Ascension & Spiritual Seeking

Happy Ascension of the Lord!
For Catholics, this is a Holy Day of Obligation.
We are called to go to Mass and be inspired by the Readings and Gospel Message of this day.

In today's first reading, In the acts of the Apostles (1:1-11) , Theophilus (="loved by God", Greek)
is being told about Jesus "giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen." These apostles were addressed by "two men dressed in white" as "Men of Galilee."
I point this out because I find it interesting to note that they were not clearly addressed as Judeans. According to Wikipedia: "The Pharisaic scholars of Judaism, centered in Jerusalem and Judea, found the Galileans to be insufficiently concerned about the details of Jewish observance-for example, the rules of Sabbath rest"

The second reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (1:17-23) addresses the
"Brothers and Sisters" of the Community and explains the dignity and graces given to those who believe the action of God, the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the workings of the Holy Spirit within souls.

The Gospel according to Matthew (28:16-20) points out how the "eleven disciples.... went to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them."
I heard a priest say today that a disciple is a "learner".
Jesus then appeared to them, and "they worshiped, but they doubted."
Jesus then approached them and told them they are called to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them.....teaching them to observe all that I commanded you."
He also says this: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

Firstly, as I already pointed out, I find it remarkable that the apostles were addressed as Galileans.
I have no degree in Theology, nor did I ever study Theology or the History of the Church "officially", so everything that follows is based on the way how I understand it, and I realize it may therefore not be fully accurate or correct. If that is the case, and if you, who are reading this, have a better knowledge or understanding of this and wish to enlighten me or anyone else reading this, please comment accordingly down below.
The Galileans were known as Zealots, and possibly are meant to be foreigners who settled in the region of Galilee (Wikipedia: Galilee: "Biblical "Galilee of the Nations"....The "nations" would have been the foreigners who came to settle there, or who had been forcibly deported there."

The Pharisees were pretty much the Judean legal scholars.

Trying to comprehend the meaning of this for myself, in my personal opinion this gives me the impression that there was a discrepancy between those who claimed to have the law on their side by their close observance of what was written down, and who were more likely "pure-blooded" in their Jewish ancestry, and those who may have been poorer or less knowlegable, possibly "foreign", but yet had the "zeal" to follow the law in their hearts.

In the Gospel reading I find it remarkable to come across disciples who worshiped, but doubted.
We think of the disciples as Saints. So this must give all of us courage then to see that even these first disciples -who were so lucky to actually see Jesus face to face-, had doubts.
This leads me to assume then that you still can be a Saint even if you may be prone to some doubts.
And even though Jesus must have clearly known about the doubts that His disciples had, He yet still had confidence enough in them to effectively tell them to go out and to tell other "nations" (= foreigners!) about what He had taught them.
Apparently, He no longer desired to be their "Master", as in a Teacher/Master - Student/Disciple Relationship.
He wanted to have a greater relationship with them, which goes beyond simply one who teaches, and the other who learns.
He wanted to lift them up to status of an equal by giving them the command to do as He did.
No longer slaves, but co-heirs. Brothers and sisters with Him in the Kingdom. A part of His Body, a part of His Flesh. A part of His Family.
And this would only be possible if they could accept His calling and His teaching.
Clearly realizing that their doubts may get the better of them, He promised them that He will be with them "until the end of the age."
Maybe not physically as He had been up until that point, but by "sending them an advocate", which we as Christians call the Holy Spirit. That Holy Spirit is Jesus' Spirit. It is also the God the Father's Spirit.
The one can not be separated from the other. The Holy Trinity is One God.

Jesus is with us even today, but you have to pay attention to the stirrings in your heart, to the little voice in your head and conscience, to the little things that happen in and around you and/or your surroundings.

Jesus might (and often does!) make Himself known to you in ways you really don't expect, or at surprising times. And often we don't notice His presence even though He is right there...listening to your hopes, fears, sorrows, cries, joy, and sentiments of Love. Seeing you struggle. Waiting patiently for you to finish being so preoccupied with yourself, so that you can perceive Him, feel Him, sense Him.

