By Fr. Tony Fortman, C.PP.S.
Today we believe the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken up into heaven body and soul. We to want to be in heaven with our Mother Mary. Like a good mother, Mary brought life into the world and she nurtured the life of her Son, Jesus.
Jesus often talked about heaven. He said, “In my father’s house there are many dwelling places.” Jesus has prepared a place for you and me.
I often think of those who may be in heaven. Our relatives, friends and even those we did not get along with. I believe that we will probably walk hand-in-hand into eternal life with the person we most despised on earth. A parishioner told me that when he fought with his brother, their parents made them sit on the couch and hold hands. He could not escape his anger with his brother. It was right in front of him. I believe God will make us deal with our vengeance, greed, pride, and anger either now or in the next life. We might as well own our pride, jealousy, greed, lust and other sins. Let us present them before God and allow him to heal us.
The rosary is a great tool in dealing with evil in our day. The most pure heart of Mary will keep our hearts pure also. The Blessed Virgin Mary promised to St. Dominic, “Whatever you ask through the rosary shall be granted.” Now, God will not give us steak to eat three times a week. He will not give us a brand-new Jaguar. But he will take care of our needs in this life and the next. Mary is a persistent mother in prayer and she will pray for us each day also.
I often wonder what she will look like. I often wonder what heaven will look like. What a joy-filled place heaven must be. Is heaven our final goal? We hope that heaven is our final destination. We are all on a journey and it does not stop until the Lord says we are finished serving him.
There is the old saying “All eyes are on Pasadena,” when talking about the Rose Bowl, but what about our eyes being on heaven? The Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary, the angels and all the saints are in eternity. They are cheering us on while we are serving Christ on earth. Heaven is our true homeland. A rabbi once said, “We are all here to get out of here.” Let us keep our eyes on the prize and hold on.
To view the full scripture reading, click here.
Fr. Tony Fortman, C.PP.S., is the pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in Glandorf, Ohio.