In the Gospel this Sixth Sunday of Easter Jesus tells His Disciples that He is going to the Father—He is going home! He says that He leaves everything for us that we will need in order to do our work here, before we will join Him there. ( BTW: Have you noticed that the second reading has been from Revelation for this Season?) In Revelation today we hear a description of heaven—but in thinking about heaven as home I don’t think of precious stone, like jasper, or clear crystal, or inscribed walls—my own “vision” of heaven is somewhat different… (and it usually looks a little like Hawaii…)
Beyond a “vision” of what we would like in heaven, what else is home for us? I looked up Webster’s definition of home and here is what it says—Home: a family’s place of residence; a social unit formed by family living together; a congenial environment; a place of origin; to be in harmony with your surroundings; familiar ground. So, home is a place of love—where we experience the love of our parents, and we learn to love. Home is where we realize we are loved unconditionally—and where we develop our abilities and gifts, to realize our powers and find ourselves. We are our most secure, most relaxed, most ourselves. We are fed and filled, loud, excited and exuberant, quiet, rested and at peace. You can be all you can be! You can be forgiven your mistakes and learn! You can be the best you that you are!
God promises to make His home within us. We are all temples (a home) for the Spirit—we are human tabernacles for God. We must abide by what Jesus says in the Gospel today: “Whoever loves me will keep my word…” There is a wonderful give-and-take—a reciprocity—in that we invite Jesus to live within us, we live His Word, He is ‘at home’ in us by Sacrament and by what we say and all we do; and in the end we go home to Him!
In remembering this home within us, this heaven in our hearts, Jesus’ gift of peace will remain with us here. And later, when we are called home, we will live again in the peace of Christ. We are not afraid—we live in confidence and joy—because home is always where our heart is: at home in Christ.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
Beyond a “vision” of what we would like in heaven, what else is home for us? I looked up Webster’s definition of home and here is what it says—Home: a family’s place of residence; a social unit formed by family living together; a congenial environment; a place of origin; to be in harmony with your surroundings; familiar ground. So, home is a place of love—where we experience the love of our parents, and we learn to love. Home is where we realize we are loved unconditionally—and where we develop our abilities and gifts, to realize our powers and find ourselves. We are our most secure, most relaxed, most ourselves. We are fed and filled, loud, excited and exuberant, quiet, rested and at peace. You can be all you can be! You can be forgiven your mistakes and learn! You can be the best you that you are!
God promises to make His home within us. We are all temples (a home) for the Spirit—we are human tabernacles for God. We must abide by what Jesus says in the Gospel today: “Whoever loves me will keep my word…” There is a wonderful give-and-take—a reciprocity—in that we invite Jesus to live within us, we live His Word, He is ‘at home’ in us by Sacrament and by what we say and all we do; and in the end we go home to Him!
In remembering this home within us, this heaven in our hearts, Jesus’ gift of peace will remain with us here. And later, when we are called home, we will live again in the peace of Christ. We are not afraid—we live in confidence and joy—because home is always where our heart is: at home in Christ.
Keep singing!
Elizabeth Dyc
RSS Feed
