Heaven Is In Here

"Too often we think of heaven as being way out there.  We draw all kinds of pictures about heaven.  Most of them are quite unreal, and because we think of heaven, and even hell, as something that happens to us at the end of time, we keep on postponing it. As a matter of fact, heaven is not way out there; heaven is in here. Hell is not way down there; hell could be inside of a soul. There is no such thing as dying and then going to heaven, or dying and going to hell.  You are in heaven already; you are in hell already. I have met people who are in hell.  I am sure you have too.  I have also seen people with heaven in them.  If you ever want to see heaven in a child, look at that child on the day of his first communion.  If you want to see how much love is related to heaven, just look at the bride and groom at the altar on the day of the nuptial Mass.  Heaven is there; heaven is there because love is there.  I have  seen heaven in a missionary nun who was spending herself among the lepers.  Sometimes you see a virtuous young person and you see heaven there.  The beauty of such a person is not put on the outside, it is a kind of imprisoned loveliness that comes from within, as if it were breaking down the bars of flesh in order to find some outward utterance."