There was once a little boy, perhaps I could say about your age. “My age?” you might ask. Why not? After all, everyone has that “little child” within who is always filled with curiosity to explore and learn many things about life, love and of course about heaven.
I’m not joking. You will always be a child, a true and sincere one, if you never lose your desire for heaven because this was promised to you—if you do what He wants—on the very day you and I were conceived!
It is said that if you really want something, if you long for it, if you pine for it, then you will most likely obtain, possess and enjoy it. Heaven is something like that. We must at least strive to constantly think, desire and long for it.
Well, I was saying that there was a boy who was filled with a great desire to see Heaven. The boy’s desires were so great that he literally could not help but talk frequently about Heaven. He talked about it with his friends; he chatted with his mom and dad and even wished that his beloved pet dog could go there.
When he was asked why he was so obsessed with Heaven, he replied with all a simplicity and sincerity that no one could counter: “Because it’s there!”
He prayed to God one day to let him see a “bit of Heaven,” but with the condition of not dying. God heard his prayers and sent an angel to talk with the boy.
“I was sent by God to tell you that you can’t see even a bit of Heaven until after you have died,” the angel explained.
“Yes, I know.” The boy smiled. “But is there something in Heaven that I could see without dying?”
The angel didn’t expect this question from the boy, and said, “I really can’t answer that, but I will ask God and will be back in a jiffy.” And so the angel left.
“Lord?” the angel asked. “Is there something in Heaven that someone could see and not die?”
“That is indeed something difficult, but there is one thing that one could perhaps see without tasting death,” God said.
“What would that be?” the angel asked.
“My mother,” the Lord said. “But it really depends on Her. Why don’t you ask Her if She’s willing to appear to that nice, persistent boy?”
The angel left and went to Mary. “Mary, I was wondering if You will be willing to appear to a little boy.”
“Of course,” Mary replied. “But tell him that once he sees me, he will become blind!”
The angel narrated all this to the boy. The boy then thought deeply about it and finally said, “Okay, I’m ready to see Her!”
However, the wise little boy thought, “I guess if I cover one eye, and look at her with only one eye, then I will only be half-blind.”
On the appointed day, Mary appeared to the boy. Her face was covered with a veil. She asked, “Child, do you really want to see me and remain blind afterwards?”
The boy covered his left eye and said, “I’m ready!”
Mary gently lifted Her veil. When the boy saw how beautiful our Lady was, he said: “Mama Mary is so beautiful that I have to see Her with both eyes!” So he uncovered his other eye and instantly became blind.
* * *
The children in the park returned excitedly to their grandfather who waited for them seated on a bench.
“Grandpa!” the youngest exclaimed. “You should have seen the fireworks and the 3-D laser display! It was really out of this world!”
“I bet it was.” The old man smiled as he embraced and kissed them.
“Did you ever wish you could see, Grandpa,” the elder one asked.
The old man, who was still a boy inside, replied, “Never!”
“Why not? You’re missing a lot of sunsets, rainbows, spectacular views, movies and other cool stuff!”
“Child,” their grandfather said, “once you have seen a bit of Heaven, there is nothing more in this life worth seeing.”
* * *
`“But as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.’” (1 Cor 2: 9)