God in their Hearts
“Those who carry God in their hearts, bear heaven with them wherever they go.” - St. Ignatius of Loyola.
For a very long time, I’ve been very intrigued and curious as to what heaven will be like, if I were to hopefully make it there one day. Seen as something to be constantly striving for, for me, heaven has always represented this distant place which I know absolutely nothing about. But every time I look into the nature of heaven and discover more about it, I become invigorated with a sense of longing for this distant place, and start to wonder — how can I live today, to get there someday? Finally one day, I stumbled upon this quote from St. Ignatius. Initially, it seemed very rudimentary, and it actually didn’t make any sense the first time I read it. However, I kept reflecting on it for the following days and started to realize the true significance behind the quote, and reflect more on heaven as well. The essence of heaven is finally being united with God in eternal glory, which is clearly impossible for those of us still stuck on Earth. But every time we receive the graces of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we receive God and he begins to live within us in a smaller, subtle way. Although nowhere near the eternal glory and unity we will one day experience with God, we carry him within our hearts on this Earthly journey and spread his graces wherever we go. That’s where the pilgrimage comes in. When we were asked to choose a motto, my mind immediately went to this quote. As we visited and prayed in the heart of the Church, the very center of the Catholic faith, I continually reminded myself that although this may not be heaven itself, God is still with me wherever I go as long as I accept him into my life. While the pilgrimage was an undeniably amazing spiritual and physical journey, I know that I can’t just expect to hold God close to my heart when it’s easy. I’m not always gonna be in these amazing basilicas with my brothers and mentors, carrying God in my heart must be done all the time in my everyday life as well. Paul summarized this in Galatians 2:20 when he said “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Thanks to Mr. Cole clearing up a few theological questions I had, I am now 100% confident in my chosen motto. Christ is present within me thanks to the Sacraments, and by carrying him close to my heart, I will remember that heaven is always closer than I think. I know I have a long, arduous journey to heaven; but the same way I carried a little piece of it in my heart throughout the pilgrimage, is the way I’ll continue to do so in my everyday life. Whether it’s going to receive the Sacraments, enjoying time with my family, or just sitting in a classroom, as long as I keep God close by, heaven will be with me too.
For a very long time, I’ve been very intrigued and curious as to what heaven will be like, if I were to hopefully make it there one day. Seen as something to be constantly striving for, for me, heaven has always represented this distant place which I know absolutely nothing about. But every time I look into the nature of heaven and discover more about it, I become invigorated with a sense of longing for this distant place, and start to wonder — how can I live today, to get there someday? Finally one day, I stumbled upon this quote from St. Ignatius. Initially, it seemed very rudimentary, and it actually didn’t make any sense the first time I read it. However, I kept reflecting on it for the following days and started to realize the true significance behind the quote, and reflect more on heaven as well. The essence of heaven is finally being united with God in eternal glory, which is clearly impossible for those of us still stuck on Earth. But every time we receive the graces of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, we receive God and he begins to live within us in a smaller, subtle way. Although nowhere near the eternal glory and unity we will one day experience with God, we carry him within our hearts on this Earthly journey and spread his graces wherever we go. That’s where the pilgrimage comes in. When we were asked to choose a motto, my mind immediately went to this quote. As we visited and prayed in the heart of the Church, the very center of the Catholic faith, I continually reminded myself that although this may not be heaven itself, God is still with me wherever I go as long as I accept him into my life. While the pilgrimage was an undeniably amazing spiritual and physical journey, I know that I can’t just expect to hold God close to my heart when it’s easy. I’m not always gonna be in these amazing basilicas with my brothers and mentors, carrying God in my heart must be done all the time in my everyday life as well. Paul summarized this in Galatians 2:20 when he said “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Thanks to Mr. Cole clearing up a few theological questions I had, I am now 100% confident in my chosen motto. Christ is present within me thanks to the Sacraments, and by carrying him close to my heart, I will remember that heaven is always closer than I think. I know I have a long, arduous journey to heaven; but the same way I carried a little piece of it in my heart throughout the pilgrimage, is the way I’ll continue to do so in my everyday life. Whether it’s going to receive the Sacraments, enjoying time with my family, or just sitting in a classroom, as long as I keep God close by, heaven will be with me too.
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