SUMMIT OF SANCTITY | KAIROS GLOBAL | JANUARY 2023

Author: Anil Israel

Intro: Anil Israel reflects upon a life with Christ – heaven.

Among the so-called four last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell, unanimously we all would love to embrace heaven and distance ourselves from the other three. Heaven is simply incredibly attractive, that many saints joyfully embraced martyrdom on earth to be able to enjoy the face to face (1Corinthians13:12) beatific vision in heaven. We all might have our own imaginative impressions influencing our personal sense of ‘heaven’. Childhood perceptions tend to hover over: ‘heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace’. In the Gospel, we hear Jesus assuring us: I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2). The word ‘place’ might tend to imply that it is a location somewhere out there. But where exactly is heaven?

Since we are bound in time and space, we tend to think in terms of geographical co-ordinates as far as location is concerned. We who are God’s masterpiece, are made up of both a physical body and a spiritual soul. So the place called heaven actually refers to a spiritual co-ordinate. It is not a geographical place but a spiritual state – the state of our soul. Our souls are destined to be elevated to godly levels and be partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

The Catechism vividly teaches us: ‘This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity – this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed – is called “heaven”. Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness’ (CCC 1024).

What Luke’s Gospel refers to as Kingdom of God, Mathew’s Gospel refers to as Kingdom of heaven. This is a kingdom in the spiritual realm. This is the kingdom of love where God reigns. It is a kingdom made of people’s hearts – the hearts of all called to be saints (Romans 1:7). To live in heaven is ‘to be with Christ’ (CCC 1025). ‘For life is to be with Christ, where Christ is, there is life, there is the kingdom (St Ambrose).

This life with Christ is the life of the soul that Jesus promised: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). This abundant life in Christ is what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). This heavenly life is not what the soul begins to live after it has departed the mortal body in its earthly existence, but the soul can already start living this saintly life as St Therese of Child Jesus often reiterated: ‘I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.’

St Paul mentions being caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians12:2) giving a clue to different levels of intimacy with God. Our nearness to God on earth is our foretaste of heaven. Jesus’s promise to the good thief: Today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43) is yet another assurance of the heavenly experience of the nearness of Christ. 

‘The son of God became man to enable men to become the sons of God’ (C.S. Lewis). The prince of peace incarnated, to restore peace in our hearts. For ‘our hearts are restless, until they find rest in you’ (St Augustine). He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). We are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6) but children of light (Ephesians 5:8) and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). 

We are all therefore called to live transformed lives rooted and built up in him [Christ] (Colossians 2:7) with the help of divine assistance – the Helper (John 14:26) – the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. Having received the triple anointing of priest, prophet and king through baptism, we are called to live pure, holy, faultless lives – sinless, saintly, godly lives, for without holiness no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14). May all that we do, be solely done for the greater glory for God alone. He who seeks the glory of God… in him there is no falsehood (John 7:18).

God dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16). Our ardent pursuit of personal sanctification is our homecoming journey from darkness to light (Acts 26:18). This is a life-long journey of consistent perseverance. It is necessary of us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

May we crave the splendour of God (2 Corinthians 4:6) and radically reorient our lives to emit the light of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). May we experience his awesome presence, by offering in our hearts a throne of praise (Psalm 22:3). As a faithful disciple, may we always endeavour to be with him (Mark 3:14). For, ‘to be without Jesus is a grievous hell, and to be with Jesus a sweet paradise’ (St Therese of Lisieux).

We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are not made for this world, we are made for more – our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). May we joyfully pursue this journey from parched life to the springs of eternal life. Permeated in pureness, soaked in Scripture, drenched in Divine light, inebriated in the pursuit of eternal bliss, may we scale the summit of sanctity and become sons of light (John 12:36). Am I willing to be a living tabernacle – a living monstrance – radiating Christ?