Heaven Is Here Now
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Heaven Is Here Now.
A Call To live A Supernatural Life.
As a cradle catholic, I thought I understood my faith. Jesus died for me, I need to go to confession once per year, if I commit a mortal sin, I must go to confession before receiving the blessed sacrament (Eucharist). Many Catholics do not even understand that basic concept. Could it be Vatican 2 stopped preaching about hell? Has the church softened on its original teachings? Why do I need to read books from the 1100’s, 1300’s and 1500’s to understand my faith?
Last week I was in Orlando with my sisters and mother. While they were at the parks, my mother and I were sharing our faith. She was reading a book called Interior Castle or The Mansions by St. Theresa of Avila – she is a great saint in the Catholic Church and wrote the book in 1577. She wrote the book to teach her nuns how to live a Holy life and why they must live Holy lives.
I always thought Jesus’ teachings were in a sense a concept. I know he is man and God and died for us. I know he came to forgive our sins and that sin causes death and that we must have a good confession before dying to go to heaven. The church is filled with elderly people, most who know their time is short. We do not see a lot of young people in the church anymore, not like when I was growing up. Why is that?
In the book, Theresa explains that there are 7 mansions within us and that the 7th mansion is in the center and the other 6 mansions surround it. Our soul is within us and lives forever. The state of the soul determines how we live forever after death. The interior castle resembles a jewel and when cut properly and clean (no blemish), The trinity will dwell in the 7th mansion and illuminate us, body and soul. God’s rays of light shines through like a light emanating from a diamond.
This is my poor summary of this. We can look at this jewel like a castle with a moat and walls around it. In the moat are crocodiles, snakes and all kinds of venomous creatures that are stopping the soul to progress through the mansions to allow the King (Trinity who is radiant and full of light) to enter in and rest. Each area of the interior castle determines the state of the soul, and we need to progress to make sure that the soul does not remain in darkness.
Without baptism, we can’t get through the walls of the castle. When we are baptized, we enter in, but the first state is where it is dark and gloomy and we can only see a slight beam of light illuminating under the door to the next mansion. In this state we are in complete darkness. The vile creatures are there to keep our minds off God and anything spiritual. These creatures want us to live only carnal lives (not spiritual ones), focused on pleasures, the world, vice and sin and are adamant to distract the soul to never enter the second mansion. This realm, the world that we live is complete darkness. That is why everything dies and decays. In heaven everything is alive and vibrant and new. According to some near-death experiences they say the colors are much more vibrant, the sounds much more glorious and you can see creation as everlasting animated life with no death and decay.
"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." John 3:19
"For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you." Isaiah 60:2
"I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." John 12:46
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5
God "has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son." Colossians 1:13
"We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one." 1 John 5:19
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12
Even though we see the sun, we do not realize that spiritually we are in the dark and completely blind. I had to really meditate on this. I thought Jesus saying he is the light of the world was a metaphor. I did not know that he is physically and spiritually the light of the world. I did not realize that we live in complete darkness. Maybe that is why he was always calling us blind and healing the blind?
"Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" - John 8:12
I am starting to understand that if I do not follow the light like a moth to a flame, my soul can perish forever. Everything in this realm is darkness with decay and death. Everything. And it was sin that causes death. If everything in this realm is darkness, then I must know that this realm is corrupt and evil and that my original sin (concupiscence) causes me to desire what is evil and I need to somehow figure out how to change this. I really need to change my thinking about everything. That can at least be a start.
2 Peter 1:4 — "...that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."
Ephesians 4:22 — "...to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires..."
Genesis 6:11-12 — "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth."
Romans 8:20-21 — "For the creation was subjected to futility... that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God."
If everything in this realm is darkness, then I must know that this realm is also filled with lies.
2 Corinthians 4:4 — "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel..."
John 8:44 — "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Revelation 12:9 — "And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him."
John 18:37 (ESV): "Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this purpose, I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'"
To enter the second mansion, I need to reject this world and live in the Spirit. If the world is false and dark, the Spirit is life and truth.
