Let’s meditate on heaven often

THIS may sound like a fantastic and overwhelming exercise,

but I believe it is something necessary for us to do if we want to

have the proper priorities in life, and thus to be properly guided.

Especially these days when we are bombarded with so many fascinating

things that can confuse us and lead us astray, we should consider this

exercise as indispensable.

            Heaven is where our eternal definitive home is. It is

where we see God face to face and share in his very divine life that

is meant for us. As St. John would put it in his first letter, “We

know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see

Him as He is.” (3,2) Heaven is our ultimate goal, to which all our

other goals in life have to be oriented and subordinated.

            Meditating on heaven might sound like an impossible

exercise, since we have been warned by St. Paul himself that “eye has

not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the

things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2,9)

            But this warning should not stop or discourage us from

meditating on heaven. If at all, the unfathomable mystery that heaven

is, should only prod us to be ever so curious about it. It is not

meant to be a wet blanket, but rather a rouser.

            We know that everytime we make an act of love in any of

its forms and ways as shown by Christ himself, we would already be

approximating heaven. We may not be there yet, but definitely we would

be approaching it.

            We should be keenly conscious of this truth. There has to

be an awareness that there is some progress in our earthly journey

toward heaven through the acts of love we should be doing everyday.

            We should not stop at any point of that journey, much

less, get stranded and trapped. We have to go on, with a growing sense

of loving, much like what a pop song of yesteryears expressed: “I love

you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow.”

            The mystery of heaven should only make us think after we

make an act of love, “what would heaven be if this act of love that I

am doing now and because of which I am already enjoying its goodness,

is nothing compared to it?” With that frame of mind, we would be more

motivated to keep on doing good.

            The big danger we have nowadays is precisely to get

trapped in the many wonders that we are enjoying these days, in spite

of the pandemic. We have tremendous technologies, and the amount of

knowledge and skills derived from our sciences, though with their

limitations and imperfections, is huge and intoxicating. We always

have the tendency that these things can be considered our be-all and

end-all.

            That is why we cannot overemphasize the need to meditate

on heaven often. It’s never a futile exercise. Heaven should so elicit

in us the strongest desire and passion that we would be willing to

sacrifice everything else, including our honor and life itself.

            That is precisely the lesson behind the parables of the

treasure buried in a field and the merchant who found a pearl of great

price. (cfr. Mt 13,44-46) Those who found them were willing to sell

everything else they had just to get the field with the treasure and

the pearl of great price.

            To be sure, to meditate on heaven often does not take away

our sense of realism and objectivity. The contrary would be the case

if it is done properly. We would know the relative value of everything

good and lovable in this world.

            And if our loving would involve suffering, as it usually

does, our meditation on heaven would convince us that such suffering

is worthwhile!