The Happiness of Heaven: Mansions

After the resurrection of the body, the blessed in heaven will find an increase of happiness. For then their happiness will be that of the complete man, body and soul, and not of the soul alone.

The degrees of heavenly happiness are called mansions.A mansion is literally a remaining. It is a goal attained in which the attainer rests or remains. It is the reaching of the home for which one strives and is a remaining in it, a dwelling there. Now the heavenly city or kingdom has “many mansions,” as our Lord says (John 14:2). Each of the blessed finds his mansion in the degree of reward and happiness which heattains in heaven.

The various mansions of heaven are distinguished according to the degrees of charity (which is love and friendship with God by grace) in the blessed themselves. For in each of the saints or blessed, their degree of charity determines the measure of the light of glory which is imparted to them; this, in turn,determines their degree of reward and happiness, that is, their mansion.