THE BEATIFIC VISION. (CONTINUED.)
In the Beatific Vision, "we shall be like Him; because we shall see
him as he is."*
* 1 John iii. 2.
In the preceding chapter, we have endeavored to understand the
meaning of the Beatific Vision. We have seen that it is not a mere
gazing upon God, but a true possession and enjoyment of Him. We have
seen, moreover, that the Beatific Vision implies a most intimate
union with God, in which the soul is made a partaker of the "Divine
Nature," in a far higher degree than is attainable in this world.
But we must be careful not to confound this union of the soul with
God, which is a moral union, with a personal union, such as exists
between the humanity and the divinity in Jesus Christ. For, in Him,
though these two natures are distinct, they are not separable. The
human nature is so intimately united to the divine, that it receives
its personality from the eternal Son of God. Hence, we cannot say
that Jesus Christ is one Person as man, and another Person as God,
thus asserting two distinct Persons in Christ. This would be a
heresy, long since condemned by the church. In Him, therefore, there
is but one Person, and that Person is the eternal Son of God, in whom
the human nature has not a distinct personality of its own. This is
called a personal or hypostatic union, which belongs to Jesus Christ
alone, and constitutes Him the Lord of lords, the King of kings, and
the Judge of the living and the dead. No other creature, not even the
Blessed Virgin, can ever aspire to such a union with God. When,
therefore, we speak of our intimate union with God in the Beatific
Vision, we understand a moral union, and not a physical or a personal
one. Hence, however intimate our union with God may be, we shall
always retain our personality, and never be merged into God.
In this world, how intimate soever may be the union which exists
between friend and friend, parent and child, husband and wife, these
persons all retain their respective personalities. So shall it be in
heaven. We shall see and possess God; we shall be united to Him in an
intimate manner, but we shall ever retain our distinct personality
and individuality. When a drop of water falls into the ocean, it is
absorbed and completely lost in that immense volume of water. This is
no type of our union with God. But the drop of oil is such a type;
for while it floats on the bosom of the deep, it does not mingle with
the water, nor lose its individuality. It remains a drop of oil.
Not only shall we thus retain our personality, when united to God in
the Beatific Vision, but we shall, moreover, retain all that belongs
to the reality of human nature. For, as St. Thomas teaches, "the
glory of heaven does not destroy nature; but perfects it."*
Therefore, when Scripture tells us that "we shall be changed," we
must not imagine that we shall be changed into angels, or into some
other nature different from the human. The change means a
supernatural elevation and perfection of our whole nature, and not
its destruction. The transition or change of the child into the man
neither changes nor destroys the faculties of his mind nor the senses
of his body; neither does it create new powers or faculties which he
had not before. His gradual growth into manhood only develops and
perfects what the hand of God had placed in his nature on the day of
his creation.
* Quamdiu manet natura aliqua, manet operatio eius. Sed beatitudo non
tollit naturam, cum sit perfectio eius. Ergo non tollet naturalem
cognitionem et dilectionem.... Semper autem oportet salvari primus in
secunda. Unde oportet quod natura salvetur in beatitudine. Et
similiter quod in actu beatitudinis salvetur actus naturæ.--S.
Thomas, p. 1, q. 62, art. 7.
This gradual development of our nature to its perfection, in the
natural order, illustrates the wonderful supernatural perfection
which the power of God will work in us both in the Beatific Vision
and in the glorious resurrection of the body. For, however great and
elevated we may then be, our now existing natural powers will neither
be changed nor destroyed.
I have been thus careful in explaining these things, because we are
now to study the transforming power of the Beatific Vision upon the
soul, as well as the glory of the spiritualized body in which we
shall again be clothed on the resurrection day.
According to the angelic doctor, the human soul bears a threefold
resemblance to God.* She is like God by nature, by grace, and by
glory. The likeness to God by nature is found in all men, but is
imperfect. The likeness by grace is far more perfect, and is found in
the just only; while it is seen in its full perfection in the
blessed. We shall, therefore, endeavor to fathom the meaning of St.
John, when he says, "We shall be like Him: because we shall see him
as He is;" as well as the saying of St. Peter, who asserts that we
shall be "made partakers of the divine nature." Let us begin by a
little illustration.
