Live with Heaven in Mind

Wednesday, June 7th Gospel Reflection

“As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled.”

The Easter celebration has concluded. Jesus has ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit has descended. We are in Ordinary Time. It’s also Wednesday. It’s a sad state of liturgical and temporal affairs. So much so that we might be tempted to pray as Tobit did in the Old Testament, “Lord, command me to be delivered from such anguish; let me go to the everlasting abode; Lord, refuse me not. For it is better for me to die than to endure so much misery in life. . .” I can imagine that the holy apostles might have had a similar situation when they weren’t experiencing healing manifestations and instead were suffering persecutions and calumny. For us in America, we are not experiencing the same persecutions of the early Church. We suffer the temptation of distraction from our Lord. The summer means vacations, swimsuit season (and all the temptations that come from that), the temptation to not attend Mass when out and about vacationing in another state, the temptation for reading books that do not glorify God, etc.

As the school year ends and the summer season begins, let the Lord’s words be at the center of your hearts and minds. The Lord has promised that the dead would be raised again. We need to live as if that could be at any moment – despite it being “Ordinary Time.” This is when the real work and toil begins. Let modesty, chastity, moderation and the phrase “Memento Mori” (Remember You Must Die) be at the center of your hearts and minds. Several suggestions for how to live a holy summer and to not lose the “heaven in mind” mentality:

·         Read a book that focuses on asceticism. I recommend “Happy Are You Poor” by Thomas Dubay.

·         If you are a woman, purchase modest swimwear.

·         If you are a man, govern your eyes. (Men, please chime in on the comments below on ways to help this happen.)

·         While planning your vacation, find the local parish in your area and make that your Sunday priority

·         Exercise for health, not for how others will perceive you. Avoid mirrors.

The Lord is desiring all of you all of the time. Have courage and forbearance as you walk the narrow way that leads directly to Him.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash