I was a seminarian in the 60s and Mass was in Latin. In the mid-60s the readings began to be read in English. It was a great novelty. I remember one morning being surprised out of my semi-conscious devotion by a priest who insisted on preaching a sermon on a weekday. He reminded us that it was Ascension Thursday and in his opinion the feast of the Church. Jesus had left us and now it was up to us to preach the Gospel.
It is an idea I have never forgotten. It was over to us to preach the Gospel. I didn’t feel up to that responsibility despite all my theological education and I had great sympathy for the disciples. They had no cathedrals, no Catholic school system, no catechetical aids not even the New Testament. All they had was their faith and that was tentative enough. They had no power or influence. How were those dozen simple men to convert the world with just their faith?
Since that Thursday morning I have learnt a few things that have helped me. First I have learnt that we are not on our own. Jesus may have ascended but his Spirit is present with us. It is not my or even the Church’s mission. It is God’s mission. God loves the world much more than we do and the three Persons of the Trinity are constantly creating, healing, reconciling, transforming and uniting the world. As a disciple of Jesus I have been caught up in this mission. I don’t have to save the world. God will do that. My and the Church’s task is to seek, uncover and celebrate God’s presence in the world. God is especially active wherever people are inspired to strive creatively for justice, truth, peace, dialogue and reconciliation.
It is a great relief to know that I don’t have to save the world. It frees me to play my part and to rejoice in the good that others do. It is also comforting to know that I don’t have to be powerful and influential I just have to have faith.
Fr Noel Connolly
director@columban.org.au
