I did not come on my own
As countless townspeople in Jerusalem recognized Jesus, they asked themselves why he would so openly walk and speak in the midst of people plotting to take his life. As he spoke in the temple, Christ exemplified fearlessness in the name of the Lord:
“I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”
Upon hearing these words, they attempted to arrest Jesus,
but physically could not lay hands on him,
because “his hour had not yet come”.
I feel as though this reading has a lot of relevance to our current reality that is shrouded in uncertainty. I don’t know about you all, but at many points in the past couple of weeks I have felt uneasiness and even fear in regards to the pandemic and its ramifications in our lives. Each of us are affected in unique ways, while simultaneously we are all affected in the same ways.
We, collectively, can’t teach in the classroom, we can’t coach on the fields and courts, we can’t simply walk the halls of the school or shake hands with our students. But, individually, we see our own unique struggles. I am currently going through RCIA to become Catholic, and this year has been special for me not only because of my ASC experience, but also because of my growing closer to God through this process. Sadly, at this point, the celebration of Easter Vigil as it is meant to be seems unlikely. My official conversion deemed “To Be Determined” on the calendar. However, each of us can find solace in this reading, knowing that God is with us in moments of uncertainty and fear.
He is there alongside us, even in the face of such dangers as that experienced by Jesus in the temple.
In my reflection, this reading made me think of the story of our walk on the beach. In our darkest times, there is one set of footprints, spurring man to ask “God, why do you leave me to walk alone in my toughest moments?” To which Jesus responds “In those moments, I did not leave you, I carried you.”
I feel as though this reading has a lot of relevance to our current reality that is shrouded in uncertainty. I don’t know about you all, but at many points in the past couple of weeks I have felt uneasiness and even fear in regards to the pandemic and its ramifications in our lives. Each of us are affected in unique ways, while simultaneously we are all affected in the same ways.
We, collectively, can’t teach in the classroom, we can’t coach on the fields and courts, we can’t simply walk the halls of the school or shake hands with our students. But, individually, we see our own unique struggles. I am currently going through RCIA to become Catholic, and this year has been special for me not only because of my ASC experience, but also because of my growing closer to God through this process. Sadly, at this point, the celebration of Easter Vigil as it is meant to be seems unlikely. My official conversion deemed “To Be Determined” on the calendar. However, each of us can find solace in this reading, knowing that God is with us in moments of uncertainty and fear.
He is there alongside us, even in the face of such dangers as that experienced by Jesus in the temple.
In my reflection, this reading made me think of the story of our walk on the beach. In our darkest times, there is one set of footprints, spurring man to ask “God, why do you leave me to walk alone in my toughest moments?” To which Jesus responds “In those moments, I did not leave you, I carried you.”
Author: Austin Hatton, ASC
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