Last time we spoke on the Apostle’s Creed we presented the 11th article, “the resurrection of the body,” wherein we profess that on the last day, all men shall receive their own bodies back and receive public sentencing: the wicked for hell and the just for heaven.  In the next and last article, “and life everlasting,” we profess our belief that in a life of eternal happiness.

When we say, “everlasting life,”
we profess belief in a life which is united to God and that this life is without end.  “I have come that they may have  life and have it more abundantly.”   (Jn 6:47); “Amen, amen, I say unto you: He that believes in Me, has life everlasting.” (Jn 10:10)

By “everlasting life” we mean something more than simply dwelling in some starry heaven after the end of time.  We mean a type of life begun here on earth which will simply continue when God calls us from this earth.  “He that believes in Me has life everlasting.”  This is the present tense.  We are now either living in this heaven or living in hell.

Everlasting life begins at baptism, whether by water or desire; it is lost by sin.  This life is now, as it were, the bud of a flower, alive by charity and lived in hope; the full and permanent reality and blossom of this life shall be enjoyed only after our bodily death. 

Everlasting life begins on earth and blossoms in heaven.  The preface of the Requiem Mass says this succinctly, “Tuis enim fidelibus, Domine, vita mutatur, non tollitur.”  For to Thy saints, O Lord, life is changed, not taken away.”

In heaven our everlasting life shall but continue.  Our life shall be changed in that we will no longer fear losing God’s friendship.  In that heavenly sphere, the vision of God shall fill the just with such a  plentitude of joy that they will have no other desire but Him.  Besides this primary and indispensable joy, however, various joys from creatures (accessory joy) shall be obtained... one of these will be in friendships.

On this topic, St. Thomas writes, (from small catechism)
“Eternal life consists in the pleasant companionship of all the blessed, a companionship that is replete with delight, since each one will possess all the good things together with the blessed.  They will all love one another as themselves, and therefore will rejoice in the happiness of other’s goods (rewards) as their own.  Consequently, the joy and gladness of one will be as great as the joy of all: ‘The dwelling in thee is as it were of all rejoicing.’” (Ps 86:7) 
 
Now it is difficult to conjure an idea of the joy in heaven awaiting the just... “eye has not seen nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to know the things which the Lord has laid up for those who love Him.”   We might image that in heaven a bit of chocolate tastes ten times better than on earth, a sunset looks a thousands times more beautiful, a piece of music thrills the ear million times over... but all of these images will fail.  Heaven is more a communication or exchange of persons than of things.  I enjoy chocolate but chocolate cannot enjoy me; sunlight may enter my eye, but it does not enter me.  I may say, “I love chocolate,” but chocolate can not respond, “and I love you.”.
 
 More than sensual delights, heaven will be enjoyed in friendships, between God and man and among men themselves.  A better analogy of what joy awaits the just will be obtained by considering friendships we now have on earth.  For if what I have said so far be true, if life united to God is possible, if this everlasting life begins even now, and if friendship shall be some added source of joy for us in heaven, then through friendships on earth we should see something of the eternal joy to come. 

In Psalm 132, tells us, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” ... to such the Lord gives blessing and life for evermore.

In his commentary on this Psalm, St. Robert Bellarmine writes,
“As nothing is more gratifying to God than to see brethren living together, united in peace and harmony, he pours down all manner of favors on them; not only temporary or transient favors, but eternal.  It was for such reason that to the blessing he adds, ‘And life for evermore’ all of which we enjoy here in hope; and when we get to our Country, we shall enjoy the reality.”

So what may this everlasting life be like...  Think of all those persons in your life who as we say, ‘are a joy to be around:’ someone with whom we may have a free exchange of the heart, without worry of criticism, backbiting; someone with whom we may trust ourselves without fear of betrayal; someone who is more eager to build us up than tear us down, wants our success not failure; someone who inspires us towards God and virtue, not sin or gossip; someone who does not manipulate to get his way, but truly pursues our happiness; someone who is a source of comfort, who easily excuses our defects, not use them against us; someone who strives to see the good in all things, not the bad; in short, someone who is another Christ to us who we have every good reason to believe that he would lay down his life for our true good,... now multiply that friendship a million times and beyond.  Imagine the joy of all these people dwelling together in unity.  And that shall be some faint image of the joy of eternal life in blossom.