Category: Inspiration Daily

Times of change and transition can be tricky. Some changes are highly anticipated, like the first day of university or the weeks leading up to your 10th birthday (double digits!). Others are met with more hesitation, anxiety, or fear. Perhaps you’ve experienced the pain of losing a job, a difficult diagnosis, or the desire to continue turning 27 any number of years after you’ve actually turned 27. Change is one of the most certain things in life and yet we struggle with how to handle it. 

In today’s Gospel, the apostles were facing an incredible change. Jesus, who had been with them for a mere 40 days after his death and resurrection, was leaving them. They were only just grasping the enormity of the mission Jesus was equipping them for. From the Acts of the Apostles, we know they were fearful of what could possibly happen to them. But in Luke’s account of their actions immediately following the Ascension, they weren’t only fearful. In spite of the oncoming change, they were also full of “great joy.” No matter the change we are facing, we can learn from the Apostles the kind of attitude we ought to have toward the new situation. 

First, we have to trust in God’s plan for our life. Jesus told the Apostles that they were witnesses to everything He had done and were responsible for sharing the Good News with others. He also promised that He would send the blessing of the Father, the Holy Spirit, to be with them always. We receive this same commission and the same promise. Throughout life’s changes, there is always Good News to share. No matter what transition is beyond our control, the Holy Spirit is with us. 

In light of these two facts, we can rejoice and be full of joy like the Apostles. This joy isn’t something we should keep to ourselves. The Apostles went to the temple where they continually offered praise to God. When we don’t know what to do and we don’t know what’s coming next, one action we can take with certainty is praise. The first part of the Our Father is a statement of praise. 

When we praise God, we acknowledge his position in our lives. He is our Creator, our Father, Love itself. He is the Author of all things and the Maker of existence. Nothing is outside of His authority and nothing is beyond His notice. He knows what we are going through and He knows what is coming next. When we offer praise, like the Apostles, we have the opportunity to offer to God our fears and uncertainties. We open ourselves to God’s majesty and give Him the space to fill us with His joy and peace.

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Los tiempos de cambio y transición pueden ser complicados. Algunos cambios son muy esperados, como el primer día de universidad o las semanas previas a tu décimo cumpleaños (¡dos dígitos!). Otros se reciben con más vacilación, ansiedad o miedo. Tal vez hayas experimentado el dolor de perder un trabajo, un diagnóstico difícil o el deseo de seguir cumpliendo 27 años cualquier cantidad de años después de haberos cumplido. El cambio es una de las cosas más seguras de la vida y, sin embargo, luchamos por saber cómo manejarlo.

En el Evangelio de hoy, los apóstoles se enfrentan a un cambio increíble. Jesús, que había estado con ellos durante apenas 40 días después de su muerte y resurrección, los estaba dejando. Apenas estaban comprendiendo la enormidad de la misión para la que Jesús los estaba equipando. Por los Hechos de los Apóstoles, sabemos que tenían miedo de lo que podría pasar. Pero en el relato de Lucas sobre sus acciones inmediatamente después de la Ascensión, no solo tenían miedo. A pesar del cambio que se estaba por venir, también estaban llenos de “gran gozo”. No importa el cambio que estemos enfrentando, podemos aprender de los Apóstoles el tipo de actitud que debemos tener hacia la nueva situación.

Primero, tenemos que confiar en el plan de Dios para nuestra vida. Jesús les dijo a los Apóstoles que eran testigos de todo lo que Él había hecho y eran responsables de compartir la Buena Nueva con los demás. También les prometió que les enviaría la bendición del Padre, el Espíritu Santo, para que estuviera siempre con ellos. Nosotros recibimos esta misma comisión y la misma promesa. A lo largo de los cambios de la vida, siempre hay una Buena Nueva para compartir. No importa qué transición esté fuera de nuestro control, el Espíritu Santo está con nosotros.

A la luz de estos dos hechos, podemos regocijarnos y estar llenos de gozo como los Apóstoles. Este gozo no es algo que debemos guardar para nosotros mismos. Los Apóstoles fueron al templo donde continuamente ofrecieron alabanzas a Dios. Cuando no sabemos qué hacer y no sabemos qué viene después, una acción que podemos tomar con certeza es la alabanza. La primera parte del Padrenuestro es una declaración de alabanza.

