Getting from Here to There!

As a young altar server, I knew I wanted to go to heaven. I used to hear my mom say every time I gave her a difficult time, she would remind me of my desire to get to heaven saying, “Everything we do is all about getting from here to there.”

I tried to do everything right so God would see that I was a good boy and deserved to be in heaven where all the good people lived. I wanted God to see that I was one of them and take me right into heaven. I wanted to let my mom know I got from here to there, with no problem,

Besides, the alternative, the fires of hell, didn’t sound too appetizing for an 11-year-old. Heaven, wherever it was or even whatever it was, heaven had the better appeal.

I remember saying the act of contrition and hearing the words, “…because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell.” Those words had a way of sobering me up to renew my desire to be good and try again. But I always wondered why it was so difficult.

As I got older, I began to like Jesus more because I wasn’t seeing him as a stern judge. I began to see another side to him. He seemed more like a nice person. He healed people, giving sight to the blind, raising up a mother’s only son, feeding thousands, and giving people hope and peace.

He forgave sins giving people a second chance, and even a third chance saying, “Go and sin no more.” All this helped me see Jesus as someone who cared for me. As I read more about him in the bible, I realized Jesus was on my side. He loved me. And he died to get me into heaven. Jesus went through much pain on my part. Nobody else would do that. Except my mother!

As our Savior Jesus explains about our ending, and how to prepare for it adequately. Draped in his Christmas pageantry which softens the word judgment a word which is a part of our salvation.

Easter shows us the depth of God’s love because it is day which lays bare Jesus’ relentless pursuit to save us, the magnitude of his power, and his patience and generosity to win us back with his mercy.

God binds himself to us forever in his covenant. God became man forever when he gave his son to us in flesh and blood, and we celebrate that at every Eucharist. We are bound as adopted brothers and sisters to Jesus, God’s son, the second person of the Trinity. God is our Father too. This is mind boggling enough. But God also emptied Himself to do this! “…but he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:7)

We still have preparation time. Michael, the Archangel, hasn’t blown his trumpet yet calling every one of us before him for our personal review.

Christ is our steady and bright light. And when we fail, Christ our light remains bright to show us the way back again. Christ continues to be faithful even when we are not! Thank God.

Have a blissful lent loving our God who never stops loving us.