 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 ** 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. Comments are closed.
|
Heart Speaks to Heart
|
RSS Feed
