“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”
Hebrews 13:14
We seek eternal life.
We have no continuing city on this earth
No one knows how long they will be here. Knowing this, let us not wait to do good to those we love. Our soul and spirit are immortal. At the time of physical death, they enter the realm of the beyond. The parables of the rich man and poor Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31) show us that the life we lead on this earth determines our future in the beyond.
We believe in the city to come
The city to come, the heavenly Jerusalem, is an image of eternal life, of perfect fellowship with God. We believe that Jesus will return to take us to that city. We do not wait for death, we hope for resurrection and eternal life. The dead in Christ will not remain in the beyond; they too will enter the heavenly city. Our faith in eternal life is not based on tangible proof: it is based on the word of God proclaimed by the Holy Spirit through the apostolate.
We want to enter the city to come
- Jesus only gives eternal life to those who really want it (Mt 5:6; Lk 11:9)—Christ’s return is our priority, no matter what;
- Our desire for eternal life is expressed in our prayers. We say, “Thy kingdom come,” “Come Lord Jesus!” These prayers please God because they correspond to what He wants for us;
- We pray, first of all, for our salvation, certain that eternal life will wipe away all our sorrows;
- We pray for the salvation of our neighbour because we believe that eternal life is the greatest gift they can receive;
- We pray for the Church and the apostolate, which are essential for us to enter the heavenly city.
We are preparing for eternal life
- The author of the epistle calls us to leave Jerusalem and come to Christ (v.13). The people of Jerusalem rejected Jesus because He did not drive out the Romans and punish sinners. We believe that Jesus came to bring eternal life and save sinners!
- In the city to come, everything will be in accordance with God’s will. To get there, we have to learn to do God’s will. We work for our earthly well-being, but we do so while following God’s law (Mt 6:33);
- In the heavenly city, the elect will worship and praise God in eternity. Let us learn to do this today—we always have reasons to thank God, in joy and tribulation;
- They will be in perfect fellowship with God—let us seek fellowship with God in prayer, the divine service and Holy Communion;
- The elect will be in perfect fellowship with one another—let us learn to forgive one another and overcome our differences;
- They will serve God in eternity—let us use our gifts and strengths to serve Christ and His Church, without seeking our own interest (1 Cor 10:24);
- The city is yet to come—let us persevere in Christ’s teaching until He returns.
We believe in eternal life and make it the goal of our existence. Our preparation is to pray, to do God’s will, to worship and praise Him, to seek fellowship with Christ and His people, and to serve Him until He returns.