Heaven-bound: Verso l’alto

White. Innocent. Pure. Angelic. Celestial. Abstract as can be, images conveyed by these words have always captivated my imagination and formulated within my soul a quest towards beatitude (happiness in God alone). I am grateful to have been raised in an oasis of faith, a small bay community off the Gulf of Mexico where there was only one stop light in town, and was surrounded by pious and devout Catholics who regularly attended Mass, if not daily, and frequented the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Since kindergarten, daily Mass has already been built into my horarium. It was at the liturgy that I learned my prayers and first came into contact with theology, the study of God. In the most utter simplicity of daily life, God chose to subtly unveil a glimpse of His glory to intrigue my fancy. One day while walking to the village church, a dazzling vision burned deeply within my memory: a sister clad in white habit crossed the street as the afternoon sunbeam directly hit and instantly created a fiery glow. This celestial sighting triggered within me a desire for an angelic, heaven-bound life. Not long thereafter, I joined the Dominicans of Mary Immaculate Province as a high-school postulant, vested in the white Dominican habit, and made professions. 

Lives of the Saints further cultivated my deep-seated burning desire. During the novitiate years, I stumbled providentially upon the life of Blessed Jordan of Saxony, who succeeded Holy Father and Founder Dominic de Guzman as Master General of the Order of Preachers. Blessed Jordan’s comment, “I was born for something greater” has become a maxim and inspiration in times of trials. Later I had the chance to get acquainted with and came to the appreciation of a young, 24 year old Third Order Dominican, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s fervent spirit, who refused to settle for the mediocrity of life and set out verso l’alto (to the heights or aim higher). Frassati’s heroic life has also inspired Pope Saint John Paul II and many others on the path to holiness. His devotion to the Eucharist as his source and summit was no secret. The momentum continues to build when I became a student of liturgical studies. Actively participating at the liturgy, a foretaste of the heavenly banquet only intensifies my yearning to one day worship at the marriage banquet of the Lamb in the new heaven and the new earth (cf Rev 21:1). Saint Augustine of Hippo’s prayer, “My soul is restless until its rests in Thee,” resonates with the sentiments of my heart, for in God alone is my soul at rest (Ps 62:2).

At present, I serve the Office of Sacred Worship in our community, share the fruits of my studies and contemplation when opportunities arise, and rehearse daily for my ultimate communio with the One, the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.

Sr. Marie Thérèse Thanh Nga Nguyễn, OP is a professed religious since 1996.