Go

“Then...while He blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luke 24:53).

Ascension of Jesus Christ (Rom Neamt Monastery)

When the disciples were with Christ, he gave them instructions. And His instructions to them were “GO”… GO and preach everywhere.

These days it is very fashionable to talk about attachment styles. We talk about the impact our families of origin had on the way that we connect with others and speak about the impacts of poor attachment. Mother feel guilty for leaving their children at daycares because they know that this impacts their attachment styles, and yet, with work and commitments they have little choice.

I believe a secure person is able to handle distance in a relationship, because they really understand that they remain attached to the other person even when there is apparent distance. It is when dysfunction in attachment sets in that there are complications as a result of poorly articulated attachment…

And I have been thinking about that today, because Christ was perfectly secure in His attachment…

“Jesus said to his disciples ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations... You are witnesses of these things...’ Then...while he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luke 24:46-53).

Christ sent His disciples off to preach and teach and do His Holy Will. He did not try to hold on to them. He did not try to maintain control of them. He taught them and then trusted them to apply what He had taught. And there is such a lesson in that for all of us. I teach my children and then need to trust them and rely on them to apply the teachings and the values that I have taught.

Christ sent people that He loved out into the world knowing that they would be persecuted and tortured and tried. He knew there would be injustice. He knew there would be torment. He knew there would be suffering and moments of weakness. And still He could let them go because He equally knew that they were never alone – and that a part of Him, through the Person of the Holy Spirit – would be with them forever…

And it seems to me that while everything that Christ said implied that the disciples were alone, everything that He did showed that they would never be alone again. And I have been reflecting on that today. For it seems to me that with a few small changes, those people who I love most in the world will not need to feel alone ever again because there will be a part of me that goes with them. And the part of me that should be going with them is my love…

For the ore perfectly I love another, the more fully I connect with them. SO today I pray for the Grace to be able to love in a way that allows me to say, GO, as Christ did, and to know that I shall be going with them through my prayers and my love for them…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.