What would cause you to grieve more: if you lost a spouse, a child, a parent -- or if you lost direct touch with God?

An unfair question, on the surface; who in this life does not struggle with deep grief, suffering over human loss, even torment?

And yet the answer is obvious:

God is and must be above everything and everyone. You may recall the Sixties song, One is the Loneliest Number, and in a sense that's true. It's no fun for those who have been married for sixty, seventy years, or even a year, for that matter, and then find separation. Being alone can be a misery.

But not if we are in a very direct and personal relationship with Jesus.

In that case, all we need, for the greatest joy, is The One. In this case One is the happiest number you will ever know. He takes away all grief. He takes away every lock of loneliness -- when we set our minds only on Him and Heaven (where we will encounter those loved ones again).

Grieve for a while -- mourn -- okay. But not to obsession. Life goes on and goes on forever. In fact, it is often during grief or any kind of stress or "downer" that we are closest to Him. "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit," says Psalms 34:18.

Never should we fall into despair if we have contact with Our Savior and His Sacred Heart.

He fills us to overflowing. "You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him," says Deuteronomy (10:20).

When we die, it won't be with all our living friends and relatives. It will be with God, angels, and deceased loved ones, and we won't want to come back. As shown in an overt way with books like An Army In Heaven (the journal of a deathbed nurse), there are real presences -- heavenly presences -- around those passing, making it far less lonely and "scary" than we fear -- for those close to Him, joyful and not frightening whatsoever.

You stand on holy ground when you are with a loved one as they enter Heaven.

Make the most of life and make the most of death! All is joy in His proximity.

"Everyone in the room felt the presence of angels, just as I did," noted another writer about a passing. "You are closest to God at the birth of a new baby and the death of a loved one."

God is God and God is the Holy Spirit and God is Jesus come to us with the Power of the Spirit seeking always a closeness that exceeds that of any human being -- no matter the relationship, no matter the years.

No one is closer to you than God. No one loves you more. No one knows you more intimately. No one cares more for your well-being.

No one could.

No one entirely knows the real "you" except Him, including yourself; but the closer you are to Him, the closer you are to knowing who you really are.

And as we grow to know who we "really are," the more we begin to recognize our missions. The more we learn about life purpose.  Closeness with Him remedies confusion; it grants us direction. There is clarity. Grief fogs.

It's the devil who wants a frown.

Seek to imitate the compassion of the Sacred Heart.

For every time you are compassionate, it's an opening to more direct communication with Heaven.

Remember another Sixties song, All You Need Is Love? That's a great message, although we could also say, more accurately, "All You Need Is God" (Who is love, and more).

If you see an injured animal at the side of the road and want to help it -- if your heart moves, even just budges -- you have opened a portal of empathy. When you have compassion for a human, there is an even wider one.

Each time we feel compassion -- that we see through another's eyes -- there is Grace; there's a touch of the celestial, and there is more closeness to the Creator and thus to our true identities.

Oh, to be who we really are.

This is joy: getting back to the persons God formed us to be.

When you do that, you have met with success here on earth -- have transcended the muck of this earth -- and taken a giant step to direct entry into Heaven.

Selah.

[resources: An Army In Heaven and Retreat (Michael Brown), Moodus, Connecticut]

[see also: Pope: in suffering, life shines with more splendor]