When I was teaching high school theology I would ask my students a difficult question as we began one of the units: “Where is your soul?” As they wrestled with it, I would continue, “Is it in your gut (solar plexus)? Or perhaps your heart or your head?” For the most part they would be perplexed, as would many people if they never considered it, I suspect. In short, our soul is immortal; it is the spiritual, sacred God-given gift of our consciousness and freedom, which in unity with our body makes up our one nature. (For more explanation, see the notes.)* Further, we do not have a body and a soul, but rather we are a body and soul, a unity. We are sacred beings since we are created by God in His image and likeness with a soul that is immortal and a body which will be separated from our soul at death, perfected, and reunited (with our soul) at the Final Judgment.** We are not like the angels who are non-corporeal, (without bodies), but are pure spirits. That we are a body and soul is unique to us; of all that God has made we alone are this way. This means that we are able to meet God uniquely within our soul, or as we often say, deep within our inmost being. Thus, the Uncreated and the created can meet as one; or put another way, our soul is where Heaven meets earth.

Indeed, our souls are where we meet God intimately, but we know there is more about Heaven to ponder, perhaps even the question of where Heaven might be, so let’s dive in. We often use the description ‘above’ for Heaven, but in truth this designation is symbolic of that which is actually a mystery at this point in our journey through life.*** In His preaching Jesus often used the term (‘above’) to give a sense that Heaven is where God is. As such, it is perfection, something which is above us. Scripture also tells of those prior to Jesus who had visions of Heaven: Isaiah, for example, saw the Lord of Hosts sitting on His throne, a place so holy, he lamented his own sinfulness or unholiness. (Isaiah 6:1-8) Thus, it stood to reason that Jesus would teach about Heaven and its importance, though the most important of the revelations concerning Heaven is His Resurrection from the dead, followed 40 days later by His Ascension. And over the centuries there have been experiences and visions of Heaven by a number of saints beginning with St. Stephen who joyfully cried out that he saw Heaven as he was being stoned to death. (Acts 7:56)

Jesus often taught about what Heaven is like in His parables. Additionally, He gave insight when in response to the Pharisees, He said: “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, ‘Behold, here it is!’ or, ‘There!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Some translations say, “within you,” Luke 17:20-21) For the sake of spiritual reflection, let us consider these words in relation to our prayer; that is, we always have access to God and therefore, to the Kingdom when we pray. But this access from within demands a response: Jesus instructed His followers to help build up the Kingdom through evangelization and service here on the earth and so we are called to action. In short, the Kingdom is within and all around us, and so the reality is that we cannot refer to the Kingdom as if it is a dot on a map any more than we can refer to any exact location of our soul within our body. Rather we must acknowledge that in a mystical and mysterious way, the Lord has offered us something of what is to come in the here and now, although the day will indeed come when all is perfected; rather than Heaven being 'within' us, we will be within Heaven for eternity. 

We are connected to God, the Saints, the angels, and our departed loved ones by nature of our Baptism. We are One Body in Christ. Thus, everything we do affects the entire Body, which means that we must be on the lookout for the temptations of the evil one who wants to distract us from Heaven at the very least, and separate us from it at the very worst. But if we stay vigilant, continually seek the love and mercy of God, pursuing a life of holiness in our prayer and service, we will grow in relationship with the Lord, and then surely Heaven and earth meet. Of course, while pondering is good and definitely encouraged, it is better to experience these realities. The good news is that we can do this readily: every time we go to Mass, in the Word and at the altar when the Lord is present in the Eucharist, Heaven meets earth; every time we go to Reconciliation and the words of absolution are spoken, Heaven meets earth; every time we go to Adoration, offering worship and praise, Heaven meets earth; every time we read Scripture, Heaven meets earth; every time we pray, Heaven meets earth; and every time we do even the smallest act of selfless giving, Heaven meets earth. In meditating upon this great gift of access we have during this life, let us recognize "the pearl of great price" we are given, that in great gratitude we may open ourselves to the Lord where Heaven meets earth.

