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When was the last time you thought about Heaven and pictured it in your mind? One of the most important parts of the spiritual life is to remember the end goal, the final destination that we are all striving to attain.
The saints fully understood this reality and imagined what Heaven would be like on a daily basis. In the midst of their prayer they would think about the beauty and joys of Heaven and how they longed to be united with God.
Dreaming about Heaven puts everything else in perspective.
St. Francis de Sales encouraged this exercise, writing a chapter about it in his Introduction to the Devout Life.
[Imagine] to yourself a lovely calm night, when the heavens are bright with innumerable stars: add to the beauty of such a night the utmost beauty of a glorious summer’s day,—the sun’s brightness not hindering the clear shining of moon or stars, and then be sure that it all falls immeasurably short of the glory of Paradise. O bright and blessed country, O sweet and precious place!
He then instructs the reader to think about the joys of Heaven that the angels and saints already partake in.
They rejoice with a perpetual joy, they share a bliss unspeakable, and unchangeable delights. Consider how they enjoy the Presence of God, Who fills them with the richness of His Vision, which is a perfect ocean of delight; the joy of being for ever united to their Head. They are like happy birds, hovering and singing for ever within the atmosphere of divinity, which fills them with inconceivable pleasures.
This short exercise can have a real effect on the soul and direct all our other actions in life. If we truly desire Heaven, won’t we try to do all that we can to stay on the path that goes directly to it?
If you find yourself constantly falling into the same types of sin over and over again, stop for a moment to imagine Heaven and what it will be like.
The beauty and joy of Heaven surpasses anything we can picture in our minds, and that reality should stir within us a desire to be there, no matter the cost.
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And today we celebrate...