• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

How to ‘steal’ heaven

September 16, 2020
By Father Joseph Breighner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Commentary, Feature, Wit & Wisdom

Recently, a friend of mine went to a cemetery to put flowers on her husband’s grave. She pulled her car to the side of the road, placed the flowers on his grave, prayed for a few minutes and then returned to her car.

As she tried to drive away, the car would not move. It had rained just the day before, and her tire was spinning in the mud. She was alone in this huge cemetery. It was almost time for it to close, and for someone to lock the gate. Most of us have seen enough scary movies to sense that we really don’t want to spend the night in a cemetery. True, we will all spend lots of nights in a cemetery at some future time, but most of us don’t want an early start.

Fortunately, my friend had her cell phone. First, she called her daughter, then AAA road service. Her daughter and son-in-law arrived first, and minutes later the AAA truck. The technician was able to pull her car out of the mud. Her night had a happy ending.

The more I thought about my friend’s story, however, the more I realized how her experience hints at everyone’s future. No, we will not all get stuck in a cemetery, but most of us will be buried in one.

And one day – who knows how many days, years or centuries – we will be called out of the grave. “I am going to open your graves; I will make you come up out of your graves, my people” (Ez 37:12). Whether it will be a trumpet blast or a commanding voice, we will indeed come out of our graves, and appear before our God. And we will be pulled out of our graves not by a tow truck, but by the power of God. And yes, we will again see our families and friends and loved ones.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55) On the day of resurrection, death will die and we will live.

Yes, there is some fear in facing judgment. But remember the “good thief ” on the cross, who asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Lk 23:42). He’s called the good thief, because he even stole heaven.

And you and I can “steal” heaven, too, by returning to the practice of our faith, going to church, receiving the sacraments, reading Scripture, and talking to God throughout the day in formal or informal prayers.

Or, to put in another way, I’d like to quote a line that I first heard many decades ago from Monsignor Ed Miller: “Whenever I pass a church, I stop in to make a visit, so when they roll me down the aisle, the Lord won’t ask: ‘Who is it?’ ”

Copyright © 2020 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Father Joseph Breighner

Father Joseph Breighner is a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a columnist for the Catholic Review.

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Archbishop Wenski: ‘Change the narrative about migration’

Reasons why St. Francis is a model of synodality

Cardinal Dolan: Are Sunday Masses just too long?

A taste of a child’s birthday joy

Grandma still uses cash, but updates when it’s truly necessary

| Recent Local News |

Radio Interview: Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage

St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore awarded $2 million VA grant

‘The Following of Christ’: The ‘hidden’ book that helped make Mother Seton a saint

St. Maria Goretti High School faces uncertain future after difficult decision by archdiocese

Compensating all claims of abuse: Archdiocese considers Chapter 11 reorganization

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • English police apologize to woman arrested for silently praying outside abortion facility
  • Papal commission incorporates global feedback in safeguarding guidelines
  • U.S. bishops, advocacy groups caution against government shutdown
  • Para compensar todos los reclamos de abuso: la Arquidiócesis considera reorganización
  • Radio Interview: Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage
  • God has the same love for all, pope says at Angelus
  • Take leap of faith and dare to love your family, those in need, pope says
  • Biden establishes first White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
  • C.S. Lewis’ work continues to gain popularity 60 years after his death

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED