St. Paul is an example for us of rolling with the changes and moving to the next task in faith
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The readings this week begin to look toward the Ascension. As they do so, they prepare us for change in various ways.
For example, in Jesus’ farewell discourse from the Gospel of John, He says things like: “I am going away and I will come back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father.” He says things like: “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name — He will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Jesus was preparing the apostles for changes!
Change is also a theme in our readings from the Acts of the Apostles. St. Paul is ending his first missionary journey — and maybe looking forward to some rest? — but immediately a problem arises regarding whether Gentiles need to be circumcised to be Christians. That question is resolved when the Church realizes that God has brought about a change: external circumcision has been replaced by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Then, immediately — where we might need to rest and recover — St. Paul sets off on his second missionary journey and with new companions. St. Paul is a great example of rolling with the changes and moving to the next task.
For us, though, the changes that most deeply challenge us are often internal more than external. That is to say, we go through external changes — from grade school to high school, from high school to college, from college to work, from one job or house or city to another, and so on. But often, we don’t know how to mature in our relationship with God. And so, while our external life changes, our faith life stagnates — because we’re not prepared for the internal changes that growth in faith requires.
That’s why reflecting on how Jesus prepared the apostles for the Ascension can help us. What was going to change for them was not whether He was present but how He was present. Jesus was preparing the apostles for a change from an external kind of presence (a person living alongside them) to an internal kind of presence (a person living within them). He wants to do the same with us!
For example: At some point in our prayer life we change from having someone else make time for us to pray to having to make our own time to pray. At some point in our moral life we change from needing someone else tell us what’s right or wrong to knowing in our own conscience that some things are right or wrong. At some point in our life of faith we change from being told how other people have experienced Jesus in their lives to being the one telling how we have experienced Jesus in our lives.
When Christ ascends, He changes how He is present to the world. He walks us through the same kind of change in our own spiritual life over and over. That’s why St. Paul says: “If, then, you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).
What changes have you gone through? What changes is Jesus asking you to go through now to be more deeply present to Him in your life?
