Objective truth series – Reflection #21
In our last reflection we considered how we must die to ourselves in order to work out our salvation. Because we had already considered working out our salvation in fear and trembling, it logically followed that we must consider working on detachment from our bodies through penance. In like manner, after considering that doing penance is a way to prepare for the release of our souls from our bodies, the benefit of detachment from the things of this world is also easy to see.
Once one is more detached from this world, the more he finds he is focused on attaining his true home, namely, heaven. In St. Alphonsus de Liguori’s book Sermons for Sundays, he has an excellent sermon on heaven for the second Sunday of Lent. He has four key points or reasons why we should ponder heaven and seek heaven. Indeed any one of these reasons alone would be enough to convince us to ask God earnestly for a great desire for heaven. Let us consider these four points one at a time.
1) “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9)
Concerning this point St. Alphonsus describes the beauty we should be longing for. He says, “According to the Apostle, no man on this earth can comprehend the infinite blessings which God has prepared for the souls that love Him.”[1]
St. Alphonsus goes on to comment that people on earth are so focused on using only their senses and says:
Perhaps we imagine that the beauty of heaven resembles that of a wide extended plain covered with the verdure of spring, interspersed with trees in full bloom, and abounding in birds fluttering about and singing on every side; or, that it is like the beauty of a garden full of fruits and flowers, and surrounded by fountains in continual play. Oh! What a Paradise, to behold such a plain, or such a garden! But, oh! How much greater are the beauties of heaven! Speaking of Paradise, St. Bernard says: O man, if you wish to understand the blessings of heaven, know that in that happy country there is nothing which can be disagreeable, and everything that you can desire.[2]
St. Alphonsus not only talks about heaven being agreeable to the senses, he goes on to explain more about how all the soul’s desires are satisfied in heaven.
2) “In heaven you have all you can desire. ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ (Apoc. 21:4-5.).”[3] Concerning this point, St. Alphonsus expounds how all our senses will be delighted, saying:
There everything is new; new beauties, new delights, new joys. There all our desires shall be satisfied. The sight shall be satiated with beholding the beauty of that city. How delightful to behold a city in which the streets should be of crystal, the houses of silver, the windows of gold, and all adorned with the most beautiful flowers. But, oh! How much more beautiful shall be the city of Paradise! The beauty of the place shall be heightened by the beauty of the inhabitants, who are all clothed in royal robes; for, according to St. Augustine, they are all kings. How delighted to behold Mary, the queen of heaven, who shall appear more beautiful than all the other citizens of Paradise! But, what it must be to behold the beauty of Jesus Christ! St. Teresa once saw one of the hands of Jesus Christ, and was struck with astonishment at the sight of such beauty. The smell shall be satiated with odors, but with the odors of Paradise. The hearing shall be satiated with the harmony of the celestial choirs. St. Francis once heard for a moment an angel playing on a violin, and he almost died through joy. How delightful must it be to hear the saints and angels singing the divine praises! “They shall praise thee for ever and ever.” (Ps. 83:5.) What must it be to hear Mary praising God! St. Francis de Sales says, that, as the singing of the nightingale in the wood surpasses that of all other birds, so the voice of Mary is far superior to that of all the other saints. In a word, there are in Paradise all the delights which man can desire.”[4]
St. Alphonsus explains how these pleasures of the senses are nothing compared to the actual Beatific Vision. In his next point he concentrates directly on this Vision.
3) “We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face.” (1 Cor. 13:12.) St. Alphonsus explains: “The delights of the soul infinitely surpass all the pleasures of the senses. Even in this life divine love infuses such sweetness into the soul when God communicates Himself to her [viz., the soul], that the body is raised from the earth. St. Peter of Alcantara once fell into such an ecstasy of love, that, taking hold of a tree, he drew it up from the roots, and raised it with him on high.”[5]
St. Alphonsus continues:
How great is the sweetness which a soul experiences, when, in the time of prayer, God, by a ray of His own light, shows to her [viz., the soul] His goodness and His mercies towards her, and particularly the love which Jesus Christ has borne to her in His passion! She feels her heart melting, and as it were dissolved through love. But in this life we do not see God as He really is: we see Him as it were in the dark. “We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face.” (1 Cor. 13:12.) Here below God is hidden from our view; we can see Him only with the eyes of faith: how great shall be our happiness when the veil shall be raised, and we shall be permitted to behold God face to face! We shall then see His beauty, His greatness, His perfection, His amiableness, and His immense love for our souls.[6]
In the three points above St. Alphonsus gives us beautiful incentives to long for heaven in a speculative or thoughtful way, but he adds another incentive which is more of a practical one as well:
4) “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Apoc. 21:4).
