St. Paul addresses an issue that people often wonder about: Will we have a body in Heaven? The answer is yes, but it will be much more!
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 24th Week of the Year
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Tag Archives: Heaven
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross of Jesus Christ. Catholic Inspiration
The Cross of Christ reveals justice, humility and love as Christ triumphs over sin and death for the salvation of the world. We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you! For by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.
Mass Readings – The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
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Daily Mass: Running the great race to Heaven. Catholic Inspiration
St. Paul uses the image of an athlete to remind us that discipline, effort and commitment are also crucial elements of our spiritual life.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 23rd Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: We are servants and stewards for Christ. Catholic Inspiration
Paul reminds us that we are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God…called to be trustworthy as we offer our lives in this life for the day we stand before the Lord in the next.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 22nd Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: The Passion of John the Baptist. Catholic Inspiration
John the Baptist came to point others to Jesus, and his death inspires us to face our sufferings with fervent hope in Christ through His victory on the Cross.
Mass Readings – The Passion of St. John the Baptist
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Daily Mass: The final judgment. Catholic Inspiration
The Lord’s explanation of parable of the weeds reminds us of the reality of the Final Judgment and our opportunity today to seek Christ above all else.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 17th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: Choose the narrow path of God’s love. Catholic Inspiration
Loving God and others – especially when we find ourselves in difficult moments – challenges us to stretch and grow. Welcome to the narrow gate that leads to eternal life.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 12th Week of the Year
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Daily Mass: The Lord Jesus is triumphant over sin and death. Catholic Inspiration
The Book of Daniel offers a vision of the awesome power of Christ. As Jesus prompts his disciples to be vigilant, we too, are invited to actively look for ways that we can respond to the Lord’s call as allow God’s grace to flow through our hearts.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 34th Week of the Year
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32nd Sunday of the Year: Matters of life and death.
Study: What comes to mind when you think of Heaven? Have you or someone you know ever had a near-death experience? How does thinking of Heaven shape how you live your life?
Pray: Is there something that is keeping you away from God? Take time to pray and consider receiving the Sacrament of Confession.
Serve: Are there any tasks that you have neglected that would cause hardship to others if you died suddenly? What steps can you take to make sure that you are ready when the Lord calls you home?
Mass Readings – 32nd Sunday of the Year
Both the 1st Reading and the Gospel point to the resurrection of the dead. In the Second Book of Maccabees we hear how those who are tortured for their faith find hope in the resurrection to eternal life, and in the Gospel of Luke Jesus teaches the Sadducees that the dead will rise.
To talk about heaven is not some sort of “pie in the sky” thinking. We look to this world – where we experience birth, life and death – as a pilgrim progress. We are travelers passing through, confident that there is more to the journey when death comes our way.
This understanding of the resurrection of the dead is thus both a consolation and a challenge. As a consolation we have hope! We seek to love and know the Lord in this life so that we are prepared to be with him forever in heaven. Life on earth leads to the eternal; we find that our longings in this world point toward a fulfillment that comes in the next chapter of our story.
Yet the challenge is also real. Will we be prepared at the hour of our death? Will we look upon the face of Jesus with love, or will shame, fear, sin and vice drive us away? For in the end all will be fully known: either we will run to the Lord to seek his mercy for our sins, or we will run away because we see our sins as insurmountable obstacles.
The Church Fathers used the image of Holy Fire as a fitting example. When we are called from this life we will stand before the burning fire of God’s love. The elect will draw near to this fire for warmth (and very possibly) a cleansing that burns away all impurities. The damned will simply burn up…unable to receive the mercy and grace. Why? Because they did not acknowledge their sins and accept God’s mercy and forgiveness during their journey on earth.
As we head toward the end of the Liturgical Year and the Extraordinary Year of Mercy, I invite all of us to ponder life, death and resurrection – seeking the Lord’s saving grace in this life so that we are prepared to meet Jesus Christ in the eternal life to come.
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Note: This post was first published on October 31, 2016.
The Last Judgment, Michelangelo, 1536-1541, Sistine Chapel, Rome. Photo credit: Dennis Jarvis.
The Solemnity of All Saints. Catholic Inspiration
Do you want to be a saint? Saints are not passive persons parked on a cloud with a harp; saints are redeemed sinners who have hearts filled with the love of Christ who share that love with joy in Heaven. This is what God calls us to…this is what we are made for! Do you want to be a saint?
Mass Readings – Solemnity of All Saints
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