Heaven is a spiritual place of eternal happiness. To get there we first have to prepare for a good death, for no one can enter heaven without leaving behind the physical body.
In order to prepare for a good death you have to live a righteous life. The righteous life is lived by advancing along the way to heaven without deviating from the path.
Q: Where is the way to heaven?
A: Christ is the way to heaven because heaven is a place of perfect union with Christ.
The reflection of today is based on a passage from the book of Judges. Before reading the passage pray and ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten you.
22 When Abimelech had ruled Israel for three years,
23 God put bad feelings between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who rebelled against Abimelech.
24 This was to repay the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and to avenge their blood upon their brother Abimelech, who killed them, and upon the citizens of Shechem, who encouraged him to kill his brothers.
25 The citizens of Shechem then set men in ambush for him on the mountaintops, and these robbed all who passed them on the road. But it was reported to Abimelech.
26 Now Gaal, son of Ebed, came over to Shechem with his kinsmen. The citizens of Shechem put their trust in him,
27 and went out into the fields, harvested their grapes and trod them out. Then they held a festival and went to the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.
28 Gaal, son of Ebed, said, "Who is Abimelech? And why should we of Shechem serve him? Were not the son of Jerubbaal and his lieutenant Zebul once subject to the men of Hamor, father of Shechem? Why should we serve him?
29 Would that this people were entrusted to my command! I would depose Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech, 'Get a larger army and come out!'"
30 At the news of what Gaal, son of Ebed, had said, Zebul, the ruler of the city, was angry
31 and sent messengers to Abimelech in Arumah with the information: "Gaal, son of Ebed, and his kinsmen have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you.
32 Now rouse yourself; set an ambush tonight in the fields, you and the men who are with you.
33 Promptly at sunrise tomorrow morning, make a raid on the city. When he and his followers come out against you, deal with him as best you can."
34 During the night Abimelech advanced with all his soldiers and set up an ambush for Shechem in four companies.
35 Gaal, son of Ebed, went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate. When Abimelech and his soldiers rose from their place of ambush,
36 Gaal saw them and said to Zebul, "There are men coming down from the hilltops!" But Zebul answered him, "You see the shadow of the hills as men."
37 But Gaal went on to say, "Men are coming down from the region of Tabbur-Haares, and one company is coming by way of Elon-Meonenim."
38 Zebul said to him, "Where now is the boast you uttered, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Are these not the men for whom you expressed contempt? Go out now and fight with them."
39 So Gaal went out at the head of the citizens of Shechem and fought against Abimelech.
40 But Abimelech routed him, and he fled before him; and many fell slain right up to the entrance of the gate.
41 Abimelech returned to Arumah, but Zebul drove Gaal and his kinsmen from Shechem, which they had occupied.[1]
Points for reflection.
- Sins give us immediate pleasure but have negative consecuences on our happiness that far exceed the alleged benefits we got. One consequence is the temporal punishment that we must purge. The temporal punishment is suffering that God allows in order for us to value the life of grace and return to Him.
- Alcoholic drinks will loosen the tongue and under its effect you can say things that bring you serious problems. It is better to stay sober and alert to take care of yourself better.
- When people want you to fail, they will give you false or incomplete information to mislead you to make bad decisions. If you find yourself surrounded by enemies make sure you obtain reliable information and verify it by several sources. The Catholic Church is a source of reliable information on matters of faith because the Church wants your salvation.
Let us pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary to teach us to live with Christ as she did throughout her life.
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