Cuando alabamos a Dios, reconocemos su lugar en nuestras vidas. Es nuestro Creador, nuestro Padre, el Amor mismo. Él es el Autor de todas las cosas y el Hacedor de la existencia. Nada está fuera de su autoridad y nada escapa a su conocimiento. Sabe por lo que estamos pasando y sabe lo que viene después. Cuando ofrecemos alabanza, como los Apóstoles, tenemos la oportunidad de ofrecer a Dios nuestros miedos e incertidumbres. Nos abrimos a la majestad de Dios y le damos el espacio para que nos llene de su alegría y su paz.

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When the disciples are tasked with feeding five thousand men across from the Sea of Galilee, they are understandably dumbfounded: How can they feed so large a crowd with no food of their own, not much money, and five barley loaves and two fish? Yet, they do not bat an eye when Jesus tells them to prepare the crowd for a meal. Instead of relying on their own intuition and arguing with Jesus about the absurdity of feeding over five thousand people with such a small amount of food, they simply do what He says, knowing that He will provide for His people.

The disciples understand our Gospel acclamation, that “one does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). They have no idea how to approach the situation, but they have learned to trust in Jesus’ direction, even for matters of physical survival. His direction is better than anything they could come up with, even if it seems absurd at the time.

This outlook complements that of the psalmist, whose sole aim is to dwell in the house of the Lord rather than in other, more familiar places. And in our First Reading, we see Gamaliel saying something similar: “If [the gospel message] comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:39). He does not want to resist something that might come from God, even if he does not understand it.

Gamaliel, the psalmist, and the disciples see the point of remaining fixed on God, trusting in His direction even when it is difficult. They know that if God ordains something, guiding it with His hand, it cannot fail. If He gives direction, it will not be followed in vain. To dwell in His house is better than all else.

This is a profound trust that we need to adopt in our own lives. There is a subtle self-reliance that creeps in when we spend too much time seeking security by our own efforts alone. We plan far ahead, without consulting God concerning what He wants for our lives and for our loved ones. Inevitably, our best laid plans fail, and we make new ones, which fare no better. If we are not used to consulting God and trusting that He truly has things under control, we rely on worldly methods to maintain security, prestige, and wealth, so that we can have everything necessary for a good and peaceful life. Seeking easy steps to success, we look to social media and popular wisdom to solve our problems. If these solutions are divorced from spirituality, they never bring us the peace and security we seek.

Ultimately, we need to trust in what God has already told us through readings such as these. Even and especially when things look confusing and hopeless, God is in control. We must listen to Him and seek His will in these moments through prayer, Scripture, the sacraments, and spiritual direction, trusting in what He tells us, even if we cannot understand the reasons for it. We cannot expect to fully understand the ways of God, but that does not mean that they are inferior to the ways we can come up with on our own. Dwelling in His house is the goal, and His direction and protection are best for us in all situations.

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Cuando los discípulos tienen la tarea de alimentar a cinco mil hombres al otro lado del Mar de Galilea, se quedan estupefactos: ¿Cómo pueden alimentar a una multitud tan grande sin comida propia, sin mucho dinero, cinco panes de cebada y dos peces? Sin embargo, no se inmutan cuando Jesús les dice que preparen a la multitud para una comida. En lugar de confiar en su propia intuición y discutir con Jesús acerca de lo absurdo de alimentar a más de cinco mil personas con una cantidad tan pequeña de comida, simplemente hacen lo que les manda, sabiendo que proveerá para Su pueblo.

Los discípulos entienden nuestra aclamación evangélica, que “No sólo de pan vive el hombre, sino también de toda palabra que sale de la boca de Dios.” (Mt 4,4). No tienen idea de cómo abordar la situación, pero han aprendido a confiar en la dirección de Jesús, incluso en cuestiones de supervivencia física. Su orientación es mejor que cualquier cosa que se les haya ocurrido, incluso si parece absurdo en ese momento.

