Sometimes re-reading a novel after many years can be quite eye-opening. I recently made this discovery while revisiting Lost Horizon by James Hilton, written in 1933. Even with concessions for it being dated, it was a huge disappointment this time. Quite frankly, it left me a bit shocked. It was always a hokey premise: a plane crashes in the Himalayas and once the passengers climb a ridge, they find a beautiful populated valley, Shangri-La. Its ‘perfection’ includes incredible longevity for those who live there. What shocked me, however, was the philosophy described by the plane wreck survivors’ mysterious host  who said that their “prevalent belief is moderation…. avoiding excess of all kinds – even including, if you will pardon the paradox, excess of virtue itself.” In short, they practiced goodness in moderation, immorality in moderation, and so on. The host said that as in everything, their faith is approached with moderation so that they are even “moderately heretical;” later he states that “many religions are moderately true.”* This is not perfection, but rather it is dangerous, a type of relativism: anything goes… within moderation, of course! Since the novel was written, many have equated the phrase “Shangri-La” to mean a blissful place, but in the book Shangri-La is not a place of true freedom. As I considered this, I began to reflect upon Heaven as taught by our Christian faith in which it is clear that Heaven is not some ‘thing’ on earth, utopian in essence. Let me be clear: utopia does not exist, Shangri-La does not exist, and perfection on this earth does not exist. But Heaven does exist, precisely because it is not at all of this earth. Rather, Heaven is the one true Paradise which we will enter only after we leave this life. It is true eternal life with God forever based on His love and mercy. There is nothing perfect on ‘this side’ of Heaven, but the magnificent gift is that because of God’s mercy, we can enter into it someday.

When we recently celebrated the Assumption of Mary into Heaven we celebrated that when she died Mary went ‘whole’ from the earth; but where did she actually go? We know the answer is “Heaven,” but the truth is that Heaven is not a place. Rather, Heaven is a state of being which is totally different than that of this earth. It is outside of time and space as we know it, ** and it is where God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) dwells. In Heaven we will spend eternity with God “where He will wipe away every tear and there will be no suffering” (paraphrase, Revelation 21:1-4) We cannot attain Heaven and simultaneously still be physically alive on the earth, though we can get ‘glimpses’ of it in prayer or in spiritual experiences when we are overcome with joy that has no explanation as to its source other than that it comes from God. These moments are brief and fleeting, (though sometimes they can last much longer);*** but the effect of the experience ‘proves’ to the pray-er that it did happen. These experiences are nearly impossible to put into words, but that is also a sign that the experience was real. We simply have no words to describe the indescribable.

The reality is that we will have to experience all that life entails, the suffering and difficulties, joys and blessings, before we can get to Heaven. Jesus assured us that if we are baptized and have belief – (this means we freely accept the gospel teachings He gave and put it into action) – and we sincerely attempt to grow in holiness, we will end our earthly days with entrance into Heaven. After death, some of us will first have to deal with unrepented sin or sinful attitudes; that is, we will need to be cleansed of whatever has kept us from growing as we should have. (Like Heaven, Purgatory is a state outside of time and space, an experience of being purged or refined so that we become perfected for entrance into Heaven.) If all this seems difficult, it is. Jesus clearly said the road is narrow and the way difficult. But the Good News is that God freely offers powerful graces and we can freely accept them. In fact, He will give any graces we ask for to attain that end. It presupposes we have a relationship of love with Him forged through prayer. And it means that we are humbly grateful before Him because we know that we can do nothing without God’s help. 

There is no perfect place, nor does perfection exist outside of Heaven. Any attempt for humans to create Heaven on earth will fall short at best and end disastrously at worst. God sent His Son to offer that which no human can create: He alone offers everlasting life, the redemption and perfection that only exist within Him. While God never said our life here would be free of pain and difficulty, He does offer us freedom from those things at the end of our journey if we stay the course. The beauty lays in personal discovery of God’s deep love and mercy, which we can accept as gift and then offer to others. All we need do is seek, ask, and knock, and it will be given. 

May we seek after the true paradise, life in Heaven with God forever! May we ask the help of the Holy Spirit to attain the purpose for which we were created: to know, love, and serve God in whatever way we are called! May we spend time in prayer with the gospels, especially the proclamation of the Kingdom by Jesus! May we pray for the gift of discernment, that we might learn to recognize the voice of God and to reject the seductive voices of the world! And may we have the consolation of Jesus, who is always present, guiding us home to Heaven! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!
                                                                      ©Michele L. Catanese

* Lost Horizon by James Hilton, Digital Fire edition, 2020; pages 42-43; 62.
** Magnificat, August volume, Bishop Robert Barron, Daily Gospel Reflections 8/15/2020
*** St. Teresa of Avila, for example, had extended experiences of union with God or had a sense of viewing Heaven. Many others such as St. Catherine of Siena, St. Faustina, and St. Seraphim of Sarov also had visions of Heaven. Though this is rare, it is indeed possible not just for those who are adept at prayer, but God can break through to anyone at any time since these experiences are pure gift. It is my belief that on some level great artists, writers, composers must have an intuited sense of Heaven in order to create such works of beauty. For a bit more on this, see 
https://littlestsouls.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/visions-of-heaven-the-perfect-joy-of-the-blessed/

Images:
1. My photo, near Mont Blanc, Chamonix, French Alps. I know this is not the Himalayas, of course, but it was the closest photo of a snowy mountain and valley (with a stretch of the imagination) that I have.
2. My photo of a painting in a church in Verona, Italy: The Assumption of Mary.
3. My photo, taken in the highlands of Scotland, near  Grantown-on-Spey. If ever there was a place that made me feel like I was seeing Heaven, it was in the Highlands, particularly this spot.
4. Painting, inset of Tree Triptych for Rivera Funeral Home by Fr. William Hart McNichols. Within the leaves of the tree, there is a space that looks like a heart. That is what drew me to this painting. 
If you would like to obtain a copy, go to https://fineartamerica.com/featured/tree-triptych-for-rivera-funeral-home-220-william-hart-mcnichols.html
5. Again my photo, a peaceful garden in Lerwick, on the Mainland of the Shetland Islands, Scotland.

