Heaven’s Happiness

by Jeffrey Essmann | April 23, 2025 1:00 am

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This week’s poem in the Catholic Poetry Room is by Margaret Coats.

Heaven’s Happiness

Foremost is seeing Jesus as He is,
The Son in wondrous glory beautiful,
Akin to us who are entirely His;
Ourselves like stars present a spectacle
Of glories varied, sparkling auras unique,
For virtues earned illumine each physique
Of health and strength forever at its peak.

Beholding the celestial city’s halls,
Those many mansions by Our Lord prepared,
We take distinctly gallant garden walks
Where saints drink torrents of God’s pleasure shared.
Abundance from His aumbry none can purchase,
But for such triumph would you not do service?
The sacraments provide compelling courage.

On earth we live in Fortitude and Fear
Of God, to render will and body strong.
The intellect seeks Understanding clear;
The spirit pines for Piety’s sweet song.
The memory treasures Knowledge well collected;
Imagination, Counsel’s warmth reflected.
In Wisdom shines the heart’s pure love perfected.

These seven gifts above bear dazzling fruit:
Art’s powers brighten, fully exercised.
The good, the true, and beauty absolute
Threaten no peril, being rightly prized.
An emerald-and-sapphire gated Galilee
Opens gold roads to silvery Castaly,
Through aisles of alleluias neighborly.

Our homeland echoes gratitude for grace.
The chosen gathered from earth’s farthest ends
Rejoice to see the heavenly Father’s face;
They eloquently greet fraternal friends,
As all in consecrated oratories
Exchange salvation’s fascinating stories,
Kindly rekindling one another’s glories.

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Margaret Coats is a retired teacher of literature, languages, and writing whose most extensive experience is in homeschooling for her own family and others. Her writings include verse translations from French, Latin, and Italian as well as original poetry acknowledging diverse poetic traditions.

Source URL: https://integratedcatholiclife.org/2025/04/poetry-heavens-happiness/

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