May we rejoice that God calls us to meet Him daily! May we be moved to deeper prayer and reflection upon the great gifts God gives! And may we be moved to greater faith, hope, and charity, moving outward in love and service to others, sharing the Kingdom of Heaven and thus, enabling Heaven and earth to meet! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                           ©Michele L. Catanese

* The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC): “In Sacred Scripture the term “soul” often refers to human life or the entire human person. But “soul” also refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value within him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image: “soul” signifies the spiritual principle in man.” It continues: “The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the “form of the body:” i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.” (Paragraphs 363 and 365)
-- Also, from Catholic.com: “[The soul is] the spiritual principle of human beings. The soul is the subject of human consciousness and freedom; soul and body together form one unique human nature. Each human soul is individual and immortal, immediately created by God. The soul does not die with the body, from which it is separated by death, and with which it will be reunited in the final resurrection.”
https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-exactly-is-a-soul
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​** CCC, paragraph 997: “In death, the separation of the soul from the body, the human body decays and the soul goes to meet God while awaiting its reunion with its glorified body. God in His almighty power will definitively grant incorruptible life to our bodies by reuniting them with our souls through the power of Jesus’s resurrection.”

​*** And truly we really should be more attentive in our reflection to what Heaven is. As in all things spiritual, our language doesn’t always contain ways to describe that which is beyond explanation in this life. We are forced to use language that suggests tangibility (matter) and time because that is all we know for now. Therefore, I hope you bear with me in this reflection for that reason.

Images:
1. My photo; The Creation of Adam, the Palatine Chapel, Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Notice God's breath entering Adam. This is definitely Heaven meeting earth.
2. My photo; clouds as seen on the way to Kalambaka, Greece. 
3. Painting; Jesus Dining with Pharisees, by James Tissot.
4. My photo; Blessed Sacrament exposed for Adoration in a small church in Amsterdam, Holland.
5. Icon; La Sangre de Cristo, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you are interested in obtaining a copy for purchase, go to fineartamerica.com/featured/la-sangre-de-cristo-242-william-hart-mcnichols.html

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 read a fair number of spiritual newsletters, essays, books, and articles. I enjoy being exposed to new or deeper insights, but it is also beneficial to consider the challenges that often arise. Reflecting periodically upon the state of our spiritual life is important, especially to uncover and then work on areas of attachments and sinfulness, gauging whether or not we are progressing in our life of faith. The point is not to berate ourselves or to engage in feelings of guilt, but rather it enables the recognition of our need to ask the Holy Spirit for aid in spiritual growth and to tap into the mercy of God, something we often lose sight of when avoiding any reflection upon our own weaknesses. Unless we do this, we will not be fully accepting the unfathomable gift of God’s mercy which He wants to give, nor will we be able to grow into the person He created us to be, that is, holy. In Genesis, God revealed that humans are made in His image and likeness, calling us “very good” (Gen. 1:31). But after sin entered the world, we began to have need of His mercy; this action begins through the gift of Baptism, indeed a mercy of God, and we remain in a continual process of reclaiming who He created us to be through the gift of the Holy Spirit, without whom our efforts would be fruitless. Of this St. Paul wrote: “… where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.” (Romans 5:20) Thus, where sin increases within our lives, grace and mercy overflow “all the more.” Acknowledging our own sin, then, is to allow God’s mercy, to overflow within us enabling healing and growth. Let us never forget: He sees us. He knows us. He loves us.

