DAILY HOMILIES #heaven

Today, Jesus tells us that if we desire to be great in the kingdom of heaven, we should not only strive to obey all of God’s commandments to the letter but also make efforts to teach them to others. Jesus says: “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19)

Do not rush in prayer. First, recollect yourself, then place yourself in the presence of God and remember that God is first your Father. This is why Jesus begins with the words: “Our Father who art in heaven.” Jesus presents an important principle of life: You cannot take without giving. Prayer is not just about asking, it also involves doing. Jesus makes clear the point: “If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

As great as John the Baptist was, we hear Jesus saying today: “He who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist.” What does this mean? That heaven is so different from this world and the standards of judgment or ranking are not like what we see here on earth. Let’s face the fact, heaven is not an easy place to get to. No wonder Jesus asserted in Luke 13:24 “Strive to enter by the narrow door...

The book of Revelations may appear very difficult to understand but the message is very clear – God will judge the world and it is only those whose names are found in the book of life that will eventually merit heaven.

As the book of Hebrews confirms: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12).

This is heaven – loving our neighbors as ourselves. This is heaven – forgiving one another without counting the cost. This is heaven – seeing the face of Jesus in the people who have offended you like Onesimus. This is heaven – welcoming the earth’s rejected, the sick, the imprisoned, the orphans, giving to these little ones as much as a cup of water without expecting anything in return. The joy we feel when we help others sincerely is a foretaste of the joy of heaven.

It is not in our place to wonder whether others would remember us, all we must do is to ensure that we follow the path Jesus has traced for us; that we live according to the beatitudes contained in today’s Gospel passage; that we wash our robes clean – clean of sin, clean of pride, clean of selfishness; that we love our neighbor as ourselves.

HEAVEN HAS NO BRANCHES. Heaven is one place, there are no separate departments in heaven, there are no branches in heaven, and there is no such thing as Catholic Heaven, Pentecostal Heaven, or Redeemed Heaven. It is the same Jesus Christ that we serve; there is no Catholic Jesus as separate from Pentecostal Jesus.

Salvation is free but it is not cheap. Faith without works is dead. If you say you love God, then let your love inspire your good works; put on your wedding garment – behave like someone who is preparing to spend forever in God’s presence.

There is another type of riches that Jesus encourages in our Gospel passage. It is the riches of detachment from this world’s goods for sake of the kingdom of God. It is the riches of generosity. According to Jesus: “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29).

If we are to understand hell as the place of the unfaithful, it follows that there is a place other than heaven and hell where souls go to receive either severe or light beating. This place is what the church calls purgatory. As the Catechism puts it: “Purgatory is the final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.” (CCC 1030-1031) This purification is done so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

When we get there, we too shall say like Peter that “it is wonderful to be here.” There is more to life than what meets the eyes. There is more to existence than what we can verify. If God were to open our eyes like He did with Peter, James, and John or even Daniel as we saw in today’s first reading, we would never for once doubt His existence again. So, let us not get discouraged by suffering, pain, and hardship now. No matter what we have to give up now for Christ’s sake, heaven is worth it.