Mass Reading: Sunday - 30th July 2023

First reading
1 Kings 3:5,7-12
Solomon chooses the gift of wisdom

    The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, ‘Ask what you would like me to give you.’ Solomon replied, ‘O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in succession to David my father. But I am a very young man, unskilled in leadership. Your servant finds himself in the midst of this people of yours that you have chosen, a people so many its number cannot be counted or reckoned. Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil, for who could govern this people of yours that is so great?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon should have asked for this. ‘Since you have asked for this’ the Lord said ‘and not asked for long life for yourself or riches or the lives of your enemies, but have asked for a discerning judgement for yourself, here and now I do what you ask. I give you a heart wise and shrewd as none before you has had and none will have after you.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118(119):57,72,76-77,127-130

Lord, how I love your law!

My part, I have resolved, O Lord,
    is to obey your word.
The law from your mouth means more to me
    than silver and gold.

Lord, how I love your law!

Let your love be ready to console me
    by your promise to your servant.
Let your love come and I shall live
    for your law is my delight.

Lord, how I love your law!

That is why I love your commands
    more than finest gold,
why I rule my life by your precepts,
    and hate false ways.

Lord, how I love your law!

Your will is wonderful indeed;
    therefore I obey it.
The unfolding of your word gives light
    and teaches the simple.

Lord, how I love your law!

________

Second reading
Romans 8:28-30
Those he called, he justified

    We know that by turning everything to their good, God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn15:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.kingdom.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 13:44-52
He sells everything he owns and buys the field

    Jesus said to the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

    ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

    ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

    ‘Have you understood all this?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 30th July 2023

 1 KGS 3:5,7-12; PS 119:57,72, 76-77, 127-130; ROM 8:28-30; MT 13:44-52 OR 13:44-46

The stewardship way of life could be described as a daily pursuit of the kingdom of heaven. Today’s readings show us the critical importance of recognizing the kingdom of heaven in our midst and prioritizing our lives in order to obtain it.
 
In our First Reading, from the First Book of Kings, God appears to Solomon in a dream and invites Solomon to ask Him for something he desires. Rather than asking for riches or power, Solomon asks for the gift of “an understanding heart... to distinguish right from wrong.” In other words, he asks God to help him discern what is true and therefore what really matters in life. It is no surprise that God is pleased to give him this gift and that Solomon has been known since then as the wisest of kings. God will give the same gift to us if we ask Him sincerely. And in fact, we must have a wise and understanding heart if we are to live the stewardship way of life, to guide our priorities and decision-making in matters big and small.
 
When we pursue Godly — rather than worldly — priorities, we can do so with great peace because, as St. Paul reminds us in the Second Reading, from Romans, “all things work for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” All things — not just the major, life-altering decisions, but the countless tiny ones we make on a daily basis as we strive to serve the Lord and advance the kingdom of heaven.
 
In our Gospel passage from Matthew today, we arrive at the conclusion of three weeks of Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of heaven. In the first of today’s parables, our Lord reminds us that living for Him and for His kingdom will be costly. But the deep joy that comes in following Him makes the “price” entailed worth it. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Next, He says the kingdom of heaven is “like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” 
 
In each of these stories, the kingdom of heaven is somewhat “hidden.” We must intentionally search for it amidst the noise of the world that bombards us. We need wisdom to recognize it. Yet, our Lord reminds us that His kingdom is meant for everyone and He wants us to find it! He says, “It is like a net thrown into the sea which collects fish of every kind.”
 
But Jesus concludes His teaching with a rather ominous image, reminding us that every “fish” will also be judged as good or bad. “The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” This is a description that is difficult to forget. Clearly Jesus wants to get our attention.
 
Let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the kingdom of heaven in our midst and intensify our efforts to pursue it starting right now. There is no time to lose, and we will obtain the immeasurable joy that only comes when we live as disciples of Jesus.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 23rd July 2023

First reading
Wisdom 12:13,16-19
You will grant repentance after sin

There is no god, other than you, who cares for every thing,
to whom you might have to prove that you never judged unjustly.
Your justice has its source in strength,
your sovereignty over all makes you lenient to all.
You show your strength when your sovereign power is questioned
and you expose the insolence of those who know it;
but, disposing of such strength, you are mild in judgement,
you govern us with great lenience,
for you have only to will, and your power is there.
By acting thus you have taught a lesson to your people
how the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men,
and you have given your sons the good hope
that after sin you will grant repentance.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 85(86):5-6,9-10,15-16

O Lord, you are good and forgiving.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,
    full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
    and attend to the sound of my voice.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving.

All the nations shall come to adore you
    and glorify your name, O Lord:
for you are great and do marvellous deeds,
    you who alone are God.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving.

But you, God of mercy and compassion,
    slow to anger, O Lord,
abounding in love and truth,
    turn and take pity on me.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving.

