The vision of heaven that is contained in our second reading for today from the Book of Revelation is one that all of us should read regularly. It is beautiful and beautifully challenging.
Notice that in the vision of the author, he saw a great multitude, “which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue.” The beauty of this portion of the vision is that it should give us all hope! The scriptures testify to the truth that God desires the salvation of all of God’s children. God desires to include not exclude persons from the salvation won for us through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This means that all of us can live in the hope that one day we will be included in that countless multitude so long as we do our best to be faithful to the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. The challenge of this portion of the vision is that we humans want to make heaven an exclusive club and we want to serve as the bouncers who keep the riff-raff out. Can you imagine spending eternity with homosexual persons, with Muslims, with Jews, with former drug addicts, with former criminals, with divorced and re-married Catholics or whoever you don’t think merits God’s salvation? The Easter season is a good time to thank God for the gift of salvation, to seek the grace to want that salvation as much as God wants it for us, and to seek the grace to welcome all to share with us this precious gift.
In the final portion of this vision, you have the wonderful image of the Lamb (who is Christ) shepherding his people. Christ leads them to life-giving water and God wipes away every tear from their eyes. As Christians, we have an obligation to work for a more just, equitable world for the benefit of all. We have an obligation to diminish human suffering in our world. But we know that there will continue to be persons who suffer despite our efforts. What gives us all hope and consolation is that when this life ends, all who are now suffering will enjoy relief from their suffering. They will know an eternity of bliss, an eternity of peace. Good news for us all! Give thanks that our God desires a joyful salvation for all of God’s people!



Fr. Mark Hallinan, S.J.