Jesus may be present anywhere and everywhere at any and all times, in everyone.
Not just a chosen few, who may feel justified because they have followed "the law" as the Pharisees, or consider themselves to be the only true authority in "temple worship", as did the Sadducees.
Not that the Pharisees or Sadducees didn't necessarily do what God wanted them to, or that they didn't serve their purpose in God's plan of things.
We do need to keep in mind that not all are called to receive the same gifts of the Spirit.
Not all are called to be priests. Not all are called to be scholars.
Not every woman is called to be a mother/wife/religious/nun/sister/single.
Not every man is called to be a father/husband/brother/priest/single.
The gifts of the spirit are so manifold, they can not be completely listed or fully explained, but the gifts are distributed as God sees fit, and we should not be hindering those blessings and gifts our Lord wants to give us by thinking that the gifts or blessings other people may have are worse/better than the gifts we have been given.
It is also important for us to understand the dignity He intends and wants to raise us up to.
Although we are not worthy to be lifted up to the same level as our creator, we are not to reject or despise Him by questioning why He ever would want to lift us up to such a dignity.
It is a hard thing to understand why and how He could love us so much and with such intensity.

But how can you question Love?

Love can not be rationalized with our way of thinking.

I believe the message is that God can work in anybody, whether or not they are considered to be "anybody" in the worldly state of affairs/matters/things.

"What good can come out of Nazareth?". We know the answer to that.
Did God choose a rich princess/queen to be His Bride? No.
Who did Jesus eat with?
Did He only hang around rich people and those in higher positions?
No.
Did He only grace His disciples with His presence, or only those who belonged to His followers?
No.
He ate and sat down with Sinners, graced them with His company.
He didn't just eat with them, but He spent time with them. Talked to them.
He touched those who were so bold to approach Him. He physically and spiritually touched them so they may be healed and bear within themselves His touch or the imprint He made in their hearts and souls.

I believe all of us are constantly seeking for that Spiritual nourishment which feeds not just the body, but the soul. Heals us physically, but also mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and of course, spiritually.
When we are not aware of our seeking for that spiritual union with God, we will notice that something in our lives just isn't quite right.
That is where it can be truly helpful to have a committed and dedicated spiritual director.
Even if life seems to be going "okay" or "well", it is still usefull to have a spiritual director in order to ensure that our relationship with God/Holy Spirit stays on the right track.

If you are serious about your eternal life and your relationship with God, you really should have a spiritual director.
On May 19, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI also said that "anyone who wants to live their baptism responsibly should have a spiritual director" See the following article to what he says about that: http://www.zenit.org/article-32618?l=english
I would like to suggest the following website for further exploration and information on the topic:
http://rcspiritualdirection.com/ .
There, also, is a reference to the Pope's declaration that
"Everyone, in fact,......needs to be supported personally by a sure guide in doctrine and expert in the things of God. A guide can help defend oneself from facile subjectivist interpretations, making available his own supply of knowledge and experiences in following Jesus. [Spiritual direction] is a matter of establishing that same personal relationship that the Lord had with his disciples, that special bond with which he led them, following him, to embrace the will of the Father (cf. Luke 22:42), that is, to embrace the cross." (Zenit.org).

This clearly means that not only seminarians, priests or religious should have a spiritual director, but anyone and everyone who takes his/her faith seriously.
That includes lay people.

Here's some food for thought: Obviously, this may be difficult to accomplish practically for (especially) diocesan priests who also act as proper spiritual directors, have a vast amount of duties, obligations and get moved around every number of years to different parishes. In which case, perhaps the Bishop should be approached to find a practical solution so that our Pope's call to enable all who seek spiritual direction may and should get it, can be accomplished and followed.
In sight of God's great Love and Mercy it stands to reason that priests (who are meant to be the visible presence of God on His behalf) should be concerned that the "sheep" experience a "shepherd" as promised: one who goes out to look for that sheep, care for it and love it as the precious creature God has created and & states He loves.

