SBN4 – Heaven – Salvation Begins Now: Last Things First with Deacon James Keating – Discerning Hearts Podcast

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Episode 4: Heaven – Salvation Begins Now: Last Things First

Deacon James Keating explores the nature of heaven as a relationship with Christ rather than a physical place. Heaven begins now, insofar as we are “in Christ.” This communion, nurtured through prayer, sacraments, and repentance, is the essence of heaven. Sin disrupts this union, leading to unhappiness, but God works continuously through His grace, the Holy Spirit, and the sacraments to heal and restore us. Evangelization, therefore, is not about institutional growth but sharing God’s urgent desire for all to enter this eternal communion.

Each person will experience God’s particular love in a unique and fulfilling way, retaining their identity in the resurrection. Mystical experiences, accessible through deeper participation in the sacraments and prayer, provide a foretaste of heaven and shift our desires toward eternal values over earthly ones.

Trust in Jesus’ promises and attachment to Him through the Eucharist prepare us for the fulfillment of all desires in the eternal communion of love between God and His people. Heaven is not just a future hope but a present reality we are called to live now.

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Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions

1. What Is Heaven to You? Reflect on how you understand heaven as a relationship with Christ rather than a physical place.
2. Are You Living Heaven Now? Consider whether your current prayer and sacramental life reflect the call to begin living in communion with Christ today.
3. How Does Sin Affect Your Happiness? Examine how venial and mortal sins may disrupt your union with God and your pursuit of authentic happiness.
4. Do You Trust in God’s Promises? Reflect on your trust in Jesus’ promise of eternal life and how it inspires hope in your daily actions.
5. Are You Growing in Mysticism? Contemplate whether you are deepening your prayer life and sacramental participation to experience God more intimately.
6. How Do You Proclaim Heaven to Others? Evaluate how your life and actions evangelize the urgency of living in Christ to those around you.
7. Do You Recognize God’s Particular Love for You? Meditate on the personal and unique way God loves you, even now, as a foretaste of heaven.
8. What Earthly Attachments Do You Need to Relinquish? Identify areas of your life where earthly values may overshadow your desire for eternal communion with God.
9. How Do You Prepare for Heaven? Reflect on how your choices, virtues, and faith practices align with your journey toward full union with Christ.
10. What Does “Heaven Begins Now” Mean to You? Contemplate the ways you can live heaven today by embracing God’s love and sharing it with others.

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From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1024 “This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity—this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed—is called “heaven.” Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.”

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Deacon James Keating, Ph.D., is a professor of Spiritual Theology and serves as a spiritual director at Kenrick Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

Check out Deacon Keating’s “Discerning Heart” page

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