IT’S a skill we all need to learn. Converting the perishable condition
of our earthly life into the imperishable quality of our definitive
life hopefully in heaven is actually expected, nay, commanded of us by
Christ himself.
He said it very clearly. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths
and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, here your heart will be also.” (Mt
6,19-21)
The same idea is reiterated by St. Peter. “By his (God’s) great mercy
we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you...” (1
Pt 1,3-4)
St. Paul also said something similar. “Seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col 3,1-2)
Heaven can start here on earth. In fact we need to see the unity
between the two, and try our best, with God’s grace, to conform to
such reality. Obviously, this unity between heaven and earth will
always be a tentative one while we are still here on earth, but we
need to work on it.
That’s the reason why in the Lord’s prayer, we are asked to constantly
pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven.” Many other passages
in the gospel can attest to this. St. Paul in his First Letter to the
Corinthians said: “As we have borne the image of the earthly, let us
bear also the image of the heavenly.” (15,49)
Converting the perishable to the imperishable can happen if we see and
understand things in a theological way, that is, with faith, hope and
charity. We need to realize that our thinking would not work in its
most proper way if it is not enlightened and guided by faith, hope and
charity.
It would be like saying that we can simply be on our own. It’s
tantamount to saying that we don’t need God from whom we come and to
whom we belong. Or that we may need him only from time to time, but
not always, and that he is not truly indispensable in our life.
We have to cultivate this theological mind, which is actually
necessary for us but which we have to do freely. Theological thinking
is actually not an optional thing.
With this theological thinking, we would be able to see Christ in
everything, as expressed once by St. Josemaria Escriva. “Understand
this well,” he said. “There is something holy, something divine,
hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of
you to discover it.”
This finds basis on the fact that God is everywhere. He is our creator
who gives us and the whole world our existence and keeps it. With
Christ who is the Son of God who became man to redeem us, God
identifies with each one of us.
The Catechism expresses this truth in this way: “Christ enables us to
live in him all that he himself lived, and he lives it in us...the Son
of God has in a certain way united himself with each man...” (CCC 521)
Also with this theological thinking, we would be able to relate
everything to God, as it should, regardless if in human terms it is
good or bad.
As a creation of God, everything in the world can and should actually
lead us to him. Nothing in it is non-relatable to God. Everything in
it comes from him and belongs to him. There is no dead spot in it
where God is absent or irrelevant.
Our sciences, arts and technologies can only discover the laws and the
ways of nature that have been created by God. We do not create these
natural laws. We just discover them and make use of them.
As such, we have to at least thank God for whatever usefulness we can
find in the things of the world. But more than that, we should try to
discern how the things of this world play in the all-embracing
providence of God over his creation, since we also have a role to play
in that providence. God somehow makes us as his living and loving
instruments in governing the world.
This is how we can turn the perishable to the imperishable!
of our earthly life into the imperishable quality of our definitive
life hopefully in heaven is actually expected, nay, commanded of us by
Christ himself.
He said it very clearly. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths
and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, here your heart will be also.” (Mt
6,19-21)
The same idea is reiterated by St. Peter. “By his (God’s) great mercy
we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is
imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you...” (1
Pt 1,3-4)
St. Paul also said something similar. “Seek the things that are above,
where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col 3,1-2)
Heaven can start here on earth. In fact we need to see the unity
between the two, and try our best, with God’s grace, to conform to
such reality. Obviously, this unity between heaven and earth will
always be a tentative one while we are still here on earth, but we
need to work on it.
That’s the reason why in the Lord’s prayer, we are asked to constantly
pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is heaven.” Many other passages
in the gospel can attest to this. St. Paul in his First Letter to the
Corinthians said: “As we have borne the image of the earthly, let us
bear also the image of the heavenly.” (15,49)
Converting the perishable to the imperishable can happen if we see and
understand things in a theological way, that is, with faith, hope and
charity. We need to realize that our thinking would not work in its
most proper way if it is not enlightened and guided by faith, hope and
charity.
It would be like saying that we can simply be on our own. It’s
tantamount to saying that we don’t need God from whom we come and to
whom we belong. Or that we may need him only from time to time, but
not always, and that he is not truly indispensable in our life.
We have to cultivate this theological mind, which is actually
necessary for us but which we have to do freely. Theological thinking
is actually not an optional thing.
With this theological thinking, we would be able to see Christ in
everything, as expressed once by St. Josemaria Escriva. “Understand
this well,” he said. “There is something holy, something divine,
hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of
you to discover it.”
This finds basis on the fact that God is everywhere. He is our creator
who gives us and the whole world our existence and keeps it. With
Christ who is the Son of God who became man to redeem us, God
identifies with each one of us.
The Catechism expresses this truth in this way: “Christ enables us to
live in him all that he himself lived, and he lives it in us...the Son
of God has in a certain way united himself with each man...” (CCC 521)
Also with this theological thinking, we would be able to relate
everything to God, as it should, regardless if in human terms it is
good or bad.
As a creation of God, everything in the world can and should actually
lead us to him. Nothing in it is non-relatable to God. Everything in
it comes from him and belongs to him. There is no dead spot in it
where God is absent or irrelevant.
Our sciences, arts and technologies can only discover the laws and the
ways of nature that have been created by God. We do not create these
natural laws. We just discover them and make use of them.
As such, we have to at least thank God for whatever usefulness we can
find in the things of the world. But more than that, we should try to
discern how the things of this world play in the all-embracing
providence of God over his creation, since we also have a role to play
in that providence. God somehow makes us as his living and loving
instruments in governing the world.
This is how we can turn the perishable to the imperishable!
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