1 John 2:15-17: "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."
Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
James 4:4: "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."
Colossians 3:2: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."
Ephesians 4:22-24: "...to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
Colossians 3:9-10: "Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."
2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
Why should I reject the world and its lies and its vanities?
Ecclesiastes 1:2 English Standard Version: "Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
New International Version: "“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”"
Ecclesiastes 12:13: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
How do I put off the old self and put on the new? How do I do this?
I remember after St. Carlo was canonized, I was amazed that such a young teenager in our mind-controlled satanic world, filled with vices everywhere (tv food commercials – gluttony and all kinds of nudity, perversions and lust), how could he become a saint that healed people? How did St. Carlo avoid all this mind control? I watched his mother speak on multiple interviews and she said all he did was attend daily mass, when possible, frequent confession, say the rosary daily and read the divine office. I thought to myself, I can do this. I started saying a rosary on my way to work, this was to exercise my prayer life and I asked St. Carlo, please help this poor old woman, like you helped your mother, to make me more pleasing to God.
God works in mysterious ways, on my way to Orlando, I brought a book called Following the Holy Spirit because I haven’t read it yet. I hear all the time that we need to call on the Holy Spirit to help us but had no idea that the Holy Spirit is here to help us in EVERY DECISION. The Holy Spirit MUST dwell in me for me to live forever. I must ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in this dark lying world. Without the Holy Spirit I am blind and lost.
John 14:16-17 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
John 15:26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me."
John 16:7 "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you."
John 16:13 "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."
Acts 1:4-5, 8 (Jesus speaking to the disciples after His resurrection) "And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, 'you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.' ... 'But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.'"
If God gave me the Holy Spirit, I must ask Him to guide me. What happened after the apostles were given the Holy Spirit at Pentecost? Before Pentecost they were afraid and didn’t even go to Jesus’s execution, only Mary and John, what happened to them? After Pentecost the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit.
On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the birthday of the Catholic church, the disciples were gathered when a sound like a rushing wind filled the room, tongues of fire appeared on each of them, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began speaking in other tongues—real, known languages—as the Spirit enabled them. A large crowd of devout Jews from many nations, gathered in Jerusalem for the festival, heard their own native languages being spoken by these Galileans declaring God's mighty works. Amazed and perplexed, some marveled that uneducated men could speak so clearly in Parthian, Median, Egyptian, Roman, Cretan, and other dialects, while others mocked, saying they were drunk on new wine. This miraculous multilingual event sparked Peter's sermon, leading to about 3,000 people repenting, being baptized, and joining the early church that day.
I needed to study the gifts of the Holy Spirit and ask for them, as I know that all spiritual gifts are gifts and not anything I can merit.
Word of Wisdom — Supernatural insight or divine perspective to apply knowledge rightly in a situation.
Word of Knowledge — Supernatural revelation of facts or information not known naturally (e.g., revealing hidden truths).
Faith — Extraordinary, mountain-moving confidence in God for specific purposes beyond ordinary faith.
Gifts of Healing — Supernatural ability to heal physical, emotional, or spiritual ailments (often plural, indicating various ways/types).
Working of Miracles — Power to perform supernatural acts that defy natural laws.
Prophecy — Speaking forth a message from God to encourage, exhort, comfort, or correct.
Discerning of Spirits (or distinguishing between spirits) — Ability to discern whether something is from God, human, or demonic.
Different Kinds of Tongues — Speaking in unknown languages (either heavenly or human) inspired by the Spirit.
Interpretation of Tongues — Explaining the meaning of a message spoken in tongues so the church understands it.
The great saints had these gifts, including St. Carlo, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Brigita of Sweden, St. Teresa of Avila and many more. These are ordinary people that lived extraordinary supernatural lives. As a catholic, I have known that we are all called to be saints. But again, I thought this was a metaphor, now I understand we are all called to live the Supernatural life.