* ... Imago Dei tripliciter potest considerari in homine. Uno quidem
modo secundum quod homo habet aptitudinem naturalem ad intelligendum
et amandum Deum. Et hæc aptitudo consistet, in ipsa natura mentis,
quæ est communis omnibus hominibus. Alio modo secundum quod actu vel
habitu Deum cognoscit et amat, sed tamen imperfecte. Et hæc est imago
per conformitatem gratiæ. Tertio modo secundum quod homo Deum actu
cognoscit et amat perfecte. Et attenditur imago secundum
similitudinem gloriæ. Prima ergo invenitur in omnibus hominibus.
Secunda vero in justis tantum. Tertia vero solum in beatis.--S.
Thomas, p. 1, q. 93, art. 4.
Suppose you enter an artist's studio, just as he has drawn the
outlines of a portrait. All the essential features are there--the
shape of the head, the eyes, ears, mouth, and whatever else is
necessary to constitute the human face; and it already bears a
striking resemblance to the man who is sitting for his portrait. You
return in a few days, and, though it is yet far from being finished,
the coloring has added so much that it is far more beautiful and
perfect than when you first saw it. Again, you see it when it is
completely finished, framed, and exposed to public view. How perfect!
how life-like it is! It actually seems to live and breathe. How vast
a deference between this exquisitely finished painting and the mere
outlines you first saw! This illustration teaches us, better than
abstract words could do, how the human soul is like God from the very
first, and how that likeness gradually increases by grace and the
practice of virtue, until it receives the last touch and finish in
the Beatific Vision.
From the very first moment of her existence, the soul is like to God,
because she is a spirit, and therefore immortal. She is endowed with
intelligence, free-will, memory, and whatever else belongs to a
spiritual substance. Evidently, this is already the image of God,
though, compared with what it will be by grace and the Beatific
Vision, it is as yet nothing more than the mere outlines.
Next comes baptism, by which the soul is raised to the supernatural
state. She is washed with the blood of Jesus, and clothed with the
robe of innocence, which, if we may use the expression, begins the
coloring or beautifying process. Faith, hope, and charity are infused
into her, by which she is enabled to lead a supernatural life. Then
come other sacraments, which have for their object to wash away
stains, remove imperfections, and to nourish, strengthen, beautify,
and gradually develop a greater resemblance to God.
But there is an immense difference between the senseless image we saw
on the canvas and the soul. The portrait is a lifeless image, which
is totally passive, and has, therefore, nothing whatever to do with
its gradual growth and its resemblance to the original. Not so with
the soul. She is a living and rational image of the eternal God, and
has the power to aid very materially in her gradual development, and
in her greater resemblance to the original which is God. Not only has
she the power, but also the strict obligation of co-operating with
God, in perfecting what He began without her co-operation Hence,
while of herself she is incapable of having even a good thought,
aided by the grace of God she not only has good thoughts and desires,
but also the strength to carry them into effect. With God's
assistance, she can and does reproduce in herself the virtues which
Jesus taught and practised--His humility, purity, meekness,
obedience, patience, and resignation to God's will. Especially does
she reproduce His life of love--love or God and love for man.
As soon as this divine charity becomes the mainspring of her actions,
everything she does develops in her a greater resemblance to God.
Then, not only prayer, the sacraments, pious reading, and other
spiritual exercises, but voluntary mortifications, temptations from
the devil, the world, and the flesh--even eating, drinking, and
innocent recreations--all help powerfully to develop and perfect in
her the image of God. For, as St. Paul tells us, "To them that love
God, all things work together unto good."*
* Rom. viii. 28.
Could you now see a soul at the first moment of her existence, you
would see the image of God begun. Could you see her again immediately
after baptism, she would appear far more beautiful; because she is
then clothed with the robe of innocence and beautified by the grace
of God. But could you see that same soul after ten, twenty, or more
years of a holy life, you could scarcely believe that it is the same
soul--so much more God-like and beautiful has she become. But again,
could you see her united to God in the Beatific Vision, you would be
so overpowered with her dazzling splendor and unearthly beauty, that
you would be ready to fall down and adore her--thinking that it is
God himself you see, and not his image. She would have to prevent
this adoration, by assuring you that whatever excellence you behold
in her is, after all, that of a mere creature. This is what happened
even to St. John, who had already seen so many and such wonderful
visions. When the bright angel stood before him, to reveal the
secrets of God, he says: "And I fell down before his feet to adore
him. But he saith to me: See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant,
and of thy brethren, who have the testimony of Jesus. Adore God."*
St. Augustine says that "the angel was so beautiful and glorious that
St. John actually mistook him for God, and would really have given
him divine worship, had not the angel prevented it by declaring who
he was."
