Daily Reflections

Scripture:

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11
John 17:20-26

Reflection:

Every February, when the season of Lent begins, the word “Repent” rings in our ears. Many of us are signed with ashes on that first day, and the words, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel,” are said over us.

For most people, “repent” is defined by our English dictionaries as feeling or expressing regret or remorse for our wrongdoings. But that is far from what the Greek word was actually articulating. The word in Greek is metanoia. Meta means “to change,” and nous refers to the mind, the intellect, or how we think. A more accurate translation, then, would be: “change the way you think.”

And perhaps the bigger Lenten invitation is not just to feel bad for the things we’ve done (or failed to do), but to start thinking differently about who God is. What a healthy, liberating way to think about Lent!

Now, I realize today is June 5^th and not Ash Wednesday. Lent is long behind us. But the truth is, we’re now in that sacred space between Ascension and Pentecost.

And I find myself wondering, when Jesus ascended into heaven, wasn’t that the most remarkable metanoia? Symbolically, literally, even figuratively—Jesus’ departure invites us to raise our minds. Look up! Look beyond the pull of everydayness. On a short timescale, Jesus has departed, but the Spirit has not yet been poured out. So, we are in a liminal space. A time for looking back, reviewing, reflecting, and questioning.

I’m thinking of how much the disciples have grown and changed in their time with Jesus. He has now gone to the place he promised— to his Father. I ponder their journey. I contemplate their formation. And I realize how profound Luke’s Gospel has been. It is truly, a Gospel of metanoia.

• In the very first chapter, an angel appears—not to a high priest, not to a temple official, not to a man of prominence—but to a young, poor peasant woman named Mary. That in itself is profound. And we are asked to change the way we think about God.
• Another astonishment: God becomes a human being. And we are asked to change the way we think about God.
• Even the Archangel Gabriel, comparing the parallels between the stories of Zechariah and Mary, seems to learn something in his encounter. Could it be that even Gabriel is being invited to respond differently to people?
• How can a virgin woman be pregnant with child? Again, we are asked to change our way of thinking.
• Mary’s Canticle of Praise is a litany of who God is and what God has done. Many call it, “upside-down”, because it so boldly proclaims a God who thinks differently. Can we change the way we think?

And that’s just the first chapter of Luke. I could go on for twenty-three more chapters.

Luke the Evangelist does not let up. In his second book, Acts of the Apostles, the theme continues. One of the most significant developments is how God’s Spirit begins to extend beyond the people of Israel to the Gentiles.  Reading Acts, you can’t help but realize how hard it was for an entire group of people to change the way they think.  I’ve never before realized how strong and consistent Luke’s theme is—Change the way you think.  I suspect this was an element of motivation for Luke to write two different books.

Sadly, too much of my early catechism focused on teaching us to think the way God thