Have you ever wondered what the souls of Heaven are like? Follow along with Saint Anselm of Canterbury as he mediates upon the attributes of those souls who have entered into life eternal, including their physical strength, their freedom, and their perfect well-being.
The Immensity of the Strength of Those in Heaven
After beauty and velocity, we may consider strength as the next desirable quality, which shall be enjoyed in its perfection in heaven. It is obvious that all beings naturally prefer to be endowed with strength than to suffer from weakness and infirmity. For all those who attain the state
of heaven and merit to be numbered amongst the citizens of the celestial Jerusalem, they shall possess such immense strength and power that nothing shall be able to prevent them from performing anything they wish. And there will be no force which is able to remove or overturn them from their state of eternal bliss in the love of God. And they will be able to employ the enormous strength which has been granted to them with no more effort than it currently takes us to blink our eyes!
Let no one be surprised or astonished by this. For in heaven, we shall be truly like the angels. Whatever the angels are able to do, we also shall be able to do. I firmly believe that there is no sane person who would believe tha the holy angels do not possess the strength to do whatever they wish to do. Indeed, since the will of the holy angels and saints accords perfectly with the will of God in all matters, it follows that whatsoever they wish shall always be accomplished in accordance with the indisputable omnipotence of God.
But perhaps someone may object, saying that since in eternal life there is no change or alteration, there will be no action, and hence there will be no need or opportunity to exercise such strength. This is true. But we would offer a simple reply to such people. It is well known that in this mortal life a person may possess strength and abilities without ever actually bringing them into action, and a person may possess knowledge or skill without always making use of such knowledge or skill. In the same way, in heaven, we shall have at our disposal vast reserves of strength and power, even if there is no need to put them into action. For the very possession of the capacity will itself be pleasing and the source of exultation, even in the state of unchanging eternity.
This same observation applies with regard to the matter of velocity, previously discussed, and any other such qualities. If anyone objects that certain qualities (such as strength or velocity) have no possible applicability within the timeless and changeless realm of the celestial paradise, we respond that there is a joy and exultation simply in the possession of such qualities, which is not by any means dependent upon their active use.
The Unimpaired Freedom of the Saints in Heaven
Next, following the order we have proposed, we shall proceed to consider the perfect and unimpaired freedom enjoyed by the saints in heaven. Freedom is loved and esteemed no less by the celestial spirits and the souls of the blessed than it is valued and desired by we mortal human beings. Since we shall be endowed with the similitude of the angels when we are in heaven, we shall enjoy a liberty which is similar to theirs in every respect.
There is absolutely nothing which is able to constrain or restrict the holy angels. Rather, as has been noted, they are able to do all things in accordance with their will. This will, of course, is always in perfect harmony and agreement with the will of God Himself. So the unfettered liberty of the angels is a reflection of the perfect and transcendent liberty of God.
Similarly, in heaven, we shall encounter no obstacles or restrictions whatsoever. There shall be no enclosure which is able to detain us, nor any restraint which is able to obstruct us. In a similar way, the body of the Lord, after His resurrection, could not be held by the tomb. After His rising from the dead, He was able to pass through walls and closed doors with perfect freedom. And, as Saint Paul testifies, our own bodies shall be conformed to His. How great and utterly unfettered, then, shall be the liberty and freedom in which we shall rejoice within the celestial paradise!
The Perfect Well-Being of the Souls in Heaven
We may truly say that well-being is something which is loved and desired by all human beings. And concerning this condition of well-being, what may be said which is better or more true than that which the Psalmist declares that “the well-being of the just comes from the Lord”? And to those to whom the Lord gives this gift of well-being, what illness or infirmity could possibly prevail against them? Yet I do not see what I could offer as an adequate example or illustration of the well-being which we shall possess in heaven. For I perceive nothing like it in myself, nor in anybody else who dwells within this mortal flesh, which is comparable to the condition of perfect and unassailable well-being and health which we shall possess in the next world.
In this present time, we often believe that we are perfectly well when we do not consciously sense any particular pain. But we are deceiving ourselves in thinking this way. For often some part of our body may be injured or impaired, but we are not aware of this injury until something specifically aggravates or agitates it.
And for those who believe themselves to be completely well and in perfect health, how can we test whether this is really true? Take any apparently healthy and sound human body, whose possessor considers themselves to be in a condition of perfect well-being. Now, if you apply particular pressure to any part of that body or strike it with any degree of force, immediately the person will exclaim, “Stop that! You’re hurting me.” And did they not declare themselves to be in a state of perfect well-being just a moment before? But as soon as a little pressure is applied to them, they experience pain or annoyance. Do you believe that the state which they are in may be called well-being if it may so readily become suffering? I think not!
Thus, the present fragile condition which we describe as “health,” yet which is still liable to pain, cannot be compared to the state of well-being which the Lord has promised us in the future. As Scripture declares, “God shall wash away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no mourning or weeping, nor any pain, for the previous things have passed away.” And again, “They shall not hunger nor thirst anymore, nor shall the burning sun with its scorching heat fall upon them.” And, “God shall protect them with his right hand and shall defend them with his holy arm.”
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This article is taken from a chapter in The Glories of Heaven by St. Anselm of Canterbury which is available from TAN Books.
