Why Are You Standing There?

Sunday Readings:
First Reading: Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23
Gospel: Matthew 28: 16-20

This Sunday's first reading and Gospel recount the ascension of Jesus event. Each one is powerful in its own way and presses home a certain theme that demands serious attention.

But, of the two, at this point in my life the first reading truly caught my attention with a short and gut check question from the angels that appear as Jesus ascends:

"While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."- Acts 1:10-11

First of all, did they question them AS Jesus was ascending or did they wait until he was out of sight? I don't like being interrupted. Secondly, wow, what a question after experiencing such a sight, "why are you standing there", as if this is an every day occurrence. Ok maybe the angels weren't impressed but woah! But, why were they standing there?

I starting to think about experiences I've seen in my life that have completely taken my breath away and left me staring, or with my jaw dropped. Or more simply, I thought about amazing movies I've seen that have truly impacted me. What is the first natural reaction we have when we have an experience or see such a movie? We want to talk about it! We want to either find someone who has seen it and talk about it, debate about it, analyze it, OR we want to tell someone how good it was in an attempt to convince them that they need to see it.

Well then, why don't we have that urge with the most important thing in our life, the Gospel? The apostles did not just experience something miraculous and supernatural, they were given marching orders, a great commission right before it happened. I wonder, just how long had they been standing there before the angels spoke up. They were told to head back to Jerusalem and await the Holy Spirit and to baptize the nations and tell them all that Jesus had taught them. For the past three years they had been discipled, not to have cool knowledge or to just be better guys, they were being trained for a mission. Angels were there to wake them up.

So why are we just standing there? Why do we stand there silent when an opportunity arrises to share the Gospel, to pray with someone not later but right then and there, to engage with love, to be the good Samaritan? What is it that holds us back if we have something so good.

What comes to mind is 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be ready to give and explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope". Are we ready? Do we have or know our reason for our hope. Why are do we continue to be Christian. Why do we continue to be Catholic? What got us to this choice in the first place? And once we find it, what good is it if we don't share it.

So now, why are you standing there?

He Did What He Had to Do

 My mission, Shrine of the True Cross in Dickinson, TX, is going through some renovations. The church is being expanded to allow for a larger sanctuary and a larger chapel to allow for more seating in both. This is obviously causing some changes in programming and location changes. Some ministries/groups that used to meet in the chapel, as well as adoration, and confession, have now been moved to other locations. One day during the early stages of the construction I was leaving the church office building and walking to my car and as I passed between the church and a little playground for the elementary school kids I saw a man sitting outside of the church next to the side doors peering through the glass into the church. I'm fairly familiar with this guy, we say hi when we see each other, so I asked him if he needed to get inside anywhere. He replied, "I'm just spending time with Jesus."

Jesus exposed in the Eucharist had been reposed and taken out of the now locked chapel, but he was still in the tabernacle in the church. I was kind of baffled for a second and really didn't know how to respond. Later on it really hit me as a powerful moment. This guy didn't care how he looked. Honestly, I thought he was a homeless dude when I first saw him. All he knew was he wanted to be close to Jesus, he knew where he could be found, and even though it wasn't ideal, comfortable, nor cozy, he did what he needed to do to spend some time with him.

It really impacted me. I thought about how many times I complain about not having the perfect time of day carved out for prayer, or for not waking up early enough, or for being in a rush or whatever excuse for not spending time with Jesus either in prayer or in adoration. But not only did he take time to come to church, he's getting uncomfortable leaning against a gnarly wall on some concrete steps, to look through the glass of a door to gaze on a tabernacle (if he can see it) to be with Jesus.

I think I'm going to tell him "Thank you" next time I see him.