for the first disciples, the day after the ascension must have been one of the weirdest days yet. following jesus had been full of surprises. indeed surprise is far too weak a word. i mean, there they were, staying alive in the empire, maybe not, certainly not, leading the lives of their dreams, but getting by, eating, sleeping in warm cozy houses, hoping for more freedom for the children they might have, when bam! comes this man compelling them into abundant life with two words: "follow me."
they followed, and they knew as they had never known anything before that the words he spoke were truth, that he himself indeed was truth. but he led them not to the freedom they had imagined but to a passover at which the first born of israel would himself die, not escape, and die the cruelest, most humiliating death the empire, now roman rather than egyptian, could devise.
they had scattered, they had hidden, they had feared. but he had found them, and given them his peace. the empire of sin and death had no claims on him. he was alive, and with with them once again.
and now, after only forty days, he was not. only forty days, a period so short their detractors, inded even some of the twelve, said could just be a delusion, wishful thinking.
some doubted.
but he had said to wait, and they had not much else to do, and their time with him, the three years and the forty days, and their time without him, the three days of primaeval darkness, had changed them. they doubted, but they trusted. besides, what else could they do?
they waited for "what the father has promised . . . . the power from on high" (luke 24:49) they would be ready "to restore the kingdom to israel." (acts 1:6) they would repent from judas/ defection by choosing annother twelvth, one who would coincidentally bear the good maccabean name of mat'thias. (acts 1:21-26)
and they waited, gathered in the upper room, no longer for fear of the religious authorities, for the fear of god is only the beginning of wisdom, but in expectation and in love, growing in the womb of the newborn church which would take her first breath "when pentecost was fully come."
ten days they waited, an advent rosary, each day a prayer that has continued to prepare the church for the power from on high:
"come, lord jesus!"
maranatha
7 hours ago
