One Foot In Heaven
One
There is a Church in Rome near the Vatican named after St. John the Baptist that houses a very special relic encased in silver: the foot of St. Mary Magdalen. The description under the reliquary reads, “The Foot of Mary Magdalene, the First Foot to Enter the Tomb of Christ.” Upon entering the Tomb of the Risen Lord, we could also say that Mary Magdalene was the first to step into the new creation. Once Christ rose from the dead, the future and purpose of all creation changed forever, and this special foot—by stepping across the threshold of the tomb—stepped across the abys of death to life eternal! To venerate her foot is to marvel at our own new and divine destiny won for us by Christ. At the same time, it is an invitation for all of us to live as she did, with one foot, our lead foot, already in heaven. And you, do you lead off your day with one foot already in heaven?
Two
In the Hail Mary, we offer a very special petition to the Mother of God that we mustn’t gloss over; we ask Our Lady to pray for us “now and at the hour of our death.” These two moments are really the only moments that matter in our lives. The past is over, and the future is not yet. We only have the grace-filled, present moment wherein God disperses His grace. And we know that the day of our death and judgment will come, and when it comes, we will want the motherly intercession of Mary at our moment to meet Christ and be judged. The monks used to sleep with a skull near the bedside with the motto written, Memento Mori, or Remember You Must Die. This practice was kept for centuries in monasteries world-wide, not because the monks were morbid and fascinated with death, but because they wanted to live each day reminded of their end—death, judgment, and hopefully heaven. They knew that forgetting their end leads to worldliness or worse, sin. Reminding ourselves that we, too, are to die should lead us to live each day with one foot in heaven. Making every decision and shaping every desire with this knowledge is how we can place our lead foot already in heaven. This will excite our decision making for something more than just fleeting pleasure or selfish pursuits. It will force our trail foot, and all of the choices that go with it, to align with our ultimate aim, eternal happiness with God forever!
Three
Having one foot in heaven and having one foot on earth means that we are still in the world but not of it (cf. Jn 17:14-19). But this is the challenge—we still live in this world connected to jobs, schools, neighborhoods, bills, worries, health concerns, etc. that constantly demand our attention. The responsibilities and struggles are real. How then do we live with our end in mind, with one foot in heaven? St. Paul reminds us, “Those who belong to Christ have crucified nature, with all its passions, all its impulses. If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit” (Gal 5: 24-25). He also offers this advice, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5: 15-18). Thus, through daily meditation, frequent reception of the sacraments, doing penance, and growing in virtues like gratitude, we place and keep our lead foot in our true home-land, paradise with Jesus. This will completely change our perspective, coloring everything with the hues of heaven.
Four
The spirit of this world is the idol, adored by those who try to shut their eyes to the Holy thus keeping both feet planted firmly in the world. If the spirit of the world fills our hearts and guides our steps, then the Holy Spirit cannot enter. The teachings of the Church become a hindrance—an empty set of rules—that lose relevance and guiding force. The joys of heaven are lost and exchanged for the fleeing pleasures of the world. In such a state, it become tragically important for these souls to justify or rationalize themselves by claiming that their worldliness is more compassionate or better suited for the needs of the age. If one stays in this condition for long, he will “despise” and “hate” their true Lord and will attack those who live and teach His word. Jesus warns us, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Mt 6:23) Jesus, the eye is the lamp for our steps, and our steps direct our actions. Be our light and our salvation! Mary, Star of the Sea, keep our life spotless and our way secure until we find in Jesus, joy forevermore.
Five
St. Mary Magdalene was called by God to visit the tomb first. This is because she exhibited in her heart all the virtues necessary to see God in His new state, while staying on earth. She knew how to live life in the New Creation in her heart (and foot!) Then Jesus tells her something odd, ‘do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to the Father!” (Jn 20:17) He keeps her in this world to send her on mission, but with one foot now in heaven. You have a mission; and so do I. We need to live without panicking about what happens in this world; but to know that God is preparing us for heaven which requires purification. To imitate her, we need to detach from what holds down our back foot. To do this, we need a good plan of life that includes the basic things like meditation, confession, and receiving Jesus in Holy Communion often to accomplish our mission. Jesus, give us a light in our heart, a smile on our lips, and a foot in heaven, so that we can rescue souls while becoming saints!