Implicit in what St. Paul said is the understanding that if we desire to grow in our spiritual life, and therefore as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must strive to grow in humility. I am reminded of a comment I heard recently: “Being virtuous or exercising valor to gain attention is neither virtue nor valor.” * This rightly suggests that seeking to gain attention through our service or in overt displays of piety is the opposite of humility. It doesn’t mean that we should never pray in public or enact a work of service that someone witnesses; that is unrealistic, nor is it in keeping with some of what discipleship entails. But it is to say that we need to keep our motivations at the forefront as we do things others can see. Jesus taught this in the Sermon on the Mount: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them, otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others….” Similarly, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them…. When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret.” (Matthew 6:1-8) What Jesus is getting at is not that we should never pray openly, (if so, no one would go to religious services of any kind!) Rather, He is saying that we should not make displays of piety to outperform the next person or to garner attention so that people will think us holy. In short, our prayer and our works should be done to glorify God and not ourselves.

Of course, we must also remember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector which Jesus told in response to the self-righteous. In it, both men entered the temple to pray. The Pharisee, quite full of himself, proceeded to “take up his position” and “spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity, greedy, dishonest, adulterous, or even like this tax collector.’” Meanwhile, the tax collector “stood at a distance, and would not even raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’” Jesus concluded by saying that the humble sinner went home justified, whereas the Pharisee did not. (Luke 18:9-14) Therefore, it is rather clear that God favors a humble, contrite heart to one that thinks of itself as justified because of their good works and therefore needs no interior work.**

It can be quite challenging to look into our own motivations, and likewise, we must be careful not to fall into the temptation of becoming overly scrupulous as we do so. Therefore, it is essential to keep the Holy Spirit involved in our prayer. In other words, we need His grace in order to grow in self-awareness rather than in self-repudiation. Being virtuous is what we all should strive for, but true virtue always springs from humility, that is, remembering who we are before God. I am reminded of a favorite quote, one which I keep on my desk at all times. It comes from St. Catherine of Siena: “Knowledge of ourselves gives birth to profound humility.” Indeed, if we were to recognize how little we are in comparison to God, and yet how greatly He loves us and responds to our prayers, our humility would grow, and our awe and gratitude at the enormity of His mercy would also grow. In this growth is holiness, and it is this response that the Lord seeks as our offering to Him. 

May we seek to grow in knowledge of ourself! May we grow in humility, responding to the enormous gift of God’s grace and mercy! May we grow in discipleship, witnessing to the Lord through our humble acts of service! And may God’s grace and mercy overflow! Let us meet in the merciful Heart of Jesus! Peace!

​                            ©Michele L. Catanese

* I believe this statement was made by Robert Royal, the editor-in-chief of The Catholic Thing and president of the Faith & Reason Institute in Washington, D.C. 
** Reference to Psalm 51:18-19: “For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit, a contrite, humbled heart, O God you will not scorn.” Quite often in the Old Testament, especially in the Prophetic books, there are passages that emphasize God’s preference for sincerity rather than copious offerings, which are often represented by bulls, goats, and the many material sacrifices that were done as if to satisfy an obligation or to appear pious.

​Note: Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, one of which is “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) I would argue that each and every one of the Beatitudes is about having a humble heart. Perhaps something to ponder. By the way, I did write an entry about the Sermon on the Mount a while back. If interested go to https://www.catanesesd.com/micheles-blog/the-gospel-within-the-gospels
Images:
1. My photo; Creation of the World, by Giusto de' Menabuoi, (1378). This fresco is in the dome of the Baptistry, Padua, Italy.
2. Drawing; Old Man Praying by Vincent van Gogh.
​3. My photo; Lost Maples Natural Area, Vanderpool, Texas. Some humble pines in the foreground and the more 'attention-seeking' colored maples behind them.
4. Painting; Gesù restituisce a santa Caterina la crocetta ricevuta da lei in veste di pellegrino, (Jesus Returns to St. Catherine the Little Cross She Received as a Pilgrim), by Crescenzio Gambarelli, (1602). This is found insided the Basilica of San Domenico, Siena, Italy. Wikimedia Commons.
5. Painting; Divine Mercy, Jesus I Trust in You.
6. Icon; Mother of God Asking for Humility, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. You can find this at ​fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-god-asking-for-humility-143-william-hart-mcnichols.html

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.