A true father (such as God) never forgets His child, never stops loving it, even when the child is annoying or difficult.
So also the child, who may - in it's lack of knowledge and/or understanding-, do foolish things at times, never stops loving the parent/father.

If it is the case that priests or other spiritual directors are to represent the true father or shepherd, then they cannot simply walk away or turn their backs on the "children" or "sheep"entrusted to them.
They would only be able to do so if they haven't fully clothed themselves with Christ, thereby speaking of Love, but not really comprehending the meaning of it.

Now that our Pope encourages this kind of spiritual direction, maybe there's a way to make it happen? :-)

Again, to the question as to where we can see or experience God or Jesus in our lives nowadays,
I would like to invite you to think about the following statements:

If God is "I am", and He is "I am who I am", then He truly could and can be anybody, if He so chooses....On this note then (caution, as I said before, I am no scholar of Theology or even Philosophy, but I am trying to represent how God truly can do as He likes, should He want to do so. Therefore, some ideas may seem a bit bold, but they are to emphasize possibilities, not necessarily truths. Nobody but God could know if the following statements would be possible or ring true. This is only to get you thinking about how God could perhaps manifest Himself) here some thoughts which I have opened up similar to a dialogue with the Trinity - some "replies" may be from the human aspect, or the divine, or both.:

- I am Jesus. This means God the Father has created a body for Himself, so that He could share in our humanity. I have lifted up the whole of humanity to a dignity and/or status which you may find hard to believe. If I share in your humanity, then you are sharing in my greatness, if you desire to do so (you have the ability to reject this greatness by your free Will). If you are sharing in my greatness, then so is any other human being, who desires to be with me. Because I did come for you. But I also came for others. Stop doubting me.
- I am your neighbor who blasts music so lound from the speakers, so that even though your windows are closed, you can hear it = I want to share my joy with you.
- I am the person next to you in the pew who you are wishing wasn't sitting right there. = am I bugging you?
- I am the person who is sitting at the street side asking for money. = I need your compassion.
- I am the person who knocks at the food pantry door asking for food. = I am hungry.
- I am the person who is sick at home and doesn't get a personal phone call, email or visit. Instead, you might perhaps send others out on your behalf. But that doesn't replace your presence. = I am starving for your presence.
- I am the one who loves you, but you scoff at my love, make fun of it, or abuse it. = I am starving for your Love and acceptance of who I am.
- I am the one who sincerely cares about you, but you don't trust me. = Please trust me.
- I am the person who you  are secretly condemning and/or judging in your heart and mind. = Keep in mind I am the one who is called to be the sovereign judge.
- I am the one who you are unwilling to forgive. = Is there something you need forgiveness for?
- I am the one who finds it difficult to forgive or love myself, because I had no role model or because I have not experienced the true meaning of what that means. = Again, starving for Love.
- I am the person who you are openly condemning and/or judging, either with unkind looks, unspoken and/or spoken words, body language or harassment. = Who made you the judge of my soul?
- I am your spouse who you are abusing, spiritually, mentally, verbally or even physically. = Please stop it. I can't take any more of this. I love you. I need you to love me back. Don't I deserve to be loved? I'm your spouse after all?
- I am your child who you are neglecting. = "Why have you forsaken me?" What did I do to you?
- I am the one who is smiling at you. Please smile back.
- I am your child who you claim isn't yours. = I didn't ask to be born and be your child. Why do you hate me?
- I am the one who washes your clothes, cleans your rooms, makes your food. = How are you repaying me?
- I am your brother who is struggling with addictions. = I'm not just some stranger. I'm part of your family, whether you like it or not. Help me.
- I am the one who wants to hug you. Please don't make me have to ask you.
- I am your sister who is giving you a hard time. = Please try to understand me. I'm not just some stranger. I'm part of your family, whether you like it or not.
