Heaven

A Reflection on the Second Reading for April 19th, 2020:
​Divine Mercy Sunday

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​1 Peter 1.3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: a birth into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith — being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

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It is possible to defile the earthly beauty with which we are familiar. A piece of music can be played poorly, a flower can be trampled underfoot. Graffiti can be sprayed on an architectural masterpiece. The ocean can be polluted, and human hearts can stray into ugly territory.


By contrast, the Beauty of which Saint Peter speaks cannot be ruined; it is imperishable.


Undefiled.


Unfading.


Jesus’ resurrection attests to the power of God because His beauty cannot therefore be defiled, not even by the most torturous of deaths. He remains Beautiful — and even becomes more beautiful — because of the great mercy of God and the promise of heaven.


God is pure and perfect; forever and unchanging, and our acceptance of Jesus as His Son brings with it joy and peace that are beyond our human understanding. Saint Peter’s reminder of this truth echoes ahead of us into the Easter season with such hope and celebration — and brought to me the question: How can I allow my life to speak of such Beauty?


For me, this has to do with striving toward wholeness; my heart, that is meant to be Beautiful, in God’s image, is rather a bit jagged in spots. It is a bit defiled by pain; a bit faded into darkness sometimes. How is it possible to live joy in suffering, even when what is promised is Beautiful beyond what we can imagine? Although I know I don’t suffer as many do, my faith is nonetheless being honed, sharpened, and purified by the tests of this life. As painful as that can be, I am struck that there is no one more credible who can speak to the imperishable Beauty of salvation than Saint Peter, whose denial was confronted by the gaze of Jesus Himself. As a witness to Jesus’ resurrection, it is no wonder Saint Peter proclaimed these words with such confidence and palpable joy. His perspective is truly an eternal one.


My prayer for this Easter is to allow God to immerse me in His mercy like He did Saint Peter, and that in light of the promise of heaven, my heart might become more whole and more Beautiful. ​




Lindsay Elford

Photo by Galina N on Unsplash

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