What a perfectly understandable “total” reaction the disciples made. They worshiped, but they doubted. They understood, but they found it too much to fully comprehend.
They believed, but they had questions.
It looks like the perfect description of the reality we experience with death — both for others and for ourselves.
We do believe. But we do not comprehend completely; and there are opposite, conflicting feelings that are a part of the whole experience.
Jesus died, he rose, and now he was about to ascend and return to take his place with his Father.
In this great feast the reality of our brief existence in this world is described. We are created by our loving God whom we have been invited to call Father.
He graces us each day in more ways than we can ever recognize and helps us through our struggles, even when it sometimes seems he has abandoned us.
We pass through this life: some with ease and others with tremendous struggle.
We all, however, come to the same end. We pass through the “doorway of death” and look forward to the promise of Jesus that we would rise and share in the glory of God forever.
Jesus, in his ascension, points the way to our death and resurrection and our final union with God.
It really is too big, and too rich and too amazing to ever fully grasp. We, too, have our doubts and our struggles to fully understand.
But we, too, worship and place our faith in the promise that Jesus tells us and shows us in this Feast of his Ascension.
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
