The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

When I opened Facebook this past weekend, I was shocked to see that a Catholic acquaintance had died.

He was a religious brother in Washington, D.C., and only 31 years old. And while I didn’t know him well, my few encounters with Brother Saul had a profound impact on me. He was so full of life, love and jokes -- all while giving himself to the Lord, and to everyone around him.

Hearing of his death hit me hard. How could this young man, one so selflessly devoting his time, his work, his life to the Lord, be gone so soon?

Today’s responsorial psalm is a reminder that God’s kingdom is “high above the earth,” and that the one we are shooting for.

In today’s modern and face-paced world, finding hope at times can be overwhelming. Negative news constantly bombards us, unless we make a conscious choice to turn it off. Neighbors seem further than ever before. We probably hear a story of drugs, shootings, racism, hatred, death every single day. The world seems a mess.

And maybe it is.

But this is not our home where we still stay. This is not our final destination.

The Lord has a kingdom waiting for us in heaven -- and it’s greater than we can ever imagine.

Our job is to live the best we can on this messy place on earth, that when it’s our time to enter the pearly gates, we hear: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

Like Brother Saul, we should seek to give our time, our work, our lives to the Lord. To live with joy and show everyone around us love while making our way on the sometimes rocky journey of life.

Our job is to live the best we can on this messy place called Earth, that when it’s our time to enter the pearly gates, we hear: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

The Lord has established his throne in heaven.

So why do we keep looking to things of this earth to find our happiness and purpose?

Where do you look for happiness? Are you searching for something in this world to fulfill you and make you happy?

Do you find yourself depressed with the messiness of our world? Does it overwhelm you to think about how far most people are from the kingdom of God? How does your life help point them toward the kingdom of God?

Is your ultimate goal happiness on earth or happiness in Heaven? Are you living with heaven in mind? Do you take faith into account when making decisions both big and small?

"I am seeking Heaven."

"I trust in the hope of eternal life."

"I love you, Lord."

Think of one of the 'messes' or 'hurts' of this world that particularly troubles you. Think about how the joy of your faith can lead people toward Heaven in the midst of that mess or hurt. Where can you shine the light of Christ?