Why Catholic Prayer Depends on an Accurate Vision of Heaven
The goal of all Catholic spirituality is to get to Heaven. But if we have a messed up view of Heaven, how are we supposed to know how to get there? An inaccurate view of Heaven can seriously interfere with your prayer life because to misunderstand Heaven is to misunderstand your relationship with God.
You do want to get to Heaven, right?
Many people think that Heaven is a reward for being good. They understand Heaven as a paradise where all our needs are met and where they will be eternally happy. And they think that they will “earn” this paradise by being a mostly good person whose good deeds outweigh their sins, or they will get there as long as they die after they go to Confession but before they commit another mortal sin. Does that reflect the definition you put in above? Don’t feel bad – it’s a common understanding of Heaven that we sometimes just take for granted. However, it leads to some problematic thinking.
The main problem with this understanding of Heaven is that it isn’t Christian. It is actually a pagan Greek view of the afterlife and it is totally inadequate to the promise of Christ. The Greeks saw the afterlife as a shadow of real life. The real joys and sorrows happened in the physical world. Good people and heroes went to the Elysian Fields, a sort of paradise where there were no pains or sorrow, but their happiness was nothing more than a vague peace. The wicked went to the realm of Hades where they received eternal punishments that best fitted their wickedness. Going to the Elysian Fields mostly meant avoiding eternal punishment. Think of the saccharine views of Heaven – floating on a cloud, strumming a harp . . . Really the same thing as the Elysian Fields, right?
So what is Heaven?
Heaven is actually an eternal soul-to-soul intimate, loving relationship with God. United in Jesus Christ through Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, we actually become part of the very life of the Holy Trinity. That is our first and main source of eternal happiness. But we will also be in Heaven as full human beings – with our bodies and our spirits, and our bodies and spirits will be perfected and glorified. Did you know that the purpose of Creation is to establish a Covenant between God and humanity? God created the universe in order to build a Holy Family with us. All creation is a sign of that Covenant – and therefore a sign of God’s love for us. All of the expressions of God’s love that we receive in this created world will also be in Heaven in some way. We will not be in some shadowy existence in Heaven. We will be actively involved in receiving God’s goodness, truth and love, and sharing it with each other.
What Does This Have to Do With Catholic Prayer?
Our vision of Heaven shapes how we pray. If we see Heaven as a reward for doing good, we’re more likely to approach prayer as a duty to be done to gain points with God or to get into his favor. With an accurate vision of God, we approach prayer completely differently. If Heaven is a relationship with God, so is prayer. The primary purpose of prayer is not to get into God or to manipulate him to do what we want. The main purpose of prayer is to make ourselves present to God, to grow in intimacy with Him, and to build our relationship with Him. Approaching prayer as a relationship is an amazingly powerful change in vision that will make prayer more meaningful and enjoyable.
This is just one of the many important lessons on Catholic prayer that we can learn from
Once you have established yourself in the habit of daily prayer, it’s time to go deeper down the spiritual path and grow in intimacy with God.
Your Next Action Step
Are you ready to deepen your relationship with God? From the Abbey can help you rediscover the joy of learning about God with our online educational courses and articles, and of living the faith with our online spirituality programs such as Practical Prayer. In the banner below you’ll find an invitation to take your next step with us. I encourage you to join us!
Brought to you by Jeffrey S. Arrowood at From the Abbey, dedicated to helping you rediscover the JOY of learning and living your faith so you can grow in intimacy with God.