A few weeks ago, a little boy who is about eight years old was sitting in front of me at Mass. I've seen this boy many times and enjoy watching him participate in the Mass, for he is normally rather intense in doing so. I've even seen him quiet his little sister so he can pay attention better. But on this particular Sunday, he was extremely distracted. And the reason for this distraction was that one of his friends was sitting several pews behind us. I know this because as the boy was looking around before Mass, he caught sight of his friend and could not contain his excitement. He nudged his mom who was sitting next to him and told her about his sighting. He looked down the pew at his dad and explained the situation with great elation. And the rest of the Mass, he continued to look back at his friend as if to make sure he was still present.
I haven't been able to get this image out of my head, mainly because during that Mass the Lord granted me such beautiful insight into this scenario and it's relevance to our lives of faith. In Philippians 1:23, St. Paul writes that "I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit". Paul desperately longed for heaven, but his main concern in the present was the sanctification of those around him. Like the little boy at Mass, Paul wanted to be able to look around in heaven and be filled with excitement as he saw his friends, his co-workers, and those he converted all present with him. And we must ardently desire this as well.
We all recognize that in faith, our greatest pursuit is to spend eternity in heaven "gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). St. Peter even says that "the goal of your faith is the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:9). We want heaven. We want to spend eternity with the Lord. And we attempt to live holy and virtuous lives with that aim in mind. But do we, like St. Paul, also desire heaven with the same fervor for our best friends, our spouses, our children, our co-workers and each person we encounter?
Do we encourage our friends to live lives of holiness or do we allow them to wallow in sin thinking "it's not my responsibility"? Do we forego asking our family members to meet us at Mass because we've been rejected before, or do we continue to ask, hoping that the Spirit will move them to come one day? Are our times of prayer focused on self or do we actually take time to pray for the salvation of our friends and family members?
In turn, we must reflect on our own relationships and see the ways in which we are failing in virtue. We must see that our own attainment of heaven is contingent upon the love that we give to those around us. So we must reflect and ask, in our encounters with other people, do we "humbly regard others as more important than [ourselves]"? If we are called, in each of our relationships, to "live in a manner worthy of the call you have received with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love", how well do we do? If we are to "be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful", are there things that God is calling us to resolve in our friendships, in our marriages, or in our relationships with people in our workplace?
St. Therese once said that "The cry of Jesus as He died, 'I thirst,' echoed every moment in my soul, inflaming my heart with a burning love. I longed to satisfy His thirst for souls." Jesus, we ask you to inflame our hearts with that same love today. Help us, by your grace, to recognize those who are struggling most in faith and give us wisdom to know how to speak to them about you. May heaven with you be our desire for self and those we meet.
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