Sister Mary asked her third-grade class to complete the following sentence: "To be a saint in heaven, a person must be "_____." The answer was supposed to be "holy." However, Johnny wrote: "To be a saint in heaven, a person must be 'DEAD.' " This is a profound statement. To be saints in heaven, we must not only be physically dead, but dead to self (see Jn 12:24).

To be saints in heaven, we must be sealed (Rv 7:3), that is, branded as the property of God. However, we want to own rather than be owned. We want to do our own thing. Therefore, we must die to ourselves to accept the seal of God's ownership of our lives.

To be saints in heaven, we must wash our lives in the blood of Jesus, the Lamb (Rv 7:14). We must repent of doing our own thing and running our own lives. However, we don't want to admit our sins. Therefore, we must die to ourselves.

To be a saint in heaven, we must be happy, that is, blest (Mt 5:3-12). However, this happiness is by God's standards, not the world's. God's happiness includes voluntary poverty, sorrow for sin, lowliness, hungering for holiness, etc. We don't understand, agree with, or even want God's happiness, but we must die to self to accept it. To be saints, we must be dead.

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 22, 2013

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.