NOTE: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

I am fortunate to have been able to visit some places associated with Mary the Mother of Jesus during my travels. On a trip to Ireland my husband and I visited Knock where Mary appeared in 1879, and a few years later we were able to visit Fatima and Lourdes. We also traveled to Israel where we prayed at sites which were part of the life of Mary, described in the gospels. All of these places were uniquely inspirational and beautiful, but the place that moved me the most was where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth. The exact site of the Annunciation is beneath a sizeable church, in a simple, cave-like room, a place which is far from elaborate. The other sites also inspire faith and glorify God, but the little humble room, a place reflecting the humility of Mary, impacted me greatly. The spot seemed wrapped in prayer, Mary’s and that of all who have prayed there in the centuries since. It felt as if had I entered into the intimacy of her encounter with the angel kneeling before her who explained, “Nothing is impossible for God” along with the echo of her words: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be it done to me according to your word.”

We celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15. This feast celebrates Mary’s extraordinary entrance into Heaven: immediately after her death, Mary’s body and soul were reunited and she was taken whole into heaven. All of us will have our bodies and souls reunited and glorified at the end of time, but because Mary was pure, immaculately conceived and totally sinless, (because God had anticipated that she would freely consent to be the mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ), having lived a life of total disposal to God, she was given the honor of experiencing this body and spirit wholeness immediately, without having to wait for the Second Coming of Christ. There were witnesses to this event, and though it is not recorded in the Scriptures, it is part of what we call the Tradition of the Church. There is not a lot about Mary in the gospels, but of this we can be sure: Mary was true to her promise to the Father by caring for Jesus during His life and then by caring for His people forever after. Thus, Mary is our mother, too, a perfect mother who we can call upon at any time. 

​From Scripture and Tradition we learn that Mary is an excellent role model and so I suggest that we let her teach us through them.* She humbly reveals the value of listening and pondering prayerfully as we sit with her at the Annunciation. Mary teaches us to welcome angels, the message of God, and the grace of the Holy Spirit. She models humility, discernment, obedience, and openness to what we may not originally see as possibility. She models trusting in God even when we do not understand. As we travel with Mary to the hill country to serve her cousin Elizabeth, she teaches how to savor our relationships. She shows us how to respond to the gifts God gives by sharing those gifts with others in turn. As we witness the birth of Christ, we can learn from Mary how to share Jesus with ‘wayfarers’ who come into our lives, be they wealthy kings or poor shepherds, sharing especially with those who do not know exactly Who it is that they seek. When we observe her finding her ‘lost’ Son in the Temple, Mary teaches us to seek Jesus with patience especially during those times when He seems absent. She teaches perseverance in prayer, applying what Jesus said: “Seek and you shall find.” At the wedding in Cana Mary encourages that we do whatever He tells us: to be a disciple means to follow Jesus’ teaching, trusting in it. As we hold vigil with her at the Cross, we learn from Mary that although grief and pain will be part of our lives, we are never alone because Jesus remains present with us always. At Pentecost Mary shows us how to open our hearts to the joy of the Holy Spirit. And finally, as she did when she died and was assumed into Heaven, Mary teaches us to have courage in passing through death, trusting that we will indeed have everlasting life with God. 

There is much to learn from so pure and loving a mother as Mary. My suggestion is to ask for the grace to work on one of her ‘lessons’ at a time. It would also be good to ask for the grace to imitate her example of humility, love, mercy, and prayerfulness. And if we feel like even that is too much, then perhaps we can imitate her by interceding for others in our prayer, asking Mary to intercede with us for our world as we do so. Let us take this time of celebrating her Assumption into Heaven as an opportunity to reflect upon Mary’s life, to ask the Lord for the grace to be more like her, and as an opportunity to say thank you for having such a Mother who wants nothing other than what is best for our world so that we might have healing and peace. 

May we ask the intercession of Mary saying: “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you!” May we take the time to reflect upon the gifts and graces we receive from God our Father so that we might be able to say: “I am the servant of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word!” And may we respond to the teaching of Jesus, Son of God and son of Mary, that we might become examples of mercy, justice, service, and love! Let us continue to meet in the Heart of Jesus!
                                                                           ©Michele L. Catanese

​* In Scripture, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke have the most about Mary: Matthew 1&2 and Luke 1&2 cover the Infancy Narratives, which includes everything from the Annunciation to the finding of Jesus in the Temple. The wedding at Cana is in John 2. All four Gospels describe the death and resurrection of Jesus, but Mary’s presence there is best described by John. (John 19:25-27) Mary’s role at Pentecost is covered in the Acts of the Apostles chapters 1&2. And the Assumption can be read about in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which includes that which is covered in Tradition.

Images:
1. My photo taken in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel. This spot is said to be the site where the Annunciation took place, as told through Tradition.
2. Icon, The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in obtaining a copy in one of a variety of mediums, you can purchase it at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-blessed-virgin-mary-mother-of-the-church-william-hart-mcnichols.html
​3.  My photo, taken just outside of Auckland, New Zealand.
4. My photo, taken in Dunedin, New Zealand. This rose makes me think of Mary as the Mystical Rose, pure and beautiful.
5. Painting, part of a fresco at San Marco Convent, Florence, Italy, The Annunciation by Blessed Fra Angelico. In my opinion, this is the purest, most moving artistic rendition of so sublime an event as the angel appearing to Mary. 

NOTE: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.