________

Second reading
Romans 8:26-27
The Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words

    The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 13:24-43
Let them both grow till the harvest

    Jesus put another parable before the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’

    He put another parable before them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

    He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’

    In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy:

    I will speak to you in parables
and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.

    Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 23rd July 2023

WIS 12:13, 16-19; PS 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16; ROM 8:26-27; MT 13:24-43 OR 13:24-30

Today’s readings are filled with lessons both cautionary and consoling for the Christian steward.
 
Our first reading, from the book of Wisdom, reminds us that our God is just as well as kind, all-powerful as well as merciful. “For you show your might when the perfection of your power is dis-believed… But though you are master of might, you judge with clemency.” God is indeed kind and loving, but He is also a just judge, and the day will come when we will have to give an account for what we have done with the gifts of time, talent, and treasure that He entrusted to us during our lifetime. We will be judged by God for the part we played — or did not play — in the building of His kingdom. 
 
We are never alone in this work, however, as we are reminded in our second reading from the letter to the Romans. “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groaning.” We must turn to the Holy Spirit continuously to guide us in our daily lives as Christian stewards. The Holy Spirit is the source of all wisdom. He will reveal to each of us the unique mission the Father has given us, as individuals and as a parish family, in the building of the kingdom of heaven. And He will give us the strength we need to remain faithful to our mission.
 
Jesus uses several parables to describe this Kingdom in our Gospel passage from Matthew. First, He compares it to a man who sows wheat in his field, but in the darkness of night an enemy comes and sows weeds in the same field. Both weeds and wheat are permitted to grow and only at the harvest time are they separated, or “judged” — the wheat gathered into the sower’s barn and the weeds finally destroyed. So, it will be for each of us at the end of our time on earth. It is a sobering reminder of the justice of God. 
 
But Jesus also gives us comfort and hope in this passage. He says the kingdom of heaven is like the small portion of yeast that is mixed in with flour for the making of bread. The yeast makes up an insignificant fraction of the ingredients, yet it is vital to the outcome — without that tiny bit of yeast, the bread simply will not rise. In a similar vein, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, “the smallest of all the seeds.” But when it is full-grown it becomes the largest of all the plants, a sturdy and hardy bush where “birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”

It is those latter two descriptions that are especially encouraging to the Christian steward. So often, the prayers that we pray, the service we offer, the gifts we give — in comparison to the immense needs around us — can seem laughably small. But, as Jesus makes clear through the images of yeast and the mustard seed, that is not the truth! 
 
Far from it. 
 
God sees and treasures and “grows” our offerings of time, talent, and treasure in ways we cannot begin to imagine. If we are but faithful stewards of the gifts entrusted to us, the day will come when we “will shine like the sun in the kingdom of [the] Father.”
 
In justice, in gratitude, in love, then, let us remain faithful to the mission entrusted to our care for the building of the kingdom of heaven.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 16th July 2023

First reading
Isaiah 55:10-11
The word that goes out from my mouth does not return to me empty

    Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.’

The word of the Lord.

 

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 64(65):10-14

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

You care for the earth, give it water,
    you fill it with riches.
Your river in heaven brims over
    to provide its grain.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

And thus you provide for the earth;
    you drench its furrows;
you level it, soften it with showers;
    you bless its growth.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

You crown the year with your goodness.
    Abundance flows in your steps,
    in the pastures of the wilderness it flows.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

The hills are girded with joy,
    the meadows covered with flocks,
the valleys are decked with wheat.
    They shout for joy, yes, they sing.

Some seed fell into rich soil and produced its crop.

________

Second reading
Romans 8:18-23
The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons

    I think that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us. The whole creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons. It was not for any fault on the part of creation that it was made unable to attain its purpose, it was made so by God; but creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
1S3:9,Jn6:68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:
you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia!

The seed is the word of God, Christ the sower;
whoever finds this seed will remain for ever.

Alleluia!

______

Gospel
Matthew 13:1-23
A sower went out to sow

    Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

    He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’

    Then the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ ‘Because’ he replied, ‘the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.

    ‘But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

    ‘You, therefore, are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

 

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 16th July 2023

 IS 55:10-11; PS 65:10-14; ROM 8:18-23; MT 13:1-23 OR 13:1-9

Today’s readings are filled with analogies for the stewardship way of life, demonstrating the slow and steady, yet powerful effect this lifestyle will have on those who fully embrace it.
 
In our first reading, from Isaiah, the Father speaks to us of the gentle but unstoppable power of His Word, using the analogy of the Word as “rain and snow” that water the earth, “making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats.” He tells us that His Word to us always serves a purpose, always. It gives us life, sustains our very being. Christian stewards must fill themselves with this nourishment every day. When we commit to regular prayer time with God’s Word, we can absolutely count on it to take root in us and transform our lives.
 
