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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
What is our identity in Heaven?	lisa	Sunday, November 25, 2012
Question: Thank you for answering my question. Tonight I went to church and during the homily the priest said something that unsettled me. He said that when and if we go to heaven we likely won't recognize our "loved ones" because our identitiy would be In Christ only. This must seem selfish of me to be depressed a bit about this. I know it might seem silly, but I am kind of, to say the least, looking forward to seeing my dad who was quite a character and very humorous during his life on earth. I might want to communicate somehow with my father, in whatever way that may be. I may sound ignorant, but it seems kind of nonsensical to make so many different beautiful, individual personalities only for them to "meld" into Christ as if we have no separate identity anymore. He said we would NOT recognize each other, and "not to blame him" (he laughed sheepishly) because "Christ said this". Where in the gospels does He say this? I will believe what you tell me, because you are thorough in your explanations. I also trust that you know I am not trying to be disrespectful. I will be at peace with your answer.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r) Dear Lisa: Whoever this priest is who said that we will not recognize our loved ones in heaven, needs to be slapped upside the head. What nonsense. God says no such thing. Neither the Bible, nor the Church says such a thing. Ask him to prove his assertion. Consider the following: God calls us by name (Isaiah 43:2). A name is a specific identity Our bodies, which gives us unique identity, are resurrected and reunited with our souls (1 Thess 4:16; CCC 992-1004) Our souls have a unique identity (CCC 366) St John says that we do not know for sure what we will be like, but we will be like the resurrected Jesus (1 John 3:2). The resurrected Jesus was identifiable. St. Paul writes of the resurrected body in Philippians 3:19 and also 1st Corinthians 15. I am sure this priest is unaware of the implications of his words, but what he as said, as you have reported it, smacks of a New Age idea. There is a New Age idea that we all dissolve into a Cosmic Consciousness, or a Christ Consciousness, thus we have no personal identity. Such an idea is completely foreign and heretical (if actually proposed) in Christianity. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

What is our identity in Heaven?

lisa

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Question:

Thank you for answering my question.

Tonight I went to church and during the homily the priest said something that unsettled me. He said that when and if we go to heaven we likely won't recognize our "loved ones" because our identitiy would be In Christ only. This must seem selfish of me to be depressed a bit about this. I know it might seem silly, but I am kind of, to say the least, looking forward to seeing my dad who was quite a character and very humorous during his life on earth. I might want to communicate somehow with my father, in whatever way that may be. I may sound ignorant, but it seems kind of nonsensical to make so many different beautiful, individual personalities only for them to "meld" into Christ as if we have no separate identity anymore. He said we would NOT recognize each other, and "not to blame him" (he laughed sheepishly) because "Christ said this".

Where in the gospels does He say this?

I will believe what you tell me, because you are thorough in your explanations. I also trust that you know I am not trying to be disrespectful. I will be at peace with your answer.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OMSM(r)

Dear Lisa:

Whoever this priest is who said that we will not recognize our loved ones in heaven, needs to be slapped upside the head. What nonsense. God says no such thing. Neither the Bible, nor the Church says such a thing. Ask him to prove his assertion.

Consider the following:

God calls us by name (Isaiah 43:2). A name is a specific identity
Our bodies, which gives us unique identity, are resurrected and reunited with our souls (1 Thess 4:16; CCC 992-1004)
Our souls have a unique identity (CCC 366)
St John says that we do not know for sure what we will be like, but we will be like the resurrected Jesus (1 John 3:2). The resurrected Jesus was identifiable.
St. Paul writes of the resurrected body in Philippians 3:19 and also 1st Corinthians 15.

I am sure this priest is unaware of the implications of his words, but what he as said, as you have reported it, smacks of a New Age idea. There is a New Age idea that we all dissolve into a Cosmic Consciousness, or a Christ Consciousness, thus we have no personal identity. Such an idea is completely foreign and heretical (if actually proposed) in Christianity.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

For information on how to receive help see our Help page. We suggest that before contacting us directly for help you try the Seven Steps to Self-Deliverance. These self-help steps will often resolve the problem. Also our Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog contains many prayers that may be helpful. If needed you can ask for a Personal Consultation.