As young children, many of us learned that God freely
created us for Himself and desires that we be genuinely happy here on earth and
one day with Him in Paradise.
This cherished truth, which is solidly based on Sacred
Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition, can never change. The Lord wants us to
be united with Him forever in Heaven.
But as often as we have heard this doctrine of our
Catholic Faith, we admit that we sometimes live as though going to Heaven is
not really our primary concern. Other more “pressing” matters (even those that
are important and must be addressed, like our families, relationships, school,
work, etc.) cloud our vision.
“The Prayer of Heaven,” which enjoys an imprimatur, is a brief but powerful
invocation that is truly a meditation in itself. By reciting this prayer in
which we beg for the favor to enter immediately into Paradise upon our death,
we focus again on our everlasting destiny and our crucial need for God’s
abundant strength to arrive at our final goal.
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My God, I adore You and I love You!
Through the hands of the Madonna, with Your grace and
help I accept from You, O Lord, at the unexpected hour any kind of death as it
will please You to send me, and I ask of You the grace not to have fear of
death. Please forgive all of my sins.
I accept my death in union with the Sacrifice that
You, O Jesus, High and Eternal Priest, Yourself made on the Cross and that now
You renew on many Altars. I intend to offer to You my death in the spirit of
the Holy Masses which at that moment will be celebrated, and I offer You Your
infinite merits to pay for my sins and the penalty of Purgatory.
Saved by Your Blood, through Your merits and those of
Your Mother I ask You the same mercy granted to the Good Thief, namely the
grace to enter immediately with You into Paradise and to have immediately the
perfect Beatific Vision of God. Amen.
I thank You, my Jesus!
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When we die, if we go to Purgatory, then we will be
magnificently blessed insofar as we died in the state of grace (that is, God’s
friendship) and have the golden opportunity to atone for our sins. Yet, our
current and constant efforts should be geared towards attaining Christian
perfection, which means being fully conformed to our Lord Jesus Christ! We wish
to be admitted immediately into Heaven because the Most Blessed Trinity—our
Living God—is present there in a most unique way.
How we love and long for our beloved Lord! May we see
Him face-to-face as soon as we have drawn our last breath.
Saint Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death, pray for us!
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