For centuries, Christian mystics have been graced with extraordinary visions of Heaven—glimpses into the eternal glory that awaits the faithful. While Scripture provides a foundation for our understanding of Heaven, the mystical experiences of saints offer a breathtaking and deeply personal view of its wonders. Among those who have been granted such visions are St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Gertrude the Great. Their accounts, filled with awe and divine love, provide us with a profound meditation on the eternal joy that awaits.
St. Faustina Kowalska: The Ocean of Divine Light and Love
St. Faustina Kowalska (1905–1938), the Apostle of Divine Mercy, was granted a vision of Heaven that left her overwhelmed by its beauty. In her Diary, she recorded her experience:
"Today I was in spirit in Heaven and I saw its inconceivable beauties and the happiness that awaits us after death. I saw how all creatures give ceaseless praise and glory to God. I saw how great is happiness in God, which spreads to all creatures, making them happy. And then all the glory and praise which springs from this happiness returns to its source; and they enter into the depths of God, contemplating the inner life of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, whom they will never comprehend or fathom." (Diary, 777)
She described Heaven as a place of pure joy, beyond human comprehension, where love reigns supreme:
"This source of happiness is unchanging in its essence, but it is always new, gushing forth happiness for all creatures."
Faustina also affirmed that no earthly suffering can compare to the joy of Heaven:
"This great happiness in God is completely beyond understanding, and no soul can comprehend it unless she enters into the light of God. But even at that, He makes Himself known to us only in part. And this we shall understand only when we enter eternal life."
St. Catherine of Siena: The City of Light and the Fire of Divine Love
St. Catherine of Siena (1347–1380), one of the greatest mystics and a Doctor of the Church, also experienced visions of Heaven. She described it as a city of divine light, where souls are fully united with God. In The Dialogue, she records:
"The blessed ones exult in My eternal vision, sharing in My goodness with the affection of love. Their desires are full, for they have what they desired, and their desire, being full, is at rest in My eternal vision. They are established in love for Me and for their neighbors, and they rejoice in sharing the good that they have, tasting in Me the delight of the love they have received." (The Dialogue, 41)
Catherine describes Heaven as a place of unceasing love, where every soul is perfectly satisfied, yet eternally drawn deeper into God’s presence. She emphasizes that the joy of Heaven is not static, but ever-growing:
"Their joy is so great that no one could comprehend it, for they see Me, who am all Good, and they share in that Good with a new freshness that does not fade."
She also speaks of Heaven’s intense, purifying light:
"They are clothed in the brilliant garment of My eternal will, and their life is in My Son, the Word, in such a way that they are transformed into Me with no resistance."
St. Gertrude the Great: The Palace of Eternal Splendor
St. Gertrude the Great (1256–1302), a Benedictine mystic known for her deep union with Christ, was also granted visions of Heaven. She described it as a majestic palace where souls are filled with unimaginable joy. In her Revelations, she wrote:
"I beheld the celestial abode, radiant with divine splendor, where each soul had a dwelling-place according to the degree of love with which they had served God on earth. The whole place was filled with an ineffable harmony, and the saints, clothed in garments of resplendent glory, rejoiced ceaselessly in the vision of God."
She further described the intimacy with Christ that souls experience in Heaven:
"The soul, in being united with God, is immersed in an ocean of delights beyond description. The light of divine love pervades all, and the saints rejoice in the eternal embrace of their Creator, never ceasing in their hymns of praise."
For Gertrude, Heaven was not only a place but an eternal experience of being loved completely by God—a never-ending immersion in divine joy.
Conclusion: A Foretaste of Heaven
The visions of these great mystics reveal that Heaven is beyond human comprehension—a realm of radiant light, ceaseless love, and perfect union with God. It is a place where all desires are fulfilled, yet the joy is ever new. The saints remind us that our true home is not on earth, but in the eternal presence of God, where we will one day join in the heavenly chorus of praise.
May their words ignite in us a longing for Heaven and a renewed commitment to live our lives in holiness, so that one day, we too may behold the eternal glory they glimpsed.