As the soul enters through each mansion, we get closer to Holiness where our soul and the King are one in the 7th mansion. Just like St. Paul Said.
Galatians 2:20 "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."
Philippians 2:13 "for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."
Romans 8:11: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV): "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"
In St. Teresa’s book, she points this out too: Romans 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
I remember reading that God the father tells St. Catherine of Sienna that He is and we are not. But very loved nots. If I can get rid of my pride and vanities and desires of this world, maybe I can free myself from my vanities and cling to God, so He can dwell within me. I remember John the Baptist said: John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."
And saint Paul said this:
Galatians 2:20"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Philippians 1:21: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Philippians 2:3-5: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves... Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus..."
1 Corinthians 3:6-7: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'
If I am a child of God, then all that he has is mine and all I need to do is live in trust in God for what purpose He has for me.
Romans 8:14-17 "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God [or children of God]. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."
Matthew 18:1-4 "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
I taught CCD and used to tell the children, everything is in Genesis, it’s all there in the garden, and I understood some of this, but did not realize fully that the Tree of Life was given back to us on the cross, that the cross is a real tree with real fruit and real branches. In the Old Testament, I never understood what this meant, again I thought this was a metaphor, but it appears that this means that Jesus is the root of the tree that is coming into our realm. If we were banished from the Tree of Life through Adam and Eve’s disobedience that caused death and decay, Jesus is the fruit of the vine of the tree of life and He indeed came to rescue us.
Isaiah 11:1 - "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."
Revelation 2:7: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Revelation 22:1-2, 14: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb... On either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations... Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates."
John 6:35: "Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'"
John 6:53-56: "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.'"
The Holy Spirit told me years ago that 666 is John 6:66 (after they heard they needed to eat Jesus’s flesh and drink His blood): John 6:66: "After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him."
This is a new revelation for me, and I want to share this in the simplest way possible. I want to live the supernatural life because why else am I here? If it is true that this realm is darkness and filled with lies, I need to take off the blinders and work on my spiritual life. If it is my soul that lives forever and all things here are passing, what do I need to do to accomplish this new WAY OF LIVING?
I started with what St. Carlo said and when I met with my mother in Orlando, the theme from the holy Spirit was I am a nothing and my only job is to “know, love and serve God”. According to St. Catherine of Sienna the only way to love God back is to love neighbor, so I need to know how to know, love and serve my neighbor to love God. Is this why the great saints gave away all their wealth and served the poor? I am not sure what the Holy Spirit has in mind, as I decrease so He can increase. All I know is that I am drawn like a moth to a flame and I cannot let the light extinguish.
If the Holy Spirit was given to me by Jesus, that is the source where I need to start, other than mass, rosary, divine office, and confessions, I need to ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in all areas of my life. This weekend I went on a half day retreat and the theme was. No longer “I” but “we”. So, I am trying to practice when I wake up in the morning, what are we doing today? What do you have in mind for me? We are going to mass today, we are going to work today, what are we doing?
I started reading the book Following the Holy Spirit and it asks the reader this: Every day, for five minutes restrain your imagination; close your ears, to all earthly impressions to be able to withdraw into the sanctuary of your baptized soul, the temple of the Holy Spirit. Then address to the Holy Spirit words like these:
O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen, console me.
Tell me what I ought to do.
I promise to be submissive to You in everything that you ask of me.
I promise to accept whatever you permit to befall me.
Merely show me what is Your Will.
It says, if I do this, I will spend my life in contentment and peace, I will have abundant consolation even amidst troubles and will receive grace in proportion to my burdens until the day I reach heaven weighted with precious merits.
At mass this morning, the priest had an amazing analogy of being “born again”. He said many people are afraid of death, but if we look at what the scriptures tell us about being born again, we can equate it to a baby in the womb. It is dark and comfortable, and I am sure most babies like to stay where they are, but when they are born, they see light for the first time, and they get to see their parents face. This is what happens to us when we are born again, we leave a world that is comfortable and dark and when we die, we are born into the light to real living, and we get to see God face to face.
