Introduction

“GOD will have all men to be saved” (I Tim. 2. 4).

Eternal salvation is the end of every man. It is the only object obtainable by every man. It is the only object which he can be infallibly sure to attain, if only he is willing to make use of the necessary means. God, our Father in heaven, has destined a special place in heaven, His kingdom, for every man and will, moreover, give every man who earnestly strives to attain it all the necessary means for doing so.

But how different is the case with earthly aims. No man, however great his ability, however great and constant his exertions, can have the certainty of attaining his object. How many are disappointed in their plans for enjoying an easy and comfortable life, for amassing wealth, or acquiring learning, honors, prominence, influence, fame, for securing a life of domestic happiness, for indulging their passions! Experience tells us that many a man fails in his worldly aspirations, in his worldly aims. The hopes, the expectations of very many p. 1are frequently shattered by circumstances beyond their control. This fact of experience is a clear proof that the end of man is not to be found on earth, nor in this life. Moreover, the possession and enjoyment of the goods of this world are insufficient to satisfy man’s desire for happiness, for with their possession and enjoyment are connected anxiety, cares, feelings of emptiness, of a void in the heart which they cannot fill, and even feelings of weariness and disgust, and unattainable desires for things more substantial, less debasing, more uplifting and noble. King Solomon had enjoyed all that wealth, power and learning could procure, and he acknowledged that everything on earth is but vanity and fails to satisfy the cravings of the human heart for happiness. “I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem . . . whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not; and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure. . . . I saw in all things vanity and vexation of mind” (Eccles. 2. 9, 10, 11).

On the other hand, God, our Creator and most loving Father, has destined for each of us a special place in heaven, that abode of pure, inconceivable and everlasting delights, of perfect, unalloyed happiness, a happiness that will fill every desire and leave nothing more to be desired; a happiness that can never be lost or diminished; a happiness which it is in our power to attain, and which we can be sure to attain, if we only use the means God offers p. 2us for this. Should we not, therefore, ardently desire and long for it, and willingly make every effort to gain possession of it? The object of this little book is to make known to every reader and, at the same time, to prevail upon him to make use of the means necessary to gain possession of his place in heaven.

To induce ourselves to profit by the means which God so lovingly offers us of attaining “our place in heaven,” let us often turn our thoughts to “our place in heaven,” especially when we recite that most beautiful and comprehensive of prayers, the Lord’s Prayer. Its first words, “Our Father, who art in heaven,” remind us vividly that we are destined to live in heaven with God, our Father, forever to share His happiness. Let us also turn our thoughts to “our place in heaven” near our heavenly Father, whenever we are assailed by troubles, adversity, suffering; whenever our heart feels oppressed or despondent; whenever we find it difficult to overcome temptation, to conquer our evil passions, to make some necessary painful sacrifice. On such occasions let us raise our eyes and our thoughts heavenward and say: O Heaven, O Paradise, Abode of delights ineffable! where my heavenly Father has prepared near Him a special place for me; where I shall forever behold face to face Him, who is infinite Beauty, and where I shall always love Him and be most tenderly beloved by Him. O beautiful Heaven, where I shall forever be perfectly happy, participating in God’s own happiness; where I shall be free from all sin, from all sorrow and suffering, and shall enjoy in glory beyond all conception a perpetual feast with all the heavenly host and the saints of God. When will it be granted to me clearly to see what I believe, to find what I seek, to possess forever what I love? O Heaven, dear object of my expectation! Here on earth everything becomes bitter to me, wearies and worries me; and yet when I turn my thoughts to my place in heaven, all this becomes my consolation, my hope, my joy, because I perceive that all this is necessary to enable me to deserve and secure my place in heaven. Whatever is transitory shall soon pass from me, all sufferings shall end, all pain shall cease, all anguish and bitterness shall disappear, all darkness shall be dissipated, and then I shall for all eternity occupy my place in the beautiful, bright and glorious Heaven. O short trials and crosses, strenuous efforts and hardships, pleasant thorns along the way, precious exile, salutary disappointments and bitterness of this life, how dear you are to me, for you enable me to merit and secure my place in Heaven!

My God, all that Thou willest, as Thou willest, as long as Thou willest! I accept all; I will devote myself to it all; I will bear it all; I will cheerfully do it all, in order to obtain my place in Heaven!

What is the earth to me, and all it contains, its goods, its honors, its pleasures! What are to me p. 3the esteem, admiration and affection of worldlings! I will, I seek, I desire but one thing, which surpasses all earthly goods and combines all real and lasting goods! I desire, I long to obtain my place in Heaven, where I shall find God, my Father, where I shall behold my God face to face; where I shall possess my God, forever love Him and be loved by Him!

O Mary, my Mother, Queen of the elect, my guiding Star on the stormy sea of this transitory life, my Gate of Heaven at the end of my voyage, open to me this glorious dwelling and lead me to my Place in Heaven!

O beautiful Heaven! were we always to think on thee, we would never hesitate to bear all, to suffer all, to sacrifice all for thy possession!

We are made for heavenly bliss, and nevertheless, of ourselves we can do nothing to gain it, to merit it, to attain the place destined for us in Heaven, for our divine Saviour expressly declares: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15. 5). And St. Paul tells us that without God’s help we cannot of ourselves have even a good, meritorious thought: “Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God” (II Cor. 12. 3). We cannot meritoriously invoke the holy Name of Jesus, except through the grace of the Holy Ghost, for St. Paul says also: “No man can say, the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost” (I Cor. 12. 3). Much less, therefore, can we merit and obtain “our place in Heaven” without the assistance of divine grace. But if God Himself assists us with His all-powerful grace, we can assuredly gain, deserve and reach “our place in Heaven” and forever enjoy its ineffable bliss, according to the express saying of St. Paul: “I can do all things in Him who giveth me strength” (Phil. 4. 13). And here we should from our inmost heart thank the boundless mercy, goodness and love of our Father in heaven, who will most willingly help us, if we but pray to Him and invoke His help in our wants, in all that conduces to our gaining possession of “our place in Heaven.” This proves the absolute necessity of prayer for our salvation. Unless we pray God to help us, we cannot reckon on God’s indispensable grace or help in the work of our salvation; but if we pray to Him to help us to save our soul, to gain “our place in Heaven,” God’s necessary help will be given us and will enable us to perform all that is necessary for our salvation. Prayer thus becomes, as it were, the instrument of our salvation, the key of Heaven.