KEEP YOUR EYES FIXED ON HEAVEN

Reflection by Father Thomas Reeves, O.C.D.

How can I go on? How can I endure this pain in my life? These are questions many people have asked themselves as they wrestle with the agony of suffering in their lives. Any attempt of a finite intellect to fully penetrate this troubling reality will always fall short. Who can sufficiently explain how an all powerful and infinitely loving God can allow his dear children to suffer and die? Suffering is an extremely complex, and multidimensional topic.

Pope John Paul II was one who wrote brilliantly on the mystery of suffering. He not only wrote on the topic but actually lived a life of continual suffering. He lost his parents when young, was hunted and persecuted by the Nazis, had friends murdered, was shot and nearly died, had numerous serious surgeries, and suffered great misery, humiliation, and pain during his long bout with Parkinson ’s disease. Yet through it all, he believed that the life of Christ was growing in him and an interior transformation was taking place. Christ was conforming him ever more closely into his image, for he believed, if we die with him, we shall also live with him.

In order for suffering to be bearable, we must always keep our eyes fixed on heaven. A Catholic who never takes into consideration the glorious goal of the Christian life, would be like an Olympic athlete who trains and suffers everyday with no goal in mind. Waking up at 4:30 AM every morning to train, following a strict diet, and denying themselves all sorts of pleasures would make no sense without any thought of the prestigious gold medal that awaits. However, suffering this rigorous lifestyle does make sense when the loftiness of the goal is understood. Likewise, suffering makes no sense if heaven is left out of the picture. C.S. Lewis writes in The Problem of Pain, “a book on suffering which says nothing of heaven is leaving out almost one side of the account. Scripture and tradition habitually put the joys of heaven into the scale against the sufferings of earth, and no solution to the problem of pain which does not do so can be called a Christian one. We are very shy nowadays of even mentioning heaven. We are afraid of the jeer about pie in the sky and of being told that we are trying to escape from the duty of making a happy world here and now into dreams of a happy world elsewhere. But either there is pie in the sky or there is not. If there is not, then Christianity is false.” Suffering on earth must always be seen as inextricably bound up with the sublime glory of eternal life if it is to make any sense at all.

This heavenly glory is what we call the beatific vision. In this vision, the soul is immersed in endless peace, happiness, and all goodness beyond anything this life has to offer. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard what God has in store for those who love him. When we consider the sublime heights of heaven to which each person is called, the meaning of suffering can more clearly be seen.

Though suffering is an essential prerequisite to a life of glory, we must honestly recognize that suffering is extremely difficult to bear. But St. Paul offers us encouragement, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing in comparison to the glory that awaits us.

So as we continue on our spiritual journey towards Mount Calvary, let us implore Mary, who is both Mother of Sorrows and Queen of Heaven to be our comfort and our protection. May she keep us safe in this life under her mantle and embrace us forever in the endless bliss of heaven.