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We are very shy nowadays of even mentioning Heaven. We are afraid of the jeer about “pie in the sky,” and of being told that we are trying to “escape” from the duty of making a happy world here and now, into dreams of a happy world elsewhere. But either there is “pie in the sky” or there is not. If
there is not, then Christianity is false, for this doctrine is woven into its whole fabric. If there is, then this truth, like any other, must be faced, whether it is useful at political meetings or no.
… C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Problem of Pain
(How do thoughts about heaven influence your sense of hope and meaning?) |
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WIS 3:1-9; PS 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6; ROM 5:5-11
JN
6:37-40
Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything
of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."
USCCB Lectionary
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Praying the Daily Gospels: A Guide to Meditation, by Philip St. Romain,
2018 (3rd ed.) ____________
I've found that communication with those who've gone before me makes the thought of death less fearful. In fact, psychologists tell us that the fear of dying is a normal human fear. (I once heard of a man who was so fearful of dying that he became a hypochondriac and was anointed so many times that he wound up going to a
dermatologist for oily skin.) But back to the awakening; let me share one experience that has helped me in facing my mortality. Years ago I would journey from Notre Dame University to Chicago each weekend to visit my family and also help out at my home parish. Our beloved pastor, Fr. John Ireland Gallery, had given a home to two refugee priests from different Communist countries. Both men had experienced similar terrifying tortues and punishments during their years
of imprisonment. But their most painful suffering occurred when on a given evening each was told, "This is your last meal. Tomorrow you DIE!" The following morning they were led before a firing squad, blindfolded, and then trembled as they heard the command: "Ready, aim, fire!" How stunned they were to discover they were still alive. The soldiers had been ordered to shoot above the heads of the two priests. The Communists repeated this charade 15 times over a
period of 10 months. What most touched me as these two men shared their stories with me is that in befriending "Sister Death," as St. Francis called her, they had no more fear of death. But even more inspiring was their willingness to forgive their captors and their ability to live joyfully in the present moment. Both of these men were fully alive by living where God dwells, in the NOW of our lives.
- By Don Driscoll,
S.J.
Paperback, Kindle and eBook
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God and I: Exploring the Connections between God, Self and Ego, by Philip St. Romain, 2016 (2nd
ed.) ____________ Chapter 8: Mystical Union: Self and God
Direct Approaches When deprived of sensory information, the desire to experience something in particular, and the activities of imagination and reasoning, consciousness loses its Egoic form
and impetus. What is left is the non-reflecting consciousness of the human spirit and its open awareness, intuitive intelligence and detached willingness. This may be experienced directly in various levels of intensity that deepen over time.
It should be clear from the above that it is entirely possible to come to a direct experience of the Self-God ground apart from any theistic faith
perspective. God would be present in this experience, for God is immanent in the Self-God ground. Nevertheless, God would not necessarily be known as a personal loving presence—as with contemplative experiences. Instead, Self/awareness would prevail as a simple state of awareness prior to any movement of the will or intellect. All that one knows about oneself in this state is “that I am.” As soon as the question, “but who am I?” comes along, the development of Ego as personal, defined
consciousness begins to unfold once again, only now in a less rigid and illusory manner. Or, if one queries in the other direction -- where does “I” come from? -- one encounters the mystery of Existence itself.
Hardback, paperback, eBook and free preview versions.
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