Stretch forth your hand, our health restore, and make us rise to fall no more.
O let your face upon us shine and fill the world with love divine.
One of the things that we encounter very early in our lives is death. Most of us have experienced that first in the death of a pet. Others may have experienced it first in the death of a grandparent or maybe even a parent or sibling. Because of our experience, many of us become fearful not only of death but also of illness because we see illness linked to the death of loved ones. Some become so fearful about illness and death that they even become hypochondriacs. They see anything as a potential malady that they might have.
We look for the day when we do not have to worry about sickness, suffering, and death. That day might frighten us; but, at the same time, it gives us great hope and comfort knowing that we will have to suffer and die no more. When we pass away, we go to God and experience the light of His face shining upon us for eternity.
That is called the beatific vision. When I was in grade school, the good Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration used to speak to us about the beatific vision. You would think that they would have already experienced it because each time they spoke about it, their faces lit up, their eyes glimmered, and there would be a warm smile on their face as well. They longed to see the glory of God and could practically see themselves experiencing it already.
That is not such a bad hope. To long for the glory of seeing God face-to-face is a good thing indeed. To live our lives in such a manner as to be able to see the Lord for all eternity is just as good. If we want to see God’s face and gaze upon it for all eternity, it would behoove us to prepare for the day by living our lives aright.
FAITH ACTION: Ask God to help you get up after you fall so that you may continue your progress toward the Kingdom.