In What State Do You Live?

There's a story about a little boy who goes to his dad and asks, "Daddy, where do we come from?" Dad takes a deep breath and begins to give the birds and the bees explanation. He pauses and, looking puzzled, little Johnny asks, "My friend Pete says they come from Ohio. Where do we come from?"

It's a good question? Where do we come from and what state do we live in? And the follow up question is obviously, where are we going?

My readers come from all over the map according to Google. Some come from my home state, Virginia. Others come from just about every other state in the country. Readers come from other countries and continents as well. I welcome them all as we explore life from a Catholic point of view.

Despite our differences there is one state we should all be intent to live in perpetually, never leaving, rejoicing there every minute of every day. Where is it? Inside us. And what is the state? -- the state of grace! 

It's God's greatest gift, to be in union with Him through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What a monumental truth! God who made everything, desires a personal relationship with each and every one of us on the face of the earth. We aren't just a group of seven billion plus to Him. Each one of us is His beloved, invited to an intimate relationship of love.

Those who live in the state of grace are like the tabernacles in our churches, temples of the Holy Spirit. But we are also called to be the monstrance, showing the world Christ our Lord through our witness. When we live in the state of grace, we carry Him with us wherever we go.

So what exactly is that state? Fr. John Hardon's dictionary defines the state of grace this way:

Condition of a person who is free from mortal sin and pleasing to God. It is the state of being in God’s friendship and the necessary condition of the soul at death in order to attain Heaven.

Those who die outside the state of grace cannot enter heaven. In human terms, think of those poor souls as aliens who cannot enter the country of heaven because their allegiance lies elsewhere under the lordship of the prince of this world. 

In one sense, they already live in hell, their souls black. Even one unrepented mortal sin can freeze them in that state for all eternity if they die there, excluded from the light and the divine music of heaven where peace and joy reign.

One of the meditations of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius invites retreatants to reflect on the reality that one mortal sin can condemn the soul to the tortures of hell forever. St. Ignatius asks, "Why am I still here able to repent while many souls are in hell for one unrepented mortal sin?" Troubling thought, eh, if one considers all the serious sins of his past life. But the reality is that it is never too late to come back to God. He is knocking at the door eager for the lost soul to answer and return to His friendship. James Lucas at Substack has a beautiful description of the painting above where Jesus knocks at the door. He cannot open it; there is no handle on his side. The door must be opened from within. In essence, God loves each of us so much, He gives us the freedom to refuse His will for us. But we cannot thwart His will. We can only become parables of God's justice and mercy. Our story can have a glorious ending or a tragic one. It's up to us.

If you haven't been to confession in awhile, wouldn't today be a good day to go? Jesus is waiting there for you. Take Mary's hand and let her lead you to her Son. Mary, refuge of sinners, pray for us who have recourse to you.