[Pearls Ep. 121: Monday Motivation]
We’re looking at Christ’s ascension and what it means to our interior life.
On Friday, St. Bernard reminded us that we ascend to meet the Lord each day in mental prayer.
And today St. Bonaventure emphasizes the significance of the Ascension among the other pascal mysteries of Christ’s agony, suffering, death and resurrection:
“This day of the ascension is holier than all the rest and greater for this reason, while it is true that the Lord rose again at Easter, yet He still remained as a pilgrim on earth, still the gate of paradise was shut, still were the holy fathers not suffered to go to the father, all of which was accomplished at the ascension. And if you carefully consider the relation of these mysteries, all previous acts and sufferings of Christ tended to this end, without the attainment of which they were incomplete…”
Venerable Fulton Sheen has similar wisdom:
Christ took upon himself our human nature, he bore it, he lived it, he died in it and he resumed it after he laid it down. He glorified it and He broke down that partition between God and man. And thus He made peace. I look down to my nature, laden with sin and I despair. I look up to Christ’s nature, it is now risen and ascended, and I am full of joy. I look to my own nature, and I see my helplessness. I look up to Christ’s nature and I see my hope. I look down to my nature and I see my sin. I look up to his nature and see His holiness.
And here’s the key:
Once our life is patterned upon His crucifixion then our life will be patterned upon His glorious resurrection and his glorious ascension.
And thus follows a wonderful interplay – while Fulton Sheen urges that we pattern ourself after Christ’s self-sacrifice of His crucifixion, St. Bonaventure urges us to make a daily ascension:
“In Christ are contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of the hidden God, and He is the medium for all knowledge.
Life is a journey, an ascent to God: Let us therefore say to the Lord Our God: ‘Lead me forth, Lord, in thy way, and let me step in thy truth; let my heart be glad, that it fears thy name'”
Thus goes our interior life. At times we enter into the self-sacrificing love of Christ’s crucifixion. At other times we refresh ourselves by ascending to Christ in heaven and being reminded that that is our destiny.
This is the path of all the Saints – self-emptying so that they can be filled by Christ and the promise of Heaven. The two always go hand-in-hand. The more we empty ourselves, the more we long to be filled with Christ. And the closer we grow to Christ, the more we embrace self-sacrifice.
The Ascension is at the heart of it – because in the Ascension Christ’s sacrifice is made manifest in Heaven.
In each moment of the day we should endeavor to call to mind our participation in Christ’s sacrifice and our hope to share in His ascended glory in Heaven – which makes the sacrifice not only bearable, but sweet.
Blessings on your journey with Christ –
Steve and Karen Smith
Interior Life