FROM the entry, “Friendships in Heaven:”
And then think of what it is to be with those noble, generous and wise human beings, the Saints, and to enjoy their exalted companionship forever, the beauty of their souls and countenances penetrating our hearts and filling us with a love so sweet and enduring it would overcome us if we were to experience it in this life. There would be no embarrassment then that we too love God. Our inadequacies would be overshadowed by their heroic heights, in the way immense mountains cradle, and form one exquisite panorama with, the flecks of flowers and grasses far below.
Here is a love worth any price. Here is a love the ancient martyrs saw so vividly. It overcame them with joy when they were fed to wild dogs in the amphitheater or set alight in the imperial gardens. Joan of Arc, betrayed as few have ever been betrayed, called out in a resounding voice, Jesu, Jesu! as the flames encompassed her and the hatred of the world consumed her earthly existence. She saw love and nothing else. Her heart was already on fire.
Oftentimes, people talk of Heaven as if it were a state of mindless euphoria, almost a state of drunkenness. But it is nothing like that. In mindless bliss, in depersonalized nirvana, little of our selves would survive. Little of our selves would love or be loved. The heartlessness of this world, its scorn for the holy and marvelous intimacies of heaven, can only prepare us to know true charity if and when we see it. If we must sacrifice attachments in this life for the love of God, we are not without friends. They await us, and they want nothing more than that we love what they love.
Thanks for visiting!
