The world needs you now.

   It is not that we are trying to convert the world, but those in the world.  We want them to go to Heaven.  But first and foremost, we should be concerned with our salvation.  Their salvation is great, but if we keep ourselves out of Heaven, we have failed in our purpose.  God created us to go to Heaven.  He did not create us to enjoy life on earth.

   Some on earth have never had the opportunity to enjoy life on earth in the way we think of it.  Their hardships are worse than we can imagine.  Yet, they too were made for eternal happiness.  They were not made for earthly happiness, just like we were not made for earthly happiness.  We were created for greater things, a place where all sorrows cease.

   And yet, we give a pinch of incense to the gods of our time.  The great saints during the persecutions would not even give that.  Giving one pinch of incense to the gods was a way of diminishing the One, True God.  They would not give the smallest pinch.  Still, we give in.  “Why?”  Because we have conditioned ourselves to care more about earthly happiness.  We might be despised by friends, family, our community.

   Accepting this month as anything other than the Month of the Sacred Heart is a pinch of incense.  “Are we being hateful in doing so?”  No.  In fact, we are being loving.  “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.”  When people identify with their sin so much that they think our hate is directed at them and not their sin, they are mistaken.

   “Do those who give a pinch of incense to the gods go to Heaven?”  They can… if they repent.  We cannot claim to love God and our neighbor if we accept their sin.  It leads to our neighbor’s full acceptance of their sin and, if they do not repent, they go to Hell!  If we truly love our neighbor, we will want our neighbor in Heaven and will inform our neighbor how to get there, specifically what is preventing them from getting there.

   If you care more about earthly happiness than eternal happiness, then you have decided against Heaven.  Surely, you may want both, but if you have your priority off, how can you truly say that you love God.  You just love comfort and Heaven is what you hope for, though you do not care to “sell all that [you have]” to obtain it.

   “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” [Matthew 13:44-46]

   Mary, you gave all that you have to the plan of salvation.  Every moment of every minute of your being.  Help us to sell all that we have to show the love we have for God and our desire for our salvation for eternity in Heaven.  Help us especially when it is painful, O Sorrowful Mother.  Amen.