On Our Way to The House of Our Father

By Fr. Conor Donnelly

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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me. I adore you with profound reverence. I ask your pardon for my sins and grace to make this time of prayer fruitful. My Immaculate Mother, Saint Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.

We’re told in the Book of Revelation, “Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit. … There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads” (Rev. 22:1-4).

Scripture draws to a close where it all began: in the Garden of Eden, in Paradise. The Scriptures speak to us about our final destination: the house of the Father, our true homeland.

Through the rich use of symbols, God teaches us in the Book of Revelation about the nature of eternal life. This is the fulfillment of man’s deepest yearnings. We are to see God face to face and glorify Him forever.

John Paul II liked to say that marriage in this world is a preparation for marriage in the next. The real marriage comes later. People who lead celibate lives in this world give witness to the fact that the real marriage comes later.

If we have some cross or some challenge or some difficulty, or our marriage did not work out to be everything that we dreamt of—never mind, that’s part of the preparation. We have great things to look forward to: the “eternal wedding feast” (Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, Point 288, November 24, 2013).

In the Book of Revelation, it says this water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son. It runs as a river from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The Name of God is to be found on the foreheads of the blessed. They belong to the Lord.

In heaven, “night shall be no more. They shall need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).

Death is an indispensable step towards our reunion with God. Children of God should view death as a transition to eternity, a change of home, a change of place. Jumping over the pool that separates us from this and heaven.

Once we’re in God’s company, “night shall be no more.” To the extent that we grow in our sense of divine filiation, we should become more desirous of meeting Our loving Father.

St. Josemaría in The Way used to say, “Foster in your heart the glorious hope of heaven” (Josemaría Escrivá, The Way, Point 668). That means we can look at death without fear, but with holy expectation.

“Life is a journey towards eternity,” Pope John Paul II said. “Every moment becomes precious precisely through this perspective. We live and work in time, beating within us the nostalgia for heaven” (John Paul II, Address, October 22, 1985).

Nevertheless, we’re well aware that many, many people don’t share this “nostalgia for heaven.” They may have grown accustomed to their prosperity and material comfort, as if these things were to last forever. They’ve forgotten that fundamental truth: “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek for the city which is to come” (Heb. 13:14). Our hearts were made to last for all eternity. The things of this world cannot satisfy our nature. They can therefore become an obstacle to our eternal happiness.

We Christians have a great love of life and of all noble earthly realities: friendship, work, joy, human love. As a consequence, we shouldn’t be surprised that the prospect of death frightens us. This is quite natural.

But our body and soul were created by God to be united with Him forever. In the Preface for Masses for the Dead, the Church prays: “Lord, for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended, and when the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven.”

The true child of God “expresses his joy in seeing at last the transcendent perfections of the Father in all his holiness. The child recognizes the condescension of Infinite Majesty in adopting him on earth, in guiding, training, sanctifying, and preparing him for heaven.

“He has invited that child to enter heaven, to be with his Father for all eternity. God [has had] regard for his littleness and gave him the power to glorify the Trinity forever” (Bonaventure Perquin, Abba, Father).

We have good reason to exclaim, as St. Josemaría did: “We shall never die! We will only be changing our lodgings, nothing more. In conjunction with faith and hope, we Christians also need to have this sure hope. At our death, we make only a temporary farewell. We should want to die in the spirit of those words: ‘Until we meet again’” (J. Escrivá, Newsletter No. 1).

In the Book of Daniel it says, “The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever” (Dan. 7:18). We’ll find that everything appears new and young in heaven.

The Book of Revelation says the old universe will seem to have vanished “like a scroll that is rolled up” (Rev. 6:14). And yet heaven will not be a complete surprise for us. It is, after all, the focus of the deepest yearnings of every person, even of the most depraved sinner.

Heaven is the new community of the children of God who have attained to the fullness of their adoption. We will have a new heart and a new will. At the time of Christ’s glory, our bodies will be transfigured.

Interestingly enough, this happiness based on the vision of God will not override personal relations. We’re told by one writer, “There in heaven will be found all authentic human love: the love between spouses, the love between a father and his children, friendships, family relations, noble camaraderie…

“We are all traveling in this life. As the years go by, we find that more and more of our loved ones are now on the other side of that barrier.

“This knowledge might be a source of fear, but can also be a cause for joy. This is possible if we believe that death is the door to our true home. It leads to our definitive homeland which is inhabited by ‘all those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.’ Our common homeland is not a forbidding tomb, but the bosom of the Lord” (Camilo Lopez-Pardo, On Life and Death).

While here on earth, we find it quite difficult to imagine what heaven will be like. The Old Testament compares our condition in heaven to that of the Promised Land. In the Book of Isaiah it says: “They shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall smite them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them” (Isa. 49:10). Our Lord frequently spoke of the incredible happiness that lies in store for us if we are faithful.

The soul and all its faculties, along with our glorified bodies, will be divinized, though there will still remain an infinite difference between creature and Creator. We will contemplate God as He truly is.

