20
May 27, 2014
The Valley Catholic
coMMunitY
Heaven is for Real…DO YOu BELIEVE?
By Kathy Fanger
Parish Outreach Coordinator
Catholic Cemeteries
Have you read Heaven is for Real by
Pastor Todd Burpo, or seen the recently
released movie? It is about four-yearold Colton who, while on the operating
table, leaves his body and visits heaven.
Angels sing to him, he meets Jesus,
family members and splendid animals
and sees beautiful colors. Colton returns to his body and lives.
Over the next few months, the
boy matter-of-factly mentions his experiences while in heaven, much to
the astonishment of his parents and
minister-father’s congregation. They
doubt – is this simply the imagination
of a four-year-old?
Or is what he is recalling really
“real”? Is heaven for real? Do YOU and
I truly believe?
Our Church is still experiencing
the joyous season of Easter. Jesus, sent
by his Father, saved us, once and for
all, in order to draw every one of us to
him. “For God so loved the world that
he gave his only Son, so that everyone
who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Jesus promises, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in
Me, even if he dies, will live forever.”
(John 11: 25) Scripture tells us, “Eye has
not seen, ear has not heard what God
‘…life is changed, not
ended. We will one day be
together again.’
has prepared for those who love him.”
(1 Corin 2: 9)
What has God prepared for us? In
his book, The Happiness of Heaven, Father J. Boudreau, SJ cites five prominent
attributes of heaven:
• Heaven is a life of peace. When
Jesus rose from the dead, his first
words to the apostles were “Peace be
with you.” (John 20:19) The disciples
still had to battle with the sufferings
and sorrows of the world, as you and
I do today, yet heaven promises “the
peace of God which surpasses all understanding.” (Phil. 4:7)
• The life of Heaven is one of rest.
John writes, “God will wipe every tear
from their eyes, and there shall be no
more death or mourning, wailing or
pain.” (Rev 21:3-5) “Blessed are they
that die in the Lord. Let them find rest
from their labors.” (Rev 14:13)
• The life of Heaven is one of intellectual pleasures. We will be able
to contemplate God as God is, to see
God face to face, and gaze upon God’s
beauty, wisdom and goodness!
• The life of Heaven is one of
love. We will fulfill to perfection the
law which commands us to “love God
with our whole heart, with our whole
soul, with all our strength, with all our
mind – and our neighbor as ourselves.”
We will love and also experience being
loved in return by our God and the
entire communion of saints.
• The life of Heaven is one of
perfect enjoyment. “We shall be like
God, because we shall see God as God
is.” (1 John 3:2) Pure joy will replace all
earthly sadness from pain, bitterness,
disease, infirmities.
How we live and how we die is our
witness to our belief in Jesus’ promise,
“I go to prepare a place for you, so that
where I am, you may also be.” (John 14:
3) Our faith is the legacy we leave our
loved ones. Our communicated desire
to have Catholic funeral rites, to give
gratitude to God around the table of
Eucharist, will bring comfort and hope
to them, and the reminder that life is
changed, not ended. We will one day
be together again.
DEADLINE
for the June 24th edition of
The Valley Catholic is
Friday, June 6th
[email protected]
Gain peace of mind.
Pre-planning your funeral means
protecting your family from additional stress.
Call (650) 428-3730 to learn
about the Catholic Funeral Plan™
Here to serve you with
faith, hope and love.
www.ccdsj.org
Gate of Heaven Cemetery
22555 Cristo Rey Drive
Los Altos, CA 94024
(650) 428-3730
Calvary Cemetery
2650 Madden Avenue
San Jose, CA 95116
(408) 258-2940
Catholic Professionals
to hear Mike Blach
Catholic Professionals will meet
Thurs., June 12, Mass at 7 am,
speaker at 7:30 am at Three Flames
Restaurant, 1547 Meridian Ave., San
Jose; members $15, non-members
$20.
“Building a Great Place to Work:
Using Catholic Values as a Business Foundation” will be the talk
presented by Mike Blach, President
and CEO of Blach Construction
Company, Santa Clara.
Blach’s company has been ranked
among the top corporate philanthropists in Silicon Valley and has
been recognized for community
involvement. The firm has also won
awards for safety, sustainability and
innovation.
He currently serves as board vice
president of Catholic Charities of
Santa Clara County, is a member of
the Order of Malta, and has previously served many charities and
non-profits including Sacred Heart
Community Service, Silicon Valley
Children’s Fund, Santa Clara University and Rotary Club of San Jose.
He and his wife Margie, the
parents of four children, are parishioners at St. Christopher Parish, San
Jose, where they both serve as lay
ministers.
Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of San Jose
would like to thank the following
family owned and operated funeral homes:
Alameda Family Funeral & Cremation
FD 1215 • 408-257-6262
Bay Area Mortuary
FD 1829 • 408-295-9800
Beddingfield Funeral Service
FD 1999 • 408-777-8100
Berge-Pappas-Smith Chapel of Angels
FD 668 • 510-656-1226
Chapel of Flowers
FD 189 • 408-294-9663
Cusimano Family Mortuary
FD 1041 • 650-968-4453
Lima & Campagna Sunnyvale Mortuary
FD 1961 • 408-736-1315
Lima Campagna Alameda Mission Chapel
FD 1949 • 408-288-9188
Martinez & Barba Funeral Services & Cremation
FD 1998 • 1-800-881-3851
Spangler Mortuary - Los Altos
FD 927 • 650-948-6619
Spangler Mortuary - Mountain View
FD 579 • 650-957-5546
Spangler Mortuary, Sunnyvale Chapel,
Wyant & Smith Crematory
FD 910 • 408-736-6294
St. John the Baptist Cemetery
651 Old Piedmont Road
Milpitas, CA 95035
(408) 258-2940
License #0I36007
www.valleycatholiconline.com