“Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Herr Zebaoth . . . .” The words flow smoothly from our lips, melody ascending to the heavens of which we sing.
Psalm 84 is the text Brahms chose for the fourth movement of his Requiem, a Mass written for the repose of the souls of the dead. The beauty of the music lifts my spirit as my heart wonders what Heaven might be like.
When was the last time you imagined Heaven?
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord, mighty God!” (Psalm 84:2)
Heaven is beyond our earthly hearts’ understanding, but we can still ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us a glimmer of the Lord’s dwelling place. As I pray about this Eternal Glory, I experience a feeling rather than receive a vision. The Spirit reminds me we are blessed with moments of Heaven here on earth, too—in particular, every time we attend Mass.
While the distractions and anxieties of this world often cloud the vision of our hearts, we are gifted a foretaste of Heaven each and every time the Lord unites Himself with us in the gift of His Most Precious Body and Blood, the Eucharist.
“I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalm 84:11).
Sisters, the more we know the Lord and the more we experience this union with Him, the more our desire for Him increases. Our time on earth is so short in comparison to the eternity we hope to spend with Him. May this hope inspire us to pursue holiness more whole-heartedly.
Lord, You are so generous. We ask You to increase our longing for You. Make our souls yearn for Heaven. Direct our eyes ever upon You there that we might one day dwell in Your House in the place You have prepared especially for us.
Experience this fourth movement yourself.
Elise Howe is a wife, mother, vocal artist, teacher, and writer. A lover of authentic beauty, Elise is most joyful when creating with the inspiration of the Divine Artist. A born-and-raised Midwestern gal, she happily resides in Michigan after several years "living the dream" in New York City. Elise has a heart for ministry, dark chocolate (but not too dark) and coffee with a generous amount of cream + sugar. She is a contributing author to our Works of Mercy Study: Misericordia. Find out more about her here.
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