Esta perspectiva complementa la del salmista, cuyo único objetivo es morar en la casa del Señor y no en otros lugares más familiares. Y en nuestra Primera Lectura, vemos a Gamaliel diciendo algo similar: “si lo que se proponen y están haciendo es de origen humano, se acabará por sí mismo. Pero si es cosa de Dios, no podrán ustedes deshacerlo. No se expongan a luchar contra Dios” (Hechos 5:39). No quiere resistirse a algo que podría venir de Dios, aunque no lo entienda.

Gamaliel, el salmista y los discípulos ven el punto de mantenerse fijos en Dios, confiando en Su orientación incluso cuando sea difícil. Saben que si Dios ordena algo, guiándolo con Su mano, no puede fallar. Si orienta a alguien, sus indicaciones no serán seguidas en vano. Morar en Su casa es mejor que cualquier otra cosa.

Esta es una confianza profunda que necesitamos adoptar en nuestras propias vidas. Hay una autosuficiencia sutil que se cuela cuando pasamos demasiado tiempo buscando seguridad solo con nuestros propios esfuerzos. Planeamos con mucha anticipación, sin consultar a Dios sobre lo que quiere para nuestra vida y la de nuestros seres queridos. Inevitablemente, nuestros planes fallan y creamos otros nuevos, y no nos va mejor. Si no estamos acostumbrados a consultar a Dios y confiar en que realmente tiene las cosas bajo su control, nos apoyamos en métodos mundanos para mantener la seguridad, el prestigio y la riqueza, para que podamos tener todo lo necesario para una vida buena y pacífica. Buscando pasos fáciles hacia el éxito, recurrimos a las redes sociales y la sabiduría popular para resolver nuestros problemas. Si estas soluciones están separadas de la espiritualidad, nunca nos traerán la paz y la seguridad que buscamos.

En última instancia, debemos confiar en lo que Dios ya nos ha dicho a través de las escrituras, como las lecturas de hoy. Incluso y especialmente cuando las cosas parecen confusas y sin esperanza, Dios tiene todo bajo control. Debemos escucharlo y buscar su voluntad en estos momentos a través de la oración, la Escritura, los sacramentos y la dirección espiritual, confiando en lo que nos dice, aunque no podamos entender las razones. No podemos esperar comprender completamente los caminos de Dios, pero eso no significa que sean inferiores a los caminos que podemos encontrar por nuestra cuenta. Morar en Su casa es la meta, y Su orientación y su protección son lo mejor para nosotros en todas las situaciones.

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“When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death.”

The Apostles were so convicted by their experience of Jesus Christ, that they continued to tell his story even when those in power wanted to put them to death. Let that sink in for a moment. They wanted them put to death. And the Apostles did not stop. 

We live in a time when we are taught not to discuss religion and politics. We have witnessed people shamed and brought down for standing up for their convictions. It is a time of “political correctness” and “cancel culture”. 

This hits home hard for me. It is hard for me to even write these words. I am ashamed to admit that there have been times in my life when I have not brought up my faith because I was afraid it would make for an uncomfortable dinner conversation. I have neglected to share the grace I have received, because I wasn’t sure how the person would react, they might think I was weird or worse. I had a job once where I was cautioned to tuck in my crucifix because I was around people who didn’t like Catholics and I complied. No one has threatened my life, but there have definitely been times when I didn’t tell the story of Jesus Christ and the wonders he has worked. For that I am ashamed. 

A personal encounter with Jesus Christ has the ability to transform us. A personal encounter with Jesus Christ is able to take us outside of ourselves and move us into meaningful encounters with others. It is our mission to go out into the world and tell the story of Jesus Christ and his mercy. We are not to tell it once and then go back home, we are to tell the story over and over. More than that, we are to live the story. We are to live in such a way that mercy is our hallmark; where telling others how much they are loved is part of just who we are and how we operate. 

So I will take comfort from John’s words in the Gospel. “He does not ration his gift of the Spirit.” As I bend my will to conform more and more to God’s will, I can trust that God will not ration his gift of the Spirit so that each day I can start anew and along with the Psalmist “bless the Lord at all times.” Even when it feels uncomfortable. 

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