Concerning this point, St. Alphonsus tells how our earthly trials will end, saying:
But, after entering into Paradise, the blest shall have no more sorrows. “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” The Lord shall dry up the tears which they have shed in this life. “And death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow, shall be any more, for the former things are passed away. And He that sat on the throne, said: “Behold, I make all things new.” (Apoc. 21:4, 5.) In Paradise, death and the fear of death are no more: in that place of bliss there are no sorrows, no infirmities, no poverty, no inconveniencies, no vicissitudes of day or night, of cold or of heat. In that kingdom there is a continual day, always serene, a continual spring, always blooming. In Paradise there are no persecutions, no envy; for all love each other with tenderness and each rejoices at the happiness of the others, as if it were his own. There is no more fear of eternal perdition; for the soul confirmed in grace can neither sin nor lose God.[7]
St. Alphonsus then adds these consoling words:
In beholding the beauty of God, the soul shall be so inflamed and so inebriated with divine love, that she [viz., the soul] shall remain happily lost in God; for she shall entirely forget herself, and for all eternity shall think only of loving and praising the immense good which she shall possess forever, without the fear of having it in her power ever to lose it. In this life, holy souls love God; but they cannot love him with all their strength, nor can they always actually love him. St. Thomas teaches that this perfect love is only given to the citizens of heaven, who love God with their whole heart, and never cease to love Him actually.[8]
These extracts from St. Alphonsus’s beautiful sermon truly show us that we should beg God for a great desire for heaven. When one asks God for something which is good for the soul, God answers the prayer in a marvelous way. Our Lord Himself told us to seek the kingdom of heaven, saying, “Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” [St. Matt. 6:33].
Once God sparks the flame of this desire in the soul, all the things in this world cease to have any real charm or attraction. This earthly journey is viewed as only an exile because the soul longs for heaven so much.
It is truly an undeserved blessing from God to have a desire for heaven and to be able to see through the allurements of the world—travel, entertainments, and shallow amusements. Then a soul sees the sheer emptiness of this world and all creatures in comparison with God. God becomes more and more the absolute center of one’s life. God really comes first and He is the basis for all decisions made. If a soul has this blessing, it is evident because this blessing is very tangible. Indeed, the soul shutters in fear of losing this insight from God and this objective view of life, of time, and of eternity. He finds himself begging God to allow him to keep this objective view. In fact, he finds himself begging that God won’t allow him to abandon objective truth. This outlook is so undeserved. One knows this to the very marrow of one’s bones. One feels grateful and tells God thank-you. With the flame of desire for heaven lighted in the soul, one yearns for heaven everyday more and more and the evils of the present life make our exile here felt evermore keenly. One could naturally find himself wanting to soar to the heavenly heights to be united with Our Lord, Our Lady, and our heavenly helpers. The soul might express its longing in words such as these:
Oh my soul it is time to die,
For all thy hopes in God must lie,
Doing penance is the sure way,
To break free from the world each day.
At the same time desire does grow,
And a need of God more to know,
Detaching thee from worldly cares,
Well aware of, all of life’s snares.
Then with eyes raised, to thy true home,
Keep thou focused, want not to roam,
‘Cause earth is, a distracting sea,
Make it to have, no part with thee.
Then burning in thy heart will flame,
Yearning for heaven thy sole aim,
Eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard,
Desire for heaven is now stirred!
St. Alphonsus teaches so well,
Aching for heav’n, the heart must swell,
Ev’ry delight for ev’ry sense,
Our heart was made that we go hence.
Heav’n is more than just higher goal,
‘Tis the one desire, of a soul.
To stay ever with Love Divine,
Aspire for this, oh soul of mine!
Far better than mere sight or sound,
For Divine View, we must be bound,
To keep in mind this View sublime,
The goal of each step, in life’s climb.
The fulfillment of ev’ry hope,
The one purpose of this life’s scope,
To land safely on heaven’s shore,
Where grief will end forevermore.
This wicked world with wicked trends,
My soul and it will ne’er be friends,
This fact makes it easier still,
To want to ever do God’s Will.
To burn with more intense desire,
Dear Mary help me to aspire,
So when my death breaks earthly ties,
My soul with thee may ever rise.
[1] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original).
[2] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original).
[3] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original).
[4] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original; bracketed words added for clarity).
[5] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original; bracketed words added for clarity).
[6] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original).
[7] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original).
[8] Sermons for All the Sundays in the Year, by St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, translated from the Italian of St. Alphonsus M. Liguori, by the late Very Rev. Nicholas Callan, D.D., Roman Catholic College, Maynooth, eighth edition. Dublin, James Duffy & Sons, 15 Wellington Quay; and London, 1 Paternoster Row. 1882. Dublin. (Emphasis in the original; bracketed words added for clarity).