[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no place for the heart in the earth where it can preserve its integrity; if it\u2019s in the earth, it rots.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

-St. Augustine<\/em><\/p>\n

The Feast of the Ascension is important because it reminds us of our destiny and our moral horizon. That is, it reminds us of heaven where Christ is, in whom our lives are hidden (Col. 3:3). And it also reminds us that it is the task of Christians on earth to live as if eternity is real, that is, in the light of a kingdom in which all are made sisters and brothers whom we\u2019d better start loving now.<\/p>\n

Paul named it \u201cGod\u2019s upward calling\u201d (Phil. 3:14). Knowing that in Christ we are meant for eternity with him, we must now see everyone as brothers or sisters (or as potential brothers and sisters) with whom we are destined eternally in love. Such is why Paul said, \u201cwe regard no one according to the flesh,\u201d because we must think of everyone as possible saints and treat everyone as such (2 Cor. 5:16). That is, as Christians, we must begin heaven now in how we speak and act. Because heaven\u2019s the end game.<\/p>\n

An old Russian Orthodox saying expresses well how our thought of heaven should affect our life on earth. Look around the room\u2014the saying goes\u2014and pick out the people you don\u2019t want to go to heaven with, and I promise you, you won\u2019t. This is the wisdom and promise and the warning of Christianity, what the Ascension reminds us of; it\u2019s why St. Augustine said we can\u2019t keep our hearts only on earth otherwise they\u2019ll rot. We must lift them up; we must remember that Christ has opened God\u2019s heaven for us. We just need to live for heaven now\u2014as resurrection people with hearts on heaven, as people alert to the much bigger picture.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \u201cThere is no place for the heart in the earth where it can preserve its integrity; if it\u2019s in the earth, it rots.\u201d -St. Augustine The Feast of the Ascension is important because it reminds us of our destiny and our moral horizon. That is, it reminds us of heaven where Christ is, in whom [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[65,49],"yoast_head":"\n