God Incarnate, Heaven Incarnate

All good people look forward to that 'place' where there are no more tears, no more pain, and where we will 'see' God and be with God eternally.  On occasion, usually after losing a loved one, we ponder what this 'place' is really like.  The biblical words are written:

‘What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him.’

I, too, after the recent loss of my beloved mom, pondered this heavenly place. I considered it also when my dad had left this earth to go to the divine destiny.  I recently came to the full realization that to know, somewhat, what Heaven is like, I need to look no further than our Blessed Spiritual Mother, Mary.

When the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, it is understood Mary was 'enveloped' in the Holy 'personhood' of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To be 'enveloped' is to be 'totally wrapped up' . . . perhaps we can use the word 'swaddled' fully in God's presence or 'embodied' in God. This is to be part of Heaven! 

Mary's graced embodiment initially began when God conceived Mary’s soul, without that original sin that came to humanity when Eve and Adam had disobeyed God.  This 'Immaculate Conception' of Mary's soul can be said to be Mary's Baptism into the life of God.

With Mary's soul made pure, by God, Father, there came the time of Mary being visited by the angel, Gabriel, asking Mary to a special mission for God.  Mary's human body became the vessel for Jesus, God Incarnate, human and Divine in nature, to be actually born of Mary. Mary impregnated, though Mary had no relations with a man. In this mystery, it can be understood in spirit that Mary was the embodiment of Jesus Christ — who was the incarnation of God, Father. This first Holy Communion began a Holy Confirmation of God’s reconciliation with humanity again. Heaven was at hand!

Yes, Mary became the Mother of God and the visible sign of what would later be called Sacraments, conferring the inward grace of God's presence.

Just as the servants at Cana 'obeyed' (as Mary said: do what He tells you to do) and filled the empty vessels with water, though they hoped for wine, because of their faith in doing as HE said, what they saw with the natural eye differed as they tasted and discovered the water to be wine. When Christ instructed His Apostles: 'take and eat, this bread is my body,' 'take and drink, this drink is my blood,' this act of faith in what He says to do enables us to be changed. To be 'embodied' with the real presence of Jesus, God Incarnate.  Yes, all who hear God's word and with Faith in God obey what He says to do are being changed from a 'lowly body' to being enveloped in the Holy Presence of God. 

As stated in the Hail, Holy Queen prayer, our lowly body will leave this earthly valley of tears and rise as an uncorrupted 'glorified' body IN CHRIST, our life. 

Yes, the triune God who 'wholly embodied' Mary shows us that Heaven is incarnate. Heaven is a 'holy union' of body and soul.  Our lowly body will be raised as the 'uncorrupted' (sinless) body of Jesus Christ. It would seem
logical we will be embodied in Christ in Heaven at our particular judgment, as Christ took on our flesh when he came to earth. We will see FULLY the effects of every Act of Faith: Our Baptism, the Holy Communions we participate in, the asking forgiveness 7 x 70x as prompted by His Spirit.  We will see how our cooperation with these sanctifying graces of Christ’s Sacramental presence brought us to the service of God and neighbor, as God so showed us what we were to do. All the good we did on earth, in Christ, providing the shining glory of God to us, now with Him 'wholly.'  Not by our own 'work' will we be raised up (that no one should boast).

 So, what is Heaven like? Simply put, Faith tells me that in Heaven, we will retain our individual personhood yet be embodied in the glorified body of Christ. Just as was on earth, so it will remain in Heaven.