and the profound spirituality of this sacred craft; and to all my friends and family who have been with me on the journey
Richard’s dedication:
To my dear wife Ruth, who in our marriage has taught me the meaning of “the spousal love of Christ and the Church”: much love and gratitude as we journey on our way to eternal life
Ronda’s dedication:
For Charles Rich, RIP, who introduced me to reading the Catholic mystics
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: In Heaven, We Will Be United with God
Chapter 2: In Heaven, We Will Be United with Family and Friends
Chapter 3: In Heaven, We Will Be with Angels and the Saints
Chapter 4: In Heaven, We Will Live in Beauty That Surpasses Nature
Chapter 5: In Heaven, We Will Have Resurrected Bodies
Chapter 6: In Heaven, We Will Do Wonderful Things
Chapter 7: Preparing for Heaven
Appendix A: Deathbed Scenes of Selected Saints
Appendix B: Disputed Questions about the Afterlife
Will Everyone Eventually Be in Heaven?
How Can We Be Happy in Heaven if Our Loved Ones Don’t Get There?
Appendix C: Purgatory
Appendix D: Traditional Prayers of the Church
Appendix E: An Examination of Conscience
Appendix F: Short Biographies of the Saints Quoted
Illustrations
Icon of St. Joseph
St. Joseph the Betrothed, St. Joseph the Provider. Prototype, probably 20th century, based on a detail from an ancient icon, The Presentation, c. 1500, Russia. The modern prototype is by an unknown artist.
Icon of the Holy Trinity
The Old Testament Trinity. Prototype, Andrei Rublev, c. 1411, Russia. The persons of the Triune God are portrayed as angelic beings. Rublev probably based his icon upon the prototype of St. Sergius of Radonezh’s “Icon of The Hospitality of Abraham,” late 14th century. The icon depicted here was adapted from a pattern based on the ancient prototype as developed by iconographer Jody Cole, and was used by permission of the artist in the creation of the icon.
Icon of Saints Joachim and Anne
The Marriage Embrace of St Joachim and St. Anne, The Conception of the Virgin. Prototype, Russian, 15th century. Saints Joachim and Anne are joined together as one in an intimate, loving embrace as husband and wife. The pattern is an original composition by the author.
Icon of the Madonna and Child
Our Lady of Korsun, The Virgin of the Sweet Kiss. This particular prototype originates in Italy, 19th century. Icons of this type were popular from the 5th century onward, throughout Russia, the Balkans, and Italy. Tradition holds that St. Luke himself wrote the very first prototype of this icon. In this icon, Mary, depicted in half-figure, embraces her son in an intensely loving, warm caress, with faces touching cheek to cheek. The icon depicted here was adapted from a pattern based on the ancient prototype as developed by iconographer Jody Cole, and was used by permission of the artist in the creation of the icon.
Mosaic fish icon
Fish Mosaic Icon, based on a detail from the Creation Dome, San Marco, Venice, Italy, 13th century: “Creation of the birds and marine creatures.” The mosaic is a composition by the author.
Icon of the Resurrection
The Harrowing of Hell, Anastasis. Prototype, late 13th century, Mt Sinai. The resurrected Christ tramples the gates of Hell, and through his sacrifice on the cross, rescues humanity, represented by Adam and Eve, from sin, death, and the devil. The icon depicted here was adapted from a pattern based on the ancient prototype as developed by iconographer Jody Cole, and was used by permission of the artist in the creation of the icon. The image of the demon/devil used in the Icon of the Resurrection was adapted from an image originally drawn by Bro. Martin Erspamer, OSB (formerly Steve Erspamer), and is used by permission of the artist.
Icon of St. Veronica
Prototype, in the style of the Western Tradition, 20th century. St. Veronica holds the holy face (Mandylion, “not made by human hands”) that was imprinted miraculously by Christ upon her veil. The holy face is based upon an ancient prototype. The pattern is an original composition by the author.
Icon of the Cleansing of the Temple
Prototype, original, 21st century. Jesus is depicted according to the Biblical account of St. John 2:12-25. The pattern is an original composition by the author.
Preface
Ronda Chervin
A year or so ago, I was visiting my dear friends Ruth and Richard Ballard in their beautiful home in South Carolina. They are both gourmet cooks. Since I am an old woman in her seventies and they are younger but post-middle age, it is not so surprising that our talk touched on a question of burning interest: will we eat in Heaven?
You may think there is a simple answer: since Jesus spoke about eating and drinking in Heaven, it must be so. But none other than St. Thomas Aquinas taught that this would be some kind of spiritualized repast in order to avoid, among other things, messy digestive processes in Heaven!
As we pursued the issue, the subject broadened to include many other controversial topics, and somehow it all evolved into this outcome: wouldn’t it be wonderful to assemble a book of what the Saints had to say about Heaven? It was but a hop, skip, and a jump to thinking it would be even better to include what they’ve said about preparing for Heaven.
The division of labor developed quite naturally. All three of us would go on a treasure hunt, with the help of trusty Brother Web, for quotations. I would write a prayer for each quotation; Richard would write the introductions; and Ruth would “write,” as they say, the icons. And so was born the book you hold in your hands.

“Blessed be the pure of heart, for they shall see God.” 1 I think of these beautiful lines from the Beatitudes as referring not only to the pure of heart’s seeing God in Heaven but to their wisdom while still on earth. I think that since they are pure in heart, the beatified and canonized holy ones have greater insight than the rest of us, no matter what our own wisdom or aspirations to holiness. I think this is true even though the Saints have been canonized not for their writings but for their heroic virtues and their miracles. And so even though these quotations should not be considered infallible, their sources make them worthy of deep and serious reflection.
In doing the research and writing the contemporary prayers to match, I found that I was enlightened, reassured, and fired up to try harder to prepare for so wonderful a destiny. I hope you will feel the same way.
Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.
Introduction
Deacon Richard Ballard
A lthough I have had the good fortune to travel to a number of different countries around the world, there are still a great many places that I would like to be able to visit. I would like to visit Africa and go on a safari. I would like to go to Hawaii and witness the lava flow from Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. I have been to Rome several times, but I also would like to explore the cities and towns around the rest of Italy. I would like to visit Mount Athos in Greece and see the numerous ancient icons, relics, texts, art objects, and other irreplaceable riches that are to be found on the Holy Mountain. I would like to go to Axum, Ethiopia, to the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, where they claim to have the original Ark of the Covenant; and I would like to make a pilgrimage to Saint Catherine’s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt, where tradition has it that God appeared to Moses in the burning bush.
All these places, and many more, are on my prospective itinerary of sites to visit, and I hope one day to be able to travel to all of them. In the meantime, however, I can still gain a sense of what these places and their people and treasures are like by becoming an armchair traveler. I can experience their sights and sounds by reading about them from the written perspectives of knowledgeable guides and reliable experts who are familiar with their aspects and nuances. Through their guidance I can not only experience a little of these places—I can prepare myself for someday visiting them in person.
In similar fashion, this book is a guide to a place that we hope one day not just to visit but to rem