THE EYES OF OUR HEARTS

     This past Sunday, and in our area the previous Thursday, was the celebration of the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven.  The second reading for that feast is taken from chapter 1 of the Letter to the Ephesians.  Here is my reflection for that reading that I shared on WAOB.

     In verse 17 of the 1st chapter of Ephesians Paul says: "May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him.  May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened."

     The Spirit that Paul speaks of is the Holy Spirit, which, before he ascended to the Father, Jesus promised to his followers.   That Spirit came upon the Church at Pentecost and remains the gift without equal that we still possess.

     In our baptism we have been given that Spirit, entrusted with the source of wisdom and revelation in order to know and understand Jesus Christ.

     For our part, there needs to be a willingness to allow the "eyes of our hearts" to be enlightened so that we may walk in his way.

     Paul tells us that our willingness to have our hearts enlightened is so that "we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call" [the call to unity with him and holiness of life creates within us a vision of what can be, what must be, in order to live in hope of something far beyond our capabilities] ... "what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones" [what a tremendous treasure has been placed within our grasp, a treasure that will never lessen in time or circumstances] ... "and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe ... which he worked in Christ."

     Our lives are not about power and earthly glory, but our life in Christ is entrusted with spiritual power and blessed with eternal glory.   When he returned to the Father, Jesus sent the Spirit, and we stepped out into a world that required our proclamation of faith.

     All of this is possible because Jesus brings the Father's love to us and shares with us a life beyond imagining.  Ephesians tells us that the mighty work accomplished in Christ our Lord is this: "raising him [Jesus] from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion ... he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of the one who fills all things in every way."

     The Father gave us his Son ... a gift to the Church, which is his body.   We are that Church.   In us, the fulness of the gift of the Father is seen and experienced; for we, the Church, are the gift of hope given to a world that, although created by God in goodness has fallen upon hard times and lost its way.   We are to show that way to all who seek the path of life.

     When they left that upper room on Pentecost, the disciples went forth to proclaim that good news - a message that we are entrusted with to share.