Best of Both Worlds

Learning to balance both earth and heaven

07/08/21

Matthew 9:18-26 While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land.

I once heard a helpful little phrase that captures "half" of the Christian ideal. It goes, “Don’t be so heavenly-minded that you are no earthly good.” Have you ever heard that phrase? It means we should not be so laser-focused on the next life that we forget the blessings and beauty of this life. Our earthly pilgrimage is indeed often a “valley of tears” (as we pray in the rosary).

But it can also often be a mountain top of life, love and laughter: family fun, enjoying wholesome entertainment, marveling at the majesty of nature. I love people’s pictures they post on social media of their summer vacations, which prove they are not “so heavenly-minded that they are no earthly good.”

But that phrase needs to be balanced by the "other half" of the Christian ideal, namely, “Don’t be so earthly-minded that you’re no heavenly good.” What does that mean? Well, sometimes we can care so much for our earthly existence that it overrides and really obliterates any real hope of heaven. Sometimes our earthly blessings can blind us to our heavenly hope and extinguish our longing for eternal life.

Bishop Taylor warned us in his homily for the Jubilee Mass last week not be become “social workers in a Roman collar.” That is, while we work to alleviate suffering here on earth, our real purpose as priests is to get people to home to heaven. Thus we must balance both. Don’t be so heavenly-minded you are not earthly good, but also don’t be so earthly-minded you are no heavenly good.

We see this beautiful balance in Jesus’ ministry of miracles in the gospel today. He heals a woman suffering from hemorrhages and a little girl who has just died. Clearly, Jesus was not so heavenly-minded he was no earthly good. He healed the sick so they could enjoy earthly life and take summer vacations. On the other hand, Jesus almost always seeks a spark of faith on the part of the people he heals.

Thus, he says to the bleeding woman, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” In other words, Jesus was not merely a social worker in a Roman collar. He insisted on faith and keeping our eyes on heaven, even as he gives us strength to walk through this “valley of tears” called earth. The Christian idea – seen in full-flower in Jesus – requires balancing both the earthly and the heavenly, the best of both worlds.

My friends, the best way to balance both the earthly and the heavenly ends of the Christian life is with a rigorous and robust prayer life. Prayer helps us to keep one eye on earth and the other eye on heaven. How do you pray and how often do you pray? Here are some strategies of prayer that work for me, and perhaps they will be useful for you.

First, of course, we must not miss Sunday Mass. That is non-negotiable. If we skip Sunday Mass, then no other prayer will be of any help because the Sunday Eucharist is the “source and the summit of the Christian life” according to the Catechism (no. 1324). All prayer, and indeed, all grace, flows from the Sunday liturgy and returns back to it.

After Sunday Mass, maybe you could come to Mass one day during the week. I am so edified to see so many people come to Mass every morning of the week. Don’t you people have anything else to do? Just kidding. That daily Mass routine is a rigorous and robust prayer life. But do not go through the motions of the Mass mindlessly like going through the carwash. Pray with your whole mind, heart, soul and body.

Another personal prayer practice is as soon as I wake up, even before going to the bathroom, I sit on the edge of my bed and make the Sign of the Cross and pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be. And then I race to the restroom. That is very close to being so heavenly-minded as to be no earthly good. Every night before I lie down in bed, I sit on the edge of my bed and pray the Act of Contrition and ask forgiveness for all my sins that day. I hope to have some sweet dreams and no nightmares.

Folks, develop some strategies for a serious spiritual life, and foster a relentless and regular prayer life. Why? Because then you will enjoy both the earthly and the heavenly, the best of both worlds as Jesus intended.

Praised be Jesus Christ!