- I am the one who is ticking you off because you know that some, if not all, of the things I say, are - or have been- , true. = Truth cuts like a sword. But the Truth can not be hidden. It leads to Love & Freedom. I love you so much, that I rather be completely honest with and towards you. Accept it as a gift of Love.
Stop being so self-centered, and listen.
- I am the one who is all alone. I might be a widow/er, I might be elderly, I might be single, I might be lonely in a marriage/relationship. = I need companionship/friendship. I need you.
- I am the one who is suffering from depression or mental illness in one way or another. = I need your acceptance and patience.
- I am the person who you don't know who lives on the other side of the world = Yes, I exist. Don't deny my existence, as if I didn't.
- I am the person who grew up in a different culture than yours. I might be Muslim, Hindu or belonging to any other Faith. = This does not give you the right to doubt my sincerity in Faith. There are reasons why God the Father decided to let me grow up in that culture or Faith. If you want to be positively constructive, then teach and instruct me, like my earthly parents did. (Both the Human and God speaking here!)
- I am the person contemplating suicide. = Why are you ignoring me? I am suffering. I am at the edge of a dark hole. Pull me away from it. I am also a child of God, even if all seems so dark.
- I am the parent who has seen her/his child not accept my help when I offered it.= your denial of me and your not accepting of my authority hurts me. Please come to believe that I really want the best for you
- I am the one who has been touched by sin. = Though I may have been touched by sin, this does not mean that I have sinned. Have compassion, because of the sins that have touched me, I am suffering. Don't judge me or prompt me to act before my time.
- I am the soldier who went to war to defend our country. Because of that, I suffer from PTSD and my mind isn't right. = I am suffering. Compassion, patience and love would be nice.
- I am the person who constantly runs into the law = maybe the ways of this world are too hard for me to comprehend. Help me.
- I am the person who sits in front of the computer all day...seeking for some meaning. = Teach and instruct me. Show compassion and love towards me.
- I am the one who said: "I thirst." But there's no clean water to be found. How are you treating our environment?
- I am the who said: "Why have you forsaken me?", as I noticed my friends weren't there, and nobody was there to help me out of my predicament.
- I am the one who has no real home in this world. Not every house is a home. = Give me a home. How about your heart? That would be a home.
- I am the one who can't sleep at night. = Have compassion. Help me.
- I am the one who you pay no attention to because I'm not considered "important". = the weak and lowly will be made strong. Nobody is "unimportant".
- I am rich and important and dressed finely, so much so that I am spiritually depraved/deprived and starving. = feed me with light, so I don't have to go to the darkness. Imagine that even I was a baby, a child of God.
- I am the one in the nursing home slowly dying. I've been forgotten. = Please pray for me. If I ask you to come and visit or bring me Communion, please come, or arrange someone to come if you can't make it.
 I need to know someone still thinks of me.


And since this list could go on endlessly:

- I am the one who you simply can not comprehend and stick in any particular category. I can speak on behalf of both the human beings you see and encounter on a daily basis, as well as on behalf of the Divine, because I can be in all, work through all, and be with all.
What you are to say, I will say for you. What you are to know, I will teach and instruct you.


XP

(P.S.: Have you ever wondered why I sign these posts like this? "XP" can be seen as a monogram of Christ, as in "Chi Rho", Greek.  I do this in honor of the Holy Name of Jesus and to invoke His protection and guidance.
The other way to see this is to understand the "X" as a kiss (I mean this as a Christian Greeting or Good-bye kiss, as was common with early Christians and/or in earlier centuries, for example in Romans 16:16: "Greet one another with a Holy Kiss". Also, Jesus Himself laments not being greeted with a kiss in Luke: 7:45: "You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet."), and the "P" indicating the first initial of my name)

By the way: I just realized that Luke, Chapter 7, is an excellent place to research what Jesus had to say about the rich and poor, and how people appear to conduct themselves.