DAILY HOMILIES #heaven

When faced with a temptation, it will do us well to say this phrase repeatedly: “I am light; I cannot hide.” Indeed, as St. Paul says, the safest life is to “live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Philippians 1:27).

If God could make a man as weak as Gideon, a successful war hero, it tells us that God can take “a nobody” like Mary and turn her into His mother; by this fact, she is the queen of heaven.

Stay calm when everything is not in place in your life. Say to yourself: “It does not matter.” I may not have any money in the bank, I may not have food in the kitchen, I may not be successful in my business, I may not have any true friends or connections, I may not have a PhD, I may not have built a house, bought a car or married, I may not have children of my own, or achieved anything significant even in life, but it doesn’t matter. The only thing that counts is that I will be found worthy of eternal life if I die.

To what extent do I desire heaven? Am I prepared to drink the cup? Am I prepared to deny myself, take up my daily crosses and follow the footsteps of Jesus? On the other hand, am I only concerned about my daily bread? Am I only interested in what I can get from Jesus right now? St. James teaches us to make heaven our priority.

If you take just one child from the street, feed them, educate them and give them a chance to become someone in life, you have taken that money to heaven. You will not benefit directly from this child, but whatever you spend on them will never be forgotten by God.

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.