HOLY IS THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY
God's holiness
is also amplitude. He is the fullness of goodness, beauty and love. And He will
share this fullness with us in heaven.
Nobody knows what
heaven will be like. Today's first reading from the Book of Revelation portrays
heaven as seen by St. John in a vision, but it really does not help us form a
picture. The reason is that no human words, not even the inspired words of
Sacred Scripture, are adequate to represent what heaven really is in all its
magnificence. One purpose of today's reading is to emphasize the holiness of
God in whose presence we will live in heaven. Sometimes the word
"holiness" brings up images of some reality which is distant, remote
and slightly unappealing. It is good for us to think of holiness in terms of
two words: perfection and amplitude.
God's holiness is
His perfection. If we have come to understand something of goodness as we see
it in other people, then we can begin to see that God's goodness is without limit.
If we have witnessed beauty in creation, then we have a notion of God's beauty
which is without flaw or blemish. If we have experienced love, then we can have
some feeling about God's love which will never fail.
Last night before I
went to sleep I read the first reading. As I was reflecting on the words
"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God almighty," I couldn't help but
start to sing the verse, "Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty! Early in the
morning our soul shall rise to Thee." And I began to sing it over and over
again! God gave each of us talents, but mine certainly isn't singing! No matter
what we do, whether we're encouraging others, tending to the needs of the sick
or homeless, teaching the Gospel to those who do not know Jesus, relief efforts
or other such works, our actions aren't meant to be hidden or buried, but
developed and used for the good of God and others. I believe God helps us by
putting Christian people in our lives; to help guide and show us the way to
strive and live a holy life and to truly know the love of our heavenly Father.
God's holiness is
also amplitude. "Amplitude" is an unusual word, one we do not use
very frequently. But we need an unusual word to approach the meaning of God's
holiness. Amplitude indicates fullness and richness. There is nothing small,
petty or stingy about God. He is the fullness of goodness, beauty and love. And
He will share this fullness with us in heaven.
I'd like to end
with this thought: Our mortal life is to be ordered in such a way as to fulfill
our duties as citizens of earth and of heaven, and thus to attain the aim of
life as established by God. That is, all people, whether taken singly or as
united in society, have the duty of tending ceaselessly toward the attainment
of heavenly things and to use for this purpose only, the earthly goods we are
given for the employment of which must not be a stumbling block to their
eternal happiness.