In addition, the blessed will delight in the knowledge of other people in God—for example, parents, relatives, spouse, children, and friends. St. Thomas teaches that the blessed will know in Christ everything that pertains to the beauty and integrity of the world. Because of our membership in the human community, the blessed will know the objects of Christ’s love on earth.

The blessed, says St. Thomas, will have a clear understanding of the truths of the faith regarding our salvation: the Incarnation, the divine maternity of Mary, the Church, grace, and the sacraments (Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Part I, Question 89).

In The Forge, St. Josemaría has written: “Think how pleasing to Our Lord is the incense burnt in his honor. Think also how little the things of the earth are worth; even as they begin, they are already ending.

“In heaven, instead, a great Love awaits you, with no betrayals and no deceptions. The fullness of love, the fullness of beauty and greatness and knowledge. … And it will never cloy: it will satiate, yet still you will want more” (J. Escrivá, The Forge, Point 995).

In heaven, we will see God, and that will fill us with great joy. The extent of this joy will be related to our holiness here on this earth.

Yet the mercy of God is so great that He has prepared additional motives for our joy in heaven. Theologians have termed these goods “accidental glory.” They include being in the company of Jesus Christ glorified, Mary Our Mother, St. Joseph, the angels—particularly our guardian angel—and all the saints.

We will have the joy of being with our loved ones: parents, brothers and sisters, friends, those people who showed us our vocation.

In heaven we will also be capable of acquiring new knowledge using our faculties (cf. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, op. cit.).

The Catechism of the Council of Trent says we shall have the joy of seeing new souls enter heaven. We shall be able to see the progress of our friends on earth. We shall see the fruits of our apostolic efforts and sacrifices. At the time of the Last Judgment, we shall possess our resurrected and glorified body. Accidental glory can increase up to the time of the Last Judgment.

We have to foster the virtue of hope so that it will strengthen us in moments of difficulty. So much is at stake. We have to be vigilant in our struggle to be detached from the things of earth.

Our Lord has given us ample warning. In St. Luke, He says, “But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life… But watch at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34,36).

We can also be consoled by the words of Our Lord when He says, “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). Heaven is our definitive homeland. There we will enjoy the company of Jesus and Mary. Here we are but wayfarers.

Blessed Álvaro said, “And when the moment comes when we are to give an account to God, we will not be afraid. Death will only be a change of lodgings. It will come when God wants, being that liberation, that point of entry into the fullness of life. As the Preface for the Mass of the Dead says, ‘Life is changed, not taken away.’ Life changes; it does not come to an end.

“We have a firm hope that we will live in a new way, very united to the Blessed Virgin, as we adore the Most Holy Trinity. This is the reward that awaits us” (Álvaro del Portillo, Homily, August 15, 1989).

But Our Lord also warned us about the cities that would not be converted. He had spent a great deal of time in the cities along the shores of Lake Gennesaret. He granted countless miracles and favors to these people, and yet they would not be converted.

They did not know how to receive the Messiah, about whom they’d heard so much in their synagogues. This was the reason for Our Lord to complain: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. … And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades” (Luke 10:13,15).

Jesus had sown abundant seed, and precious little of it had borne fruit in those places. Incredible signs had been multiplied, one on top of the other, but the people were not moved to penance.

Without this conversion and a life of sacrifice, it was unlikely that they would recognize Christ in their midst. Tyre and Sidon were burdened with less responsibility since they had received fewer graces.

“The Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Heb. 3:7-8). God speaks to men and women throughout the ages. Christ continues to pass through our cities and towns, showering innumerable blessings upon us.

To know how to listen to His Will and fulfill it right away is of capital importance in our lives. Nothing is more important. We need to listen with great docility to the invitations that Christ gives in the heart of each individual.

We’re told by St. Gregory, “God is not to blame when the faith fails to spring up among men. The reason is to be found in the unreadiness of those who have heard the divine [word]” (Gregory Nazianzen, Oratio catechetica magna).

Holy Scripture calls this resistance to grace “hardness of heart” (cf. Ex. 4:21; Rom. 9:18). Men sometimes pose intellectual difficulties as inhibiting their growth in faith when the real problem lies in their lack of desire. Perhaps they just don’t want to abandon some bad habit. They may not be willing to struggle seriously to overcome some defect that impedes their friendship with the Lord.

Mortification prepares the soul to listen to the Lord and to follow His Will. St. John Mary Vianney says, “If we want to reach God, we will have to mortify the soul and all its powers” (Jean Vianney, Sermon on Ash Wednesday).

Mortification can convert our souls into the good soil that will bring the divine seed to fruition. We have to weed out and burn those thorns that tend to flourish in the soul: laziness, egoism, envy, curiosity.

This is why the Church recommends that we review our spirit of penance and mortification. This spirit will lead us to be more generous in our imitation of Christ on the Cross. Closely related to mortification is that happiness which we all find so necessary.

Anyone who intends to live their Christian faith seriously needs to put off “the old nature with its practices” (Col. 3:9).

One writer says this “old nature” consists in “the variety of bad inclinations we have inherited from Adam. It is the triple concupiscence which we need to control through the exercise of mortification” (Adolphe Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life).

Mortification is not recommended as a negative action. On the contrary, it’s meant to rejuvenate the soul. Mortification makes the soul better disposed to receive supernatural gifts. It also helps us to make reparation for our past sins.

This is why we frequently pray to Our Lord to grant us “a time of true penance, a time of reformation of our life” (cf. Roman Missal, Formula intentionis Misae). By means of the Communion of Saints we give help and strength to other members of the Mystical Body which is the Church.

There are three main areas for daily mortification in our ordinary lives.

Firstly, there’s the heartfelt and serene acceptance of the contradictions that each day brings. In most cases, this refers to the very small things that crop up unexpectedly and that force us to change our plans or adjust our expectations. An example might be a minor illness that interferes with our performance at work or that affects family life.

Other examples could include having to put up with inclement weather, or heavy traffic, or the difficult personality of a colleague at work. These circumstances are beyond our personal control. We have to see them as providing opportunities to love God even more. None of these problems should take away our peace and joy.

One writer says, “If these small contradictions are not accepted for the sake of love, they will only succeed in making people become frustrated and irritable. The great majority of our frustrations come from small contradictions which we have not accepted, rather than from major disasters.

The person who lies awake at night, who is gloomy, who is in a bad humor, has usually not suffered some great blow. They’ve simply been unable to turn small setbacks into encounters with God” (Ángel Garcia Dorronsoro, Time to Believe). Such a one loses many chances to grow in virtue.

In addition, when the soul gets into the habit of accepting small reverses as divine favors, it becomes better prepared to face more serious trials in union with Our Lord.

One writer says God came into the world “to provide a healing remedy for the root of all our rebellion and misery. He destroyed many things as useless obstacles but chose to leave pain intact. He did not take away pain, but he gave it a new meaning.

“He could have chosen a thousand different ways to accomplish the Redemption of the human race, but he chose the Cross. It was by this path that he has led his Mother Mary, Joseph, the apostles, and all the sons of God [closer and closer to him]. Our Lord allows evils to exist and draws good for our souls from them” (Jesús Urteaga, The Defects of the Saints).

We could make a resolution to convert setbacks of whatever type into occasions for our interior growth.

Another area of daily mortification lies in the conscientious carrying out of our duties: the basic material in our struggle for sanctity. It’s there that we find God’s will for us every day. We need to fulfill our duties with hard work, high standards, and much love.

St. Josemaría wrote that the mortification which is most pleasing to God “is to be found in order, in punctuality, in care for the small details in whatever we do. It has to do with the faithful performance of the most insignificant aspects of our vocation, even when it hurts.

“We need to struggle against the temptation to prefer comfort. We persevere in our work not because we feel like it, but because we know it has to be done. When we work in that frame of mind, we will work with enthusiasm and joy” (J. Escrivá, Letter, October 15, 1948).

The mother of a family will find a thousand reasons to give her home a warm and cheerful atmosphere. The student will offer up his efforts to study well. In this way, tiredness will become one more offering to Our Lord. We can examine our conduct to see whether we complain about our work, grumbling perhaps about something that should be leading us to God.

The third area of our mortification consists in the sacrifices that we make voluntarily in order to please Our Lord, to make ourselves better souls of prayer, in order to overcome temptation, in order to help our friends come closer to God, and ultimately to help our friends prepare for heaven. We should be looking for ways to help others seek sanctity.

In The Forge, St. Josemaría says, “Bring out your spirit of mortification in those nice touches of charity, eager to make the way of sanctity in the midst of the world attractive for everyone. Sometimes a smile can be the best proof of a spirit of penance” (J. Escrivá, The Forge, Point 149). We could resolve to overcome our moods and our weariness with the help of our guardian angel.

We’re told in the Psalms: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. As a deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for you, O God. When shall I come and behold your face?” (Ps. 42:1–2). These are words that are prayed in the liturgy of the Mass.

The deer attempting to quench his thirst with water is the psalmist’s symbolic way of describing the desire for God resident in the heart of an upright person: a thirst and a vehement desire for God. Such is the aspiration of one who is not content to accept worldly success as the satisfaction for human ambitions.

We’re told in St. Matthew: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul?” Our Lord’s question forces us to take a radical look at the broad horizon of our life, to which only God gives ultimate meaning.

In Christ Is Passing By, St. Josemaría says the saints were men and women with a great desire to belong to God completely, in spite of their defects. We could each ask ourselves, “Have I a true desire to be a saint?”

The answer would most assuredly be in the affirmative: yes. But our reply should not be as to a theoretical question—because for some, holiness is “unattainable, something to do with ascetical theology, but not a real goal for them, a living reality” (J. Escrivá, Christ Is Passing By, Point 96).

We want to make it happen with the help of God’s grace. “So longs my soul for you, O God.” We must start by making the desire for holiness flourish in our soul, telling Our Lord that we really want to be with Him, that we have that authentic yearning for heaven, that we truly want to be on our way all the time, each day, to the house of the Father. We can ask Our Lady, Queen of Heaven, to guide our steps in a regular way.

I thank you, my God, for the good resolutions, affections, and inspirations that you have communicated to me during this meditation. I ask your help to put them into practice. My Immaculate Mother, Saint Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

EW