* Apoc. xiv.
From all this, we begin to see what St. John means when he tells us
that we shall be like God, "because we shall see Him as he is." Our
likeness to God was begun on the very first day of our existence. It
was gradually developed by God's grace and the sacraments; and by our
own co-operation with all the helps of God. But during life, the
process of development was slow--so very slow, that we were at times
tempted to think it had ceased altogether. But in the Beatific Vision
the process is rapid as a flash. The soul is suddenly transformed
into that degree of likeness to God which she has deserved by a holy
life. She is made like to God, because she sees Him as he is. It is
this glorious vision which contains in itself this transforming
power, and which assimilates the soul to God.
In this world a deformed man may gaze upon a beautiful object without
becoming beautiful thereby; the poor man gazes upon the rich man, but
remains as poor as ever; and the ignorant man gazes upon the
philosopher, and nevertheless remains as ignorant as before. Not so
in heaven. The vision of God has a transforming power; that is, it
has the power of communicating to the beholder attributes which he
had not before, or possessed only in the germ. Thus the soul, because
she sees God as He is, is filled to overflowing with all knowledge;
she becomes beautiful with the beauty of God, rich with his wealth,
holy with his holiness, and happy with his own unutterable happiness.
In a word, by the vision of God, she is made a partaker of the divine
nature, and, like a very god, she shines unto all eternity in the
divine brightness.
A diamond, carefully cut and perfectly polished, glitters and shines
in the sun with exceeding brilliancy. It not only reflects the light,
but also absorbs it into itself, so as to shine even in the dark with
the light it has absorbed. It actually becomes, as it were, a little
sun, shining with its own light. It is thus become a partaker of the
sun's nature, while it retains its own peculiar diamond nature and
individuality. This is an image of what takes place in the Beatific
Vision. While she was in this world, God had polished that soul, by
the sacraments and by sufferings; and now that she is in His
presence, and sees him as he is, she shines and sparkles in his light
with unspeakable splendor. She reflects and absorbs the divine light
and beauty of God. She is like God, because she sees Him as he is;
she is made a partaker of the divine nature, while she retains her
own human nature and personal identity.
But, let us again hear Lessius. Speaking of this communication of the
divine nature to man, he says "This communication begins in this
life, by the gifts of grace, especially faith, hope, and charity. By
these virtues we are not only made like to God, but God is also
united to us. It is perfected, however, in the next life by the gifts
of glory--namely, the light of glory, the vision of the Divinity,
beatific love, and beatific joy. For, by these, we attain our highest
similitude to God, and become perfectly sons of God, shining like the
Divinity, and exhibiting in ourselves the most excellent image of the
most Holy Trinity. For by the light of glory we are made like the
Father; by the vision of the Divine Essence and the Divine Persons,
we become like the Son; by beatific love we are made like the Holy
Ghost; by joy we become like the Godhead in beatitude, and thus the
participation of the divine beatitude is completed in us."*
* De Perf. Divin., lib. xiv. c. 1.
Now, Christian soul, meditate well on all this. Endeavor to fathom
the bliss of the saints when they see themselves like God in so
eminent a degree. Remember that you were created to enjoy the
unspeakable happiness of seeing God, and of being made a partaker of
the divine nature. But remember, too, that God, who created you
without your co-operation, will not save you without it. He never
will polish your soul into a jewel fit for heaven, in spite of
yourself. You must, therefore, co-operate with Him, and do his holy
will in all things. However painful may be the trials He sends you,
they are all so many strokes to take away some roughness or deformity
which would prevent your soul from being perfectly like Him. Every
act you perform, while in the state of grace, adds a new feature of
beauty to your soul, and therefore prepares her the better to receive
the finishing touch in the Beatific Vision, and to shine with greater
splendor as a perfect image of the living God.