The Goal of Life

one

The day of our death should be the best day of our lives, if we prepare well, because we will be entering heaven.

To prepare well for heaven means to pursue heaven during our time on earth. That means to pursue holiness. For heaven and holiness are the same thing. Only those who are holy enter heaven. Therefore, we must cooperate with God to become holy before we can enter heaven.

What is Holiness?

Holiness is to achieve the purpose for which God created you. He created you to share in His divine life and then to live as a son or daughter of God.

Well, what does it look like? That is what Jesus describes in the Sermon on the Mount and that is why we are going to meditate on it step by step.

Many think it is not their calling to become holy, to become a saint. But if your destination is heaven and to be in heaven is to be holy, to be a saint, then it is your calling and you must begin your preparation now.

two

How do we prepare for Heaven?

The first step is to accept that we are powerless on our own to make ourselves holy and prepared for heaven. We cannot make ourselves sons or daughters of God by doing our best to be a good person.

For us to become sons and daughters of God, God must give us His divine life. This is precisely what God offers everyone in Baptism. By baptism the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit come to dwell in our soul, enabling us to share in divine life becoming sons and daughters of God.

Then Jesus offers to nourish and increase the life of God within us through the Eucharist because the Eucharist is Jesus, it is God.

At the Last Supper Jesus said to the Apostles. Apart from me you can do nothing. Apart from Jesus we cannot be sons or daughters of God. Apart from Jesus living in us we cannot live the Sermon on the Mount. We cannot become holy or saints and enter heaven.

So if we want to prepare for Heaven, then we need God to increase His life within us constantly. We can receive this increase in divine life by receiving the Eucharist as often as possible, even daily.

Why would a person want to go to daily Mass? Not because they are holy but because they are not, but they want to become holy and prepare for heaven.

three

Then next step to prepare for Heaven is by daily meditation, forming a resolution and an examination of conscience.

Daily meditation begins with reading or listening to the Word of God. Then we must think about what God has said or done. So that we can understand it and love God even more. Then we want to apply the Word of God to our lives. To see where improvements and changes need to be made so that we can live a more beautiful life.

Let’s take what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount about anger. “You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not commit murder….But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it…in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering.”

Let’s reflect on this…

Anger is one of the God given passions or emotions. It is a source of energy and power to

1.   Achieve something difficult or arduous

2.   Change what is bad or evil 

3.   Endure something unchangeable without becoming evil oneself, or without despairing, giving up and losing hope.

4.   The power of anger is the power of resistance in the soul. (1,81,2)

If harnessed, anger can be good – it can be what God intended.

Now, where do I fall into sinful anger? When have I let the emotion of anger propel me to destructive thoughts, words and actions?

four

So, why do I fall into sinful anger? I get angry whenever this happens. Can you identify what triggers your sinful anger?

Anger is never a solution. Anger is an emotion that should prompt a solution, it should prompt a right action.

We need to identify what is the source of our sinful anger and then we should bring it to Jesus and speak with him about it.

If we would bring our anger to Jesus first I think we would have a better chance of directing it for good.

Meditation is to think about what Jesus said to understand it, to love Jesus for it and apply it to our lives.

But this is useless if we don’t make a resolution to do something about it. Once I have identified where I fall into sinful anger. Then I make a practical and concrete resolution to act differently today. For example, when I find anger or rage rising in me I will immediately take that emotion to Jesus and speak with him about it. That is a simple concrete resolution to practice today.

Then at the end of the day or the beginning of my meditation the next day I will do an examination of conscience, assessing on how I did with my previous resolution.

This is the practical method of growing in virtue and holiness. Daily Mediation on the Word of God, practicing a resolution and then examining my life.

five

If we make the habit of daily meditation in the Rosary, then we become aware of the Presence of Jesus and Mary in our specific time of prayer. This enables us to be aware of their presence at all times through the day.

The more aware we are of the presence of Jesus and Mary, the more we can allow them to live through us, then life gets easier and less stressful. you must practice for something to become a habit. So today, concentrate on the continual presence of Jesus and Mary. Ask them what they would like you to do. Ask them what words they would like you to use. Then listen to their answer. They will speak to you and you will hear their words, resting upon your soul. In this way, you may communicate all day long with them. Have faith. There is no situation where you should leave them. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, call upon them. Especially in sinful conditions, cry out to them. Say, “Lord, help me.” You will not be disappointed. They will help you.

If your life is too hard, it is because you are trying to accomplish it alone.