Maria's vision of heaven 

Esperanza as a young woman

         Although reluctant to speak of special graces, which she fears can lead to a lack of humility, Venezuelan mystic Maria Esperanza granted us a glimpse of heaven as she saw it. It occurred as we sat down with her for a few hours last weekend in New Jersey, where she and her lovely family are on personal business. 

         "I remember one time I will share," she said when we persisted in our quest about heaven. "Everything is so beautiful. It's like a rebirth, with beautiful light. Everything is filled with lights. There is a lot of green in nature, and little lights, many lights all over, lights present in every aspect of heaven. It is like the sun rising. There are like buildings but everything with light."

         Maria believes that some of this light will soon be directed to earth. It will awaken us. It will begin a series of graces. It will come as natural events purify us. The "bridge" to heaven, says Maria, is humility -- and most of all love of God.