As we well know, two criminals were crucified on either side of Jesus, as narrated in Luke 23: 37-43.
One reviled Him, shouting, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.”
The other one rebuked the first, affirming that they had received just punishment for their crimes and that Jesus had done nothing wrong.
Then in words that have movingly echoed down the ages, he pleaded, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus’ response is consoling and immediate. “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
As the saying goes, the final thing that the Good Thief stole was Heaven.
This man committed grave crimes, perhaps perpetrated violence, stole, or maybe even killed.
Yet, in the final moments of a dark and sinful life, he encountered the inestimable fortune of being crucified next to the Son of God!
In one moment, his entire desperate life found hope, healing, and salvation because he asked the Lord for a place in His Kingdom.
Even as the Lord was pouring out His Precious Blood for the salvation of the world, He already gained a soul for Heaven.
A mission of salvation
Jesus’ conversation with the Good Thief reminds us that the entire mission of Christ is one of salvation, to rescue every soul created by God from the darkness of sin and the curse of eternal death.
His startling crucifixion and beautiful resurrection are the sources of our hope in the promise of eternal life, as we make our pilgrim way through this world, which is often filled with trials and tribulations. When we fall and fail, when we sin and turn away from God, He invites us to repent of our sins and to humbly seek His mercy.
The readily compassionate response of Jesus to the thief gives us consolation, that we too can turn to the Lord and receive His forgiveness and peace.
Reflecting on Heaven
Lent is a significant time to reflect on Heaven.
How we can possibly imagine the glory of being with God forever, free of sin, death, worry, regret, anger, and fear?
What will it be like to join forever with the Communion of Saints, gathered around the throne of God and perpetually singing His praise?
Because Heaven is our goal, everything in this life finds its value and measure in relation to this question: Am I advancing towards God and eternal life or away from Him?
How we spend our time, money, and our energies, the friends we choose, the work we do, the relationships we sustain, and the vocations we embrace will all be directed by this fundamental litmus test. Am I growing in holiness and loving God more deeply?
Today, many people take salvation for granted. If there is a God and if there is a Heaven, then He must be all-good and He will take me in at the end of my life, no matter what I have done or how I have lived, so they think.
Such an assumption flies in the face of the Scriptures, which speak of the power of the devil and evil, the enslavement of sin, the radical need for salvation, Christ’s bloody death on the cross as the price of our redemption, the reality of hell, the narrow door that leads to life, and how few there are who find it.
If God exists, and Heaven and Hell are real, then everything we do matters. If God does not exist, then nothing matters.
It cannot be that God exists and nothing we do in this life really matters.
As Christians, we glorify God for the gift of salvation offered to us through Jesus Christ!
When I realize, not only in my head but in my heart and soul, that the eternal Son of God traded places with me on the Cross, so that I could live forever, I begin to grasp the enormity of the gift which has been offered by God Himself.
Then Mass becomes the perfect way for me to give thanks and praise to the Father for the gift of the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit.
What Heaven will be like
When people ask me what I think Heaven will be like, I say that it will be a lot like going to Mass! At the Eucharist, we praise and glorify God, we are spiritually bound in the Communion of Saints and the Lord feeds us at the Paschal Feast of the Lamb.
What will we do in Heaven? Praise and glorify God, dwell in the Communion of Saints, and feast at the Paschal Banquet of the Lamb.
Mass is both a foretaste and a participation in the life of Heaven. So, if one does not like going to Mass, that person may not enjoy Heaven or even be ready for it.
The Eucharist prepares us for the good things to come, and through our participation at Mass and reception of the Body of the Lord, our lives come into union with Jesus.
A soul faithful to the Eucharistic Christ becomes a mirror of the Lord Himself so that He sees a reflection of Himself when He gazes upon us.
The glory of Heaven awaits us!
We have only this short life to prepare for it.