The analogy of the fertile and fruitful growth foreshadows a well-known parable our Lord offers in today’s Gospel passage from Matthew, the Parable of the Sower. Here, Jesus tells the story of a sower who scatters seed on many different kinds of land. 
 
Some of the seeds land on a path where birds carry them off before they even have a chance to take root. Other seeds land on rocky ground with little soil. Those seeds begin to grow but are fragile, having weak roots of little depth. As soon as things begin to heat up, they get scorched and die. Then there are the seeds that land on what would have been fine soil but for the fact that the soil also contains thorns. Those seeds have a fighting chance to put down solid roots, but the thorns choke them just as they are beginning to grow strong.
 
Finally, there are the seeds that land on deep and healthy soil. These seeds produce abundant fruit. 
 
Jesus explains that the “seeds” are all those “who [hear] the word of the kingdom.” Clearly, this Word is meant for everyone, as the sower scatters it far and wide. Yet, few of the seeds land on soil where they can take root and finally flourish. 
 
This is where the stewardship way of life comes in. When we give the best of our time, talent and treasure to serve God and others, we create lives filled with that rare “good soil” needed for the Kingdom of God to thrive. 
 
How does this happen? Stewardship living removes the “rocks” of mistrust from our lives as we develop an unshakeable faith that God will always provide for our needs. It clears away the “thorns” of worldly ambition that make us self-centered, fill us with needless anxiety and stifle our focus on God. Stewardship living requires a deep reliance on the Word of God and the sacraments which in turn nourish and fertilize the soil of our lives, making us receptive to God’s plans for us and ultimately producing abundant fruit through the way we live each day.
 
Let us deepen our commitment to this way of life, allowing the Sower to do His work in our lives. The Master Gardner will surely produce miraculous fruits through us.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 09th July 2023

First reading
Zechariah 9:9-10
See now, your king comes humbly to you

The Lord says this:

Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion!
Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem!
See now, your king comes to you;
he is victorious, he is triumphant,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will banish chariots from Ephraim
and horses from Jerusalem;
the bow of war will be banished.
He will proclaim peace for the nations.
His empire shall stretch from sea to sea,
from the River to the ends of the earth.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 144(145):1-2,8-11,13b-14

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

I will give you glory, O God my king,
    I will bless your name for ever.
I will bless you day after day
    and praise your name for ever.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
    compassionate to all his creatures.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,
    and your friends shall repeat their blessing.
They shall speak of the glory of your reign
    and declare your might, O God.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

The Lord is faithful in all his words
    and loving in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who fall
    and raises all who are bowed down.

I will bless your name for ever, O God my King.

________

Second reading
Romans 8:9,11-13
If by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body, you will live

    Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him, and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

    So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 11:25-30
You have hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children

    Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

    ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 09th July 2023

 ZEC 9:9-10; PS 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14; ROM 8:9, 11-13; MT 11:25-30

The theme of humility is central to our readings today. God Himself is a humble God, so if we wish to follow Him as Christian stewards, we too, must be humble. In fact, humility is key to the stewardship way of life, and to a peaceful and fulfilling life.
 
Our first reading from Zechariah foretells the unexpected way in which the Lord, the Savior of the world, will arrive. “See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek and riding on an ass… and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.” It is almost unfathomable that our almighty, all-powerful God would humble Himself to live among us as one of our own, let alone to contemplate the unassuming way in which He arrived — born as a helpless baby, growing up under the care of human parents and finally making his entrance as savior on a lowly colt. Christ has given us a clear and compelling model of humility. We dare not pursue any other path for ourselves if we wish to follow Him. 
 
But this kind of humility goes against our natural, worldly bent which says we must insist on having our own way, assert our rights at all costs, and put ourselves first so as to get ahead. How can we live the radical way Christ is calling us to live? 
 
As St. Paul tells us in the letter to the Romans, our second reading today, “Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit.” Because of the gifts of our Baptism and Confirmation, we have a “superpower” right within us — the Holy Spirit — Who gives us every spiritual gift and all the strength we need to follow Christ. We must awaken to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, leaning into Him to increase virtue in us, especially this key virtue of humility. Paul reminds us that this is for our own good after all — “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
 
In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus Himself speaks to the Father of the privileged role that humble souls play in God’s plan of salvation. “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” 
 
What does it mean to be a “little one”? It means that we acknowledge we don’t have it all figured out, but that we are very much in need of a savior. It means we recognize that all we are and all we have been given is a gift from God. It means we embrace the stewardship way of life. 
 
It is not easy, but deep peace and consolation come with this way of life. Jesus offers these warm and encouraging words to entice us to embrace it. “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” 
 
Let us resolve to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, embracing the humble path of stewardship. It is the path that leads to peace here and now, and ultimately leads us to heaven.