We need to yearn for heaven

WITH the celebration of the Solemnity of Ascension of the

Lord, we are reminded that we have been given the hope of one day

reaching the place Christ has prepared for us.

            “If I go,” Christ told his disciples, “and prepare a place

for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may

be where I am.” (Jn 14,3)

            What wonderful words! What wonderful promise, a divine

promise that cannot disappoint us! We should do everything to make

these words ever alive in us so that our earthly life would always be

marked by optimism, joy, peace and confidence despite the many trials,

challenges, pains and sorrows here.

            St. Paul suggests to us the following action to take: “Set

your hearts on heavenly things, not the things that are on earth.”

(Col 3) We have to learn how to be properly focused here on earth,

practicing a certain detachment from earthly things even as we use

them and somehow also enjoy them. The earthly things should not

undermine our heavenly yearning. They should rather sharpen that

heavenly yearning.

            And this hope Christ gives us is made very doable by the

assurance that he is sending us the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth,

the Paraclete or Advocate who will always be with us to lead us to the

complete truth and to tell us of things to come.

            Before ascending to heaven, he reassured his disciples

that he will be with them, with us, until the end of time. (cfr Mt

28,20) But he also made the mandate that we have “to go and make

disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt 28,19)

            Yes, as we yearn for heaven, we should be keenly aware of

our duties here on earth. We need to see the organic connection

between our earthly life and duties and our heavenly yearning. We

cannot have one without the other.

            We have to do a lot of apostolate which would require of

us that we, first of all, should be driven with love for God.

Otherwise, our apostolate, our love for the others would have no steam

to run on.

            We need to see to it that our love for God always grows

everyday, so that our love for others would also correspondingly grow.

In this, we have to realize, first of all, how much God loves us. Only

then can we start loving him and loving the others.

            That is why we have to pray and consider the truths of our

faith that show us much more than what our senses can discover. A

person who does not pray is a person who cannot fall in love properly.

            That’s because a prayerless love is a love that is simply

driven by earthly elements that cannot last for long and cannot cope

with the demands of true love. It’s love that would be completely at

the mercy of earthly things.

            Yearning for heaven requires us to pray!