In the Church
there is an ancient custom of meditating upon what are known as the Four Last
Things, that is, Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. And, while we don’t
necessarily make it a point of thinking about those things that much anymore,
when we do, we find that we can appreciate what will happen when God will
change not only what they mean but what they are.
In fact, in our second reading, from the Book of Revelation, we are given a beautiful glimpse of what will happen when God brings forth a new Heaven and a new earth. For, He will not only bring restoration to the world, He will be with us in a new and completely different way, He will dwell among us removing all pain, sorrow, mourning and even death itself.
In essence this world that we see now will be made new, so that there will, essentially, be no difference between Heaven and earth, because, indeed, the old order of sin and death will, at last, have been destroyed.
In fact, that is the hope that the Easter season points and reminds us of, that is why when we mourn the loss of a loved one we, simultaneously, but not without difficulty, look forward to the Resurrection, because the Resurrection marks the beginning of this restoration, it marks the beginning of when God will make all things new, when He will, at last, be all in all.
That is why in meditating upon the Four Last Things, when we think about Heaven, it prepares us for us for what will happen to this earth, it gives us a glimpse of what The New Jerusalem will be, it reminds us that this earth will become like Eden once again.
For, in Heaven we are given what is called The Beatific Vision -- the very vision of God Himself, the place, condition and state of all happiness. In fact, in one of her visions, St. Faustina gives us a glimpse of this. She says: “I saw its [Heaven’s] 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.”
So that, when Heaven is earth, when God will dwell among us, we will be able to love as He loves, we will be able to fulfill that same commandment, to a greater degree, that Christ asks of His disciples and of us in our Gospel today.
Yet, that is why we are also asked to strive to bring the kingdom of God to earth now, to live in a broken world while trying to bring the restoration, the light of Christ to those who need it most.
It is said, that a journalist accompanied Bl. Mother Teresa as she made her rounds, caring, as she did, for the sick and the dying. One of the men had a horrible wound that gave off a foul odor. Bl. Mother Teresa, went over to that man, calmly washed the wound, all the while speaking softly to him. After she finished and they were walking away, the journalist said, “I wouldn't do that for all the gold in the world.”
Mother Teresa replied, “Neither would I.”
To love, we need to know love at its source, we need to know God and to know love as He loves allowing us to love to a greater capacity than we could ever know.
And, truly, that is what Heaven is all about, that is what the new Heaven will one day be, and that is what we strive to live every day. That God be our source, our foundation, and our motivation in this life, so that we can create within our souls, a capacity and a longing for Heaven and a desire to be known as His disciples, to be known as Christians, to, indeed, be known by our love.
In fact, in our second reading, from the Book of Revelation, we are given a beautiful glimpse of what will happen when God brings forth a new Heaven and a new earth. For, He will not only bring restoration to the world, He will be with us in a new and completely different way, He will dwell among us removing all pain, sorrow, mourning and even death itself.
In essence this world that we see now will be made new, so that there will, essentially, be no difference between Heaven and earth, because, indeed, the old order of sin and death will, at last, have been destroyed.
In fact, that is the hope that the Easter season points and reminds us of, that is why when we mourn the loss of a loved one we, simultaneously, but not without difficulty, look forward to the Resurrection, because the Resurrection marks the beginning of this restoration, it marks the beginning of when God will make all things new, when He will, at last, be all in all.
That is why in meditating upon the Four Last Things, when we think about Heaven, it prepares us for us for what will happen to this earth, it gives us a glimpse of what The New Jerusalem will be, it reminds us that this earth will become like Eden once again.
For, in Heaven we are given what is called The Beatific Vision -- the very vision of God Himself, the place, condition and state of all happiness. In fact, in one of her visions, St. Faustina gives us a glimpse of this. She says: “I saw its [Heaven’s] 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.”
So that, when Heaven is earth, when God will dwell among us, we will be able to love as He loves, we will be able to fulfill that same commandment, to a greater degree, that Christ asks of His disciples and of us in our Gospel today.
Yet, that is why we are also asked to strive to bring the kingdom of God to earth now, to live in a broken world while trying to bring the restoration, the light of Christ to those who need it most.
It is said, that a journalist accompanied Bl. Mother Teresa as she made her rounds, caring, as she did, for the sick and the dying. One of the men had a horrible wound that gave off a foul odor. Bl. Mother Teresa, went over to that man, calmly washed the wound, all the while speaking softly to him. After she finished and they were walking away, the journalist said, “I wouldn't do that for all the gold in the world.”
Mother Teresa replied, “Neither would I.”
To love, we need to know love at its source, we need to know God and to know love as He loves allowing us to love to a greater capacity than we could ever know.
And, truly, that is what Heaven is all about, that is what the new Heaven will one day be, and that is what we strive to live every day. That God be our source, our foundation, and our motivation in this life, so that we can create within our souls, a capacity and a longing for Heaven and a desire to be known as His disciples, to be known as Christians, to, indeed, be known by our love.
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