The Beatific Vision

13 Dec

O brighter than that glorious morn shall this fair morning be,
when Christ, our King, in beauty comes, and we His face shall see.

The good sisters at St. Mary’s in Griffith told us often that there is nothing more special for our soul than to realize the beatific vision. To see God face to face for all eternity is the hope of every soul. That was a hard concept to consider, especially for a third grader. That is when I first began to hear about the beatific vision. Many a theologian defines the beatific vision as the ultimate direct self-communication of God to the individual person. That is most certainly a mouthful!

I remember speaking about this with a spiritual director many years ago. His response was at once entertaining and enlightening. He told me that the beatific vision would be the moment when we saw God face to face in all of His glory, would see ourselves as God sees us (as His image and likeness), and would be able to ask any question that we wanted. The only thing about that, my spiritual director said, was that none of our questions would matter anymore because we were seeing God face to face and that is the only thing that our soul truly desires.

Intellectually, I would try to argue that point to myself. I have, after all, many questions that I would like to ask God. I am sure that we all have questions that we want answered. However, as I ponder that, I could easily concede that, standing face to face with God and seeing nothing but pure and eternal love, nothing else would matter. The trials of this life, the searching and longing, the doubt and despair all would mean nothing because my soul’s goal would be right in front of me.

Don’t get so lost in your questions about life that you fail to see God as He reveals Himself to you on a daily basis. Knowing that everything is seen through frail, mortal eyes, ask God to make Himself more clear to you today.

FAITH ACTION: Ask God to reveal Himself to you this day in the people you encounter and the experiences that come your way.