168. The fullness of joy
168. THE FULLNESS OF JOY
This highest joy that proceeds from charity—is it finite or infinite in Heaven? If it is only finite, we can always desire more of it than we have, and then, it seems, we will be frustrated forever, since the gap between desire and complete satisfaction will remain. But if joy is infinite, then we can eventually get to the top of the mountain of joy, and then we will be bored and lament that there are no more mountains to climb.
Also, if we and our joys are finite forever, even in Heaven, then one person’s joy must be greater than another’s. (This conclusion also follows from the principle of justice, which demands unequal rewards for unequal loves.) But how can I be content with my lesser joy, if I know it is lesser?
Whether the spiritual joy which proceeds from charity can be filled?
Our Lord said to His disciples (Jn 15:11): That My joy may be in you and your joy may be filled. . . .
Joy is compared to desire as rest to movement . . . rest is full when there is no more movement. Hence joy is full when there remains nothing to be desired. But as long as we are in this world the movement of desire does not cease in us. . . . However, when once perfect happiness has been attained, nothing will remain to be desired because then there will be full enjoyment of God, wherein man will obtain whatever he had desired, even with regard to other goods, according to Psalm 102:5: Who satisfieth thy desire with good things. Hence desire will be at rest, not only our desire for God but all our desires; so that the joy of the blessed is full to perfection—indeed, over-full, since they will obtain more than they were capable of desiring, for neither hath it entered into the heart of an, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him (1 Cor 2:9). . . .
Yet . . . this perfectly full joy is not taken into man but, on the contrary, man enters into it, according to Matthew 25:21: Enter into the joy of thy Lord. . .
Each one’s joy will be full with regard to himself because his desire will be fully set at rest. Yet one’s joy will be greater than another’s on account of a fuller participation of the divine happiness (II-II,28,3).
Yes, our joy will be total, totally fulfilled. Yet it will be finite.
The will has two relations to its object, the good: desire for it, insofar as this good is not yet present, and enjoyment of it when the good is present. All desire for good will be fulfilled and quieted in Heaven, because God is our whole good, and God will be perfectly present to us in Heaven. Everything desired and desirable will be present in God. Our desire will be at rest. However, our will’s enjoyment of this totally present good will continue and increase forever. This is possible because its object, God, is infinite and inexhaustible, while our appreciation of it is finite.
Courtship and marriage is an analogy. Courtship seeks a good not yet present (marriage, union). Marriage enjoys a present good, and this love and appreciation of the spouse can continue to increase forever, like the series of positive integers. It is potentially infinite. Only God is actually infinite.
Thus, since all desire will be satisfied by God’s presence, there will be no frustration, no unsatisfied desire. But there will be no boredom either because enjoyment will be constantly new. And enjoyment, unlike desire, is not frustrated by absence but blessed by presence.
We are finite but the object of our joy, God, is infinite. Thus, in the bull’s-eye accuracy of the words of Scripture quoted by St. Thomas, this joy does not enter into us but we enter into it. (See the last two chapters of St. Anselm’s Proslogium for a beautiful meditation on this.)
Since our joy, like ourselves, will be finite, each one’s joy will be different in quantity as well as quality. But there will be no envy (the world’s stupidest sin, the only sin that never causes even fake joy), but only perfect charity’s rejoicing in each other’s joy.