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WE HAVE spoken of essential beatitude, which consists
in the immediate vision of God and in the love which
flows from this vision. But the Lord, so rich in mercy
for His elect, adds to essential beatitude a joy in
created good, a joy which corresponds to their
aspirations. This is what we call accidental beatitude.
This accidental beatitude is found in the society of
friends: in general joy at the good deeds done on
earth: in the special recompense given to certain
classes, the halo of virgins, for example, of doctors,
and of martyrs: in the resurrection and in the
qualities of the glorious body.
Accidental Beatitude in the Soul
In regard to those whom they have known and loved on
earth, the saints receive, besides the beatific vision
in Verbo, also new knowledge extra Verbum. It is an
accidental joy to learn, for example, of the spiritual
progress, of their friends on earth, to see them
entering heaven. This knowledge extra Verbum, is
inferior to the beatific vision. Hence some call it the
evening vision, contrasted with the morning vision
which sees created things in God. [614]
Further, each soul is happy to be honored by God, by
the friends of God, especially by those who shine by
wisdom. [615] Each has a special joy in seeing his own
good recognized and appreciated, good which he
accomplished on earth in the midst of great
difficulties.
Special recompense will be given for victories gained
against the flesh, the world, and the devil: the halo
of virgins, for victory against the concupiscence of
the flesh: the halo of the martyrs for victory over
persecutors: the halo of doctors for victory over
ignorance, errors, infidelity, heresy, over the spirit
of division and negation. This halo belongs, not only
to those who have publicly taught sacred science, by
word or by pen, but also to those who have taught in
private fashion when occasion presented itself. [616]
"They that instruct many to justice shall shine as
stars for all eternity." [617] This halo belongs, first
to the spirit, then, after the resurrection, to the
body, just as the essential glory of the soul is
reflected in the body raised from the dead.
Resurrection of the Flesh
To accidental beatitude belongs also the resurrection
of the body and the characteristics of the glorified
body. [618] The resurrection is a dogma of faith. It
was denied by the Sadducees, the Manicheans, the
Albigensians, the Socinians, and is denied today by
rationalists.
We must say first: If a good number of those who died
(e.g., Lazarus and the son of the widow of Naim) were
recalled to life by our Lord, and later by the apostles
and other saints, what can hinder our immortal soul,
made by nature to inform and vivify its body, from
being reunited forever to that body, though in
different degrees of merit and demerit?
This revealed truth, defined by the Church, [619] is
supported by numerous Scripture texts. The Fourth
Council of the Lateran gave this definition: All will
arise, each with his own body which he had upon earth,
to receive what each has merited, according as his
works were good or bad.
The universal resurrection, then, is of faith. This
resurrection requires at least that there be essential
identity between the risen body and the body which the
soul had while it was still in union with the body.
According to certain writers [620] this suffices,
because the soul, being a substantial form, gives to
the body its specific life, even the actuality which we
call corporeity. Nevertheless theologians hold
commonly, with St. Thomas, that it must also be
individually the same body, that is to say, it must
contain at least a part of the matter which was
formerly in that body. Otherwise how could we say that
each one will rise in his own body which he had on
earth? How could we say that this individual body rises
from the dead? [621] St. Paul says: "For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal
must put on immortality." [622] The Catechism of the
Council of Trent speaks as follows: "Each of us will
rise with the body which we had on earth, which was
corrupted in the tomb, and reduced to dust." [623] This
is the uniform testimony both of Scripture and of
tradition.
In the book of Job we read: "I shall be clothed again
with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my God; whom
I myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not
another." [624] Isaias says: "Thy dead men shall live,
my slain shall rise again! Awake and give praise, ye
that dwell in the dust." [625] Daniel speaks as
follows: "Many of those that sleep in the dust of the
earth shall awake, some unto life everlasting, and
others unto reproach." [626] In the Second Book of
Machabees, one of the martyrs says to his judge: "Thou
indeed, O most wicked man, destroyest us out of this
present life, but the King of the world will raise us
up, who die for His laws, in the resurrection of
eternal life." [627]
Jesus defends the resurrection against the Sadducees.
"Fear ye not them that kill the body and are not able
to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that can destroy
both soul and body in hell." [628] Again: "Concerning
the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that
which was spoken by God saying to you: I am the God of
Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He
is not the God of the dead but of the living." [629]
In the Gospel of St. John our Lord is still more
explicit: "The hour cometh wherein all that are in the
graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they
that have done good things shall come forth unto the
resurrection of life; but they that have done evil unto
the resurrection of judgment." [630] Again: "He that
eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath everlasting
life, and I will raise him up in the last day." [631]
St. Paul [632] proves the possibility of the
resurrection by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ. "If the dead rise not again, neither is Christ
risen again, and if Christ be not risen again, your
faith is vain, for you are yet in your sins." "For by a
man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the
dead. And as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all
shall be made alive, but everyone in his own order, . .
. and the enemy, death, shall be destroyed last." [633]
St. Paul announces the same mystery to the Athenians,
[634] to the Governor Felix, [635] to the
Thessalonians. [636]
The Fathers of the second century speak explicitly of
this dogma. [637] Martyrs proclaim it at their death.
[638]
Reason cannot give a demonstrative proof of this truth,
but it can give high reasons of appropriateness. These
reasons are thus expressed by the Catechism of the
Council of Trent: "The first is that our souls, which
are only a part of ourselves, are immortal, and retain
forever their natural inclination to union with the
body." [639] Hence it seems contrary to nature that
they should forever remain separated from their bodies.
Now that which is contrary to nature is in a state of
violence and cannot last long. Hence it is very
appropriate that the soul be united to its body again
and that the body be raised to life. [640] The soul is
naturally the form of the body, hence it groans at the
idea of separation. Therefore it should not be deprived
forever of this body. [641]
A second reason is found in the infinite justice of
God, who has established punishments for the wicked and
rewards for the good. Hence it is appropriate that the
souls be reunited to their bodies in order that these
bodies, which have been instruments, whether of good or
of evil, partake with the soul in the awards and
punishments deserved. This thought was developed by St.
John Chrysostom [642] in a homily to the people of
Antioch.
In the case of the wicked the body has taken part in
deeds of iniquity, in criminal voluptuousness. In the
case of the good the body has been in the service of
the soul in the accomplishment of good works, sometimes
heroic works, in devotion, in the apostolate, in
martyrdom. Further, the bodies of the just are temples
of the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says. Hence the
resurrection of the body is highly appropriate, that
the soul may lack nothing in its state of felicity.
Here we see, together with the justice of God, also His
wisdom and His goodness.
A third reason is drawn from the victory of Christ over
sin and the devil, which victory consequently triumphs
over death which is a consequence of sin. He won this
victory over death by His own resurrection and by that
of His Blessed Mother. Hence it is appropriate, since
He is to be the Savior of humanity, body and soul, that
He win also the definitive victory over death by
universal resurrection.
The Catechism of the Council of Trent speaks thus: "O
wonderful restoration of our nature, for which we are
indebted to the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ over
death ! " [643] Holy Scripture is explicit on this
point: "He shall cast death down headlong forever."
[644] Osee says: "O death, I will be thy death." [645]
St. Paul explaining this last word fears not to say
that, after all the other enemies, death itself will be
destroyed. [646]
We read in St. John: "Death shall be no more." [647] It
is supremely appropriate that the merits of Jesus
Christ, which destroyed the empire of death, be
infinitely more efficacious than the sin of Adam. [648]
The Qualities of the Glorious Body
St. Paul speaks thus: "One is the glory of the
celestial bodies and another of the terrestrial: one is
the glory of the sun, another the glory of the moon,
and another the glory of the stars, for star differs
from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the
dead. It is sown in corruption, it shall rise in
incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it shall rise in
glory; it is sown in weakness, it shall rise in power;
it is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual
body." [649]
Following this doctrine, theologians distinguish four
chief qualities in the glorified body: impassibility,
subtility, agility, and clarity.
Impassibility is the gift which preserves not only from
death, but also from pain. [650] It arises from the
perfect submission of the body to the soul. [651]
Agility delivers bodies from the heaviness which weighs
down the present life. The risen body can go where the
soul pleases, with a swiftness and ease which St.
Jerome [652] compares to that of the eagle.
Subtility renders the body capable of penetrating other
bodies without difficulty. Thus the glorious body of
the risen Christ entered the Cenacle though the doors
were closed. [653]
Clarity gives to the body of the saints that
brightness, that splendor, which is the very essence of
the beautiful. Our Lord [654] says: "Then shall the
just shine as the sun in the kingdom of their father."
To give an idea of this quality, He was transfigured
before His apostles on Thabor. [655] St. Paul says:
"Jesus Christ will reform the body of our lowness, made
like to the body of His glory." [656] The Israelites in
the desert [657] saw an image of this glory on the
forehead of Moses, after He had seen God and received
God's words. He was so luminous that their eyes could
not endure the splendor.
This clarity is but a reflection, an overflowing, of
the glory of the soul on that of the body. [658] Hence
the bodies of the saints will not all have the same
degree of clarity, but each will have the degree
proportioned to its light of glory. Thus St. Paul says:
"Star differeth from star in glory, so also is the
resurrection of the dead." [659]
Lastly, our senses will find a pure and ineffable joy
in the humanity of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin, the choir
of the saints, the beauties of the renovated world, the
chants of adoration and thanksgiving in the city of
God. Such will be the accidental beatitude of heaven
after the renovation of the world. [660]
What fruits follow on the knowledge of this mystery to
which nature gives us no right to aspire? The Lord has
deigned to reveal these things to the little ones,
whereas He has hidden them from the wise and prudent.
[661] The first fruit is thankgiving. Second, the
control of passion in the service of a holy life, such
a life as the Lord expects from us in our own
particular conditions. Third, consolation in seeing our
dear ones die. Lastly, courage in suffering. Job
consoled himself by the hope of seeing the Lord, his
God, on the day of resurrection. [662] The splendor
which appears at times on the face of saints, e.g., of
St. Dominic and St. Francis, is the prelude to the
brightness of eternity. [663]
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