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 St. Augustine of Hippo: Tractates on the Gospel of John

TRACTATE 67 (JOHN 14:1-3)

But why have we this that follows, "In my Father's house are many mansions," but that they were also in fear about themselves? And therein they might have heard the words, "Let not your heart be troubled." For, was there any of them that could be free from fear, when Peter, the most confident and forward of them all, was told, "The cock shall not crow till thou hast denied me thrice"? Considering themselves, therefore, beginning with Peter, as destined to perish, they had cause to be troubled: but when they now hear, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you," they are revived from their trouble, made certain and confident that after all the perils of temptations they shall dwell with Christ in the presence of God. For, albeit one is stronger than another, one wiser than another, one more righteous than another, "in the Father's house there are many mansions;" none of them shall remain outside that house, where every one, according to his deserts, is to receive a mansion. All alike have that penny, which the householder orders to be given to all that have wrought in the vineyard, making no distinction therein between those who have labored less and those who have labored more: by which penny, of course, is signified eternal life, whereto no one any longer lives to a different length than others, since in eternity life has no diversity in its measure. But the many mansions point to the different grades of merit in that one eternal life. For there is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory; and so also the resurrection of the dead. The saints, like the stars in the sky, obtain in the kingdom different mansions of diverse degrees of brightness; but on account of that one penny no one is cut off from the kingdom; and God will be all in all in such a way, that, as God is love, love will bring it about that what is possessed by each will be common to all. For in this way every one really possesses it, when he loves to see in another what he has not himself. There will not, therefore, be any envying amid this diversity of brightness, since in all of them will be reigning the unity of love

 (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1701067.htm)

 No more time and space in heaven:

“But of this one thing be not ignorant, my beloved, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Pet 3:8)


3 posted on 03/28/2011 9:55:07 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: Salvation

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 FOR MORE INFO ON HEAVEN, SEE

http://www.catholic.net/rcc/Periodicals/Homiletic/04-97/1/1.html (Our Life in Heaven)

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/3543/heaven.htm

http://www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/trent/tcreed12.htm (Trent on heaven)

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07170a.htm (Catholic Encyclopedia on heaven)

http://www.cin.org/users/jgallegos/heaven.htm (Early Church Fathers on heaven & hell)

http://www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/aquinas/acreed12.htm (Thomas Aquinas on heaven and hell)

http://www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/baltimore/bcreed12.htm (Baltimore Catechism)

http://www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/pius/pcreed12.htm (St. Pius X)

http://www.oldcatholic.com/saints.html (The Saints in Heaven Intercede for Us)

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a11.htm (Catechism of the Catholic Church)

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p123a12.htm#1042 (Catechism)

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c2a6.htm#659 (Jesus ascended into heaven)

http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/most/getchap.cfm?WorkNum=212&ChapNum=24 (theologian William G. Most)

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4 posted on 03/28/2011 9:55:39 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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