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Most of us don’t often think about Heaven and the joys we will experience in the eternal embrace of the Father.
This is unfortunate, as the thought of Heaven can be a powerful motivator during our life on earth, propelling us forward in the practice of virtue.
The more we think about Heaven, the more we want to be there.
What will Heaven be like?
St. Francis de Sales encourages Christians to think about Heaven in his Introduction to the Devout Life, comparing it to the greatest beauties on earth:
[Bring to mind] 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 shifts our focus from the beauty of Heaven, to the glory of all those who dwell in it:
Consider the beauty and perfection of the countless inhabitants of that blessed country;—the millions and millions of angels, Cherubim and Seraphim; the glorious company of Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and saints. O blessed company, any one single member of which surpasses all the glory of this world, what will it be to behold them all, to sing with them the sweet Song of the Lamb? They rejoice with a perpetual joy, they share a bliss unspeakable, and unchangeable delights.
Glorious as this might be, it all pales in comparison to being in the presence of God:
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. There each one vies without jealousy in singing the praises of the Creator.
St. Francis de Sales believes that after meditating on the glories of Heaven, we should be inspired to examine our own lives and to root out anything that would hinder us in reaching eternal bliss.
Heaven certainly is a beautiful place to think about, but if we want to be there some day, we need to do work now to ensure our hearts are open to God’s grace on the day of our death.
And today we celebrate...