Seekers of Heaven

There is that innate desire in each one for heaven. In our struggle with ourselves, in marriage, in family life, religious affiliation, ideological adherence, in everything, there is that seeking of heaven. Our hearts, minds, and strength are expended to that fulfillment now and forevermore.

We may be conscious of it or not, but it is a great impulsion that drives us to be better in virtue, health, justice. solidarity, equality, and the elusive search for happiness and love.

As intrinsically seekers of heaven, we are impelled to seek the Truth and find salvation from this longing. At the same time, there will always exist in us varying degrees of messianic complex. There is the tug of war. We are torn between heaven and humanity. We interiorly know that we are participants in Jesus' work of salvation, yet, we are being pulled into a self-righteous task of bringing about Utopia without Jesus, without God.

Such is the dilemma of humanity manifested through out history. The Islamists, even the Jihadist, are seekers of heaven and they were taught that such is the way of heaven. The west may criticize the Moslem women, but they subjugate themselves willingly because that is the way to heaven.

The West, likewise, seek heaven in a secularist way. Abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia which are abominable to the Moslems. But to the West, these were the answers given to them to quench their longing for heaven.

So often, two extremes may seem so opposite that they are deemed irreconcilable enemies. Yet, if they stop and think, they are actually the same. Even in the minute aspect of our lives - buying things, relationships, acts of charity, jobs, health-consciousness, environmentalism, learning, we are seeking heaven or a glimpse of it. It will not go away but continually manifests itself in our loneliness, neediness, pain, and restlessness.

Does it make every sin or evil excusable because it comes from a misdirected impulsion of a desire for heaven? Or perhaps it was the only answer given to us to quench our thirst?

John Henry (Ven.) Cardinal Newman said “We can believe what we choose. We are answerable for what we choose to believe." The Truth had been knowable and accessible through Divine Revelation and ultimately through Jesus Christ. Through faith and reason, we can respond to the heavenly invitation.

To an individual, there is pain which is our first teacher of truth. We know even before we learn to speak the physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual pain. We have also been given common sense that allows us to sense the right and wrong of things even if we can not express it.

Of greater importance is our being with people from conception to our last breath. Being with people allows us to give and be given the Truth. It allows us to lead and be led, to guide and be guided. We are here for each other. In this respect, I remember Ratzinger's "concern for the faith of the little ones must be more important than fearing the opposition of the powerful."

We can identify the "little ones" as those who simply TRUST. We are not capable of knowing everything. We have been given limits of time and resources in our pilgrim world. Thus, we need each other and in trust, we guide and be guided... hopefully towards the fulfillment of our desire for heaven.

Through the Vicissitudes

Calamities. War. Corruption. Crashes. Abortion. Euthanasia. Same-sex marriage. Illegal migration. "Restore man to the center".

With a world seemingly headed for self-destruction, how could one feel comfortable and happy in this world we live in. There are three essentials of life that make things life worth living: faith, family, and friends.



FAITH

We focus on the Holy Trinity and with the intercession of our Blessed Mother, the Holy Angels, and the saints, we can keep our faith alive. The Sacraments may not be accessible always to us but through prayers, we keep our spiritual communion.

There may be so many negative elements in the Church, but the deposit of faith can give us a solid foundation. A lifetime will not be enough to exhaust it. We have the faith of the "little one", the way of humility to keep the flame of Truth burning to guide us.

FAMILY

Often neglected in our consumer and production oriented world, it is important to make a home. A home that may be reduced to its bare essentials.
Let not our homes be mere boarding house to sleep on or a storage building for our material collections.
Keeping our homes back to its essential where relationships can be healed and nurtured. A home where there is a breathing space for creativity and self-growth. A home which is a domestic church where one can guide each other towards God who is Truth, Life, and Love.
A place where a child can be a child, a parent can be a parent, a sick person can be a sick person, an old person can be an old person, a man can be a man, a woman can be a woman... a time and place to fulfill God's purpose and Divine Plan for each one.

FRIENDS

Friendship, though, often without a sense of permanence, can be enduring. It keeps our hearts and minds open and not self-contained. Friendships remind us the value of trust - to choose who we trust and to be trustworthy. Friendships allow us to keep our sense of duty towards our neighbor beyond the extension of our self.



With faith, family, and friends, there is beauty amidst the rubbles. They are like seedlings finding its way from the ground. They are like blossoms that spread their fragrance, no matter what the conditions of the surroundings may be.
Through the vicissitude of life, it is faith, family, friends that will get us through without becoming unreal and yet faithful to the pursuit of Truth. With God's mercy and grace, we will make it to our eternal home.

Narrow Door

The letter of the late Cardinal Martini of Milan had been used by some to discredit the Catholic Church as no longer relevant today. Others want to make some sense of it and bring out some points to ponder on.

I don't know the late Cardinal. However, in reading his letter, I saw a man who cares for the Catholic Church and cares for people. But what he saw in his milieu was a dying church. He, himself, was old and sick. Frustrated but still caring for souls, he wanted to break open the narrow gate to let people in.

Throughout history, there were many personalities who cling to the Church but what to change the Church to accomodate people. There are many more who resort to man-made religion and organizations that will accomodate them. Understandably, it is nice to be included just the way you are. Tolerance to second marriages, gay marriages, women pastors, artificial contraception, abortion, and so on.

It is always sad when someone you care about leaves the Church. And it is a joy when others join the Church. Often, the reason why Catholics leave the Church would exactly be the same reason why non-Catholics join the Church. Such is the paradoxes of life.

However, no matter how much we want as many people to be in that road leading to fullness of life and joy; We do not own the road and the gate; Neither do the Catholic Church.

As Pope Paul VI wrote:
"Since the Church did not make either of these [natural & evangelical] laws, she cannot be their arbiter—only their guardian and interpreter. It could never be right for her to declare lawful what is in fact unlawful, since that, by its very nature, is always opposed to the true good of man." (Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI, 1968)

No matter how much we love people, we have to allow them to make their choice. Though prayer is often undermined as a passive thing, it is the best we can do for others. It is through prayers that people are moved to a spirit-guided action. Only then, can we find compassion (and not exasperation) with each other over the beautiful but difficult road we tread.

"Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. (Luke 13:24 NASB)

Cardinal Martini's letter http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=21013

The Great Marriage

Faith and reason, as some people would like to depict it, is contrary to each other; But truly, it is a marriage of faith and reason that allows us to grow and make informed choices.
Like all true marriages, the marriage of faith and reason does not take away their differences or uniqueness. Faith is faith and reason is reason. However, in their marriage, they begin to compliment each other. Faith feeds reason; And reason feeds faith. Only in the marriage of faith and reason can we journey to the depth, breadth, width of Truth. We can touch, feel, see, and know that which is bigger than us.
The great divorce of faith and reason, thus, is of immense consequence to living. As one becomes unfaithful, one becomes more unreasonable; And as one becomes unreasonable, the more one becomes unfaithful. It is paradoxical that one who loves reason to the abject rejection of faith is actually debilitating his/her reason. It is, likewise, with one who loves faith divorced from reason would be actually clinging to a false faith. Divorce of faith and reason leads to fanaticism or idolatry.

Another great marriage is that of Truth and Freedom. Truth sets us freer and freedom walks us to the truth. Even though truth is truth and freedom is freedom, totally different from each other; The great marriage makes them complimentary and nourishing each other.
When freedom is divorced from truth, there is only a license. Much like a driver's license, it does not follow that one can reach one's destination. Divorced from truth, love of freedom is bondage. There is no real choice because the truth is made unavailable. On the other hand, truth divorced from freedom is dictatorship. It has the roadmap and guidepost but without the driver's license, it cannot move.
The great divorce of truth and freedom leads to chaos and oppression while the great marriage of truth and freedom is the road to fullness of life.