Inspired by Abbot Joseph's post on Heaven, I put together a collection of excerpts from the writings of Bl. Hildegard of Bingen, St. Anselm of Canterbury and St. Irenaeus of Lyon about their perceptions of rising to see the Lord at His Second Coming, Heaven, and the portion of God's Spirit that we have now as a downpayment toward that eternity to come:
From Bl. Hildegard of Bingen:
"Then suddenly in the east, a great flash shone forth. And I saw the Word of God coming on a cloud with the angelic choirs. The Word had the same facial expression and the same open wounds which the Word had while in the world. The Word sat upon a seat of shining white flames which did not, however, burn. Under the Word was that great storm which was cleansing the world. The ones who had been signed in faith rushed to meet the Word in the air, as it were, in the movement within the circle where I had indeed previously seen that brilliance which indicated the mystery of the celestial creator. . . .
"Thereupon, all the elements of the world shone with great serenity, as if a very dark skin had been removed from them. Fire no longer held heat, air no longer held density, water raging, and land frailty. The sun, moon, and stars -- just like embellished things -- shone with a reddish gleam full of brightness and beauty. They then became fixed and no longer went around in a circle, so that day and night were no longer distinguished.
"There was no night, just day. And so it ended."
- Bl. Hildegard of Bingen, Vision 12 from Hildegard von Bingen's Mystical Visions: Translated from Scivias.
From St. Anselm of Canterbury:
"What goods and how great, belong to those who enjoy this good. --Joy is multiplied in the blessed from the blessedness and joy of others.
"WHO shall enjoy this good? And what shall belong to him, and what shall not belong to him? At any rate, whatever he shall wish shall be his, and whatever he shall not wish shall not be his. For, these goods of body and soul will be such as eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither has the heart of man conceived (Isaiah Ixiv. 4; I Corinthians ii. 9).
"Why, then, do you wander abroad, slight man, in your search for the goods of your soul and your body? Love the one good in which are all goods, and it suffices. Desire the simple good which is every good, and it is enough. For, what do you love, my flesh? What do you desire, my soul? There, there is whatever you love, whatever you desire.
"If beauty delights you, there shall the righteous shine forth as the sun (Matthew xiii. 43) If swiftness or endurance, or freedom of body, which naught can withstand, delight you, they shall be as angels of God, --because it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body (I Corinthians xv. 44) --in power certainly, though not in nature. If it is a long and sound life that pleases you, there a healthful eternity is, and an eternal health. For the righteous shall live for ever (Wisdom v. 15), and the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord (Psalms xxxvii. 39) If it is satisfaction of hunger, they shall be satisfied when the glory of the Lord has appeared (Psalms xvii. 15). If it is quenching of thirst, they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of your house (Psalms xxxvi. 8). If it is melody, there the choirs of angels sing forever, before God. If it is any not impure, but pure, pleasure, you shall make them drink of the river of your pleasures, 0 God (Psalms xxxvi. 8).
"If it is wisdom that delights you, the very wisdom of God will reveal itself to them. If friendship, they shall love God more than themselves, and one another as themselves. And God shall love them more than they themselves; for they love him, and themselves, and one another, through him, and he, himself and them, through himself. If concord, they shall all have a single will."
- St. Anselm of Canterbury, Chapter XXV, Proslogium.
From St. Irenaeus of Lyon:
"But we do now receive a certain portion of His Spirit, tending towards perfection, and preparing us for incorruption, being little by little accustomed to receive and bear God; which also the apostle terms "an earnest," that is, a part of the honour which has been promised us by God, where he says in the Epistle to the Ephesians, 'In which ye also, having heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, believing in which we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance.' This earnest, therefore, thus dwelling in us, renders us spiritual even now, and the mortal is swallowed up by immortality. 'For ye,' he declares, 'are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.' This, however does not take place by a casting away of the flesh, but by the impartation of the Spirit. For those to whom he was writing were not without flesh, but they were those who had received the Spirit of God, 'by which we cry, Abba, Father.' If therefore, at the present time, having the earnest, we do cry, 'Abba, Father,' what shall it be when, on rising again, we behold Him face to face; when all the members shall burst out into a continuous hymn of triumph, glorifying Him who raised them from the dead, and gave the gift of eternal life? For if the earnest, gathering man into itself, does even now cause him to cry, 'Abba, Father,' what shall the complete grace of the Spirit effect, which shall be given to men by God? It will render us like unto Him, and accomplish the will of the Father; for it shall make man after the image and likeness of God."
- St. Irenaeus, Book V, Chapter VIII, paragraph 1 from Against Heresies (a Refutation and Subversion of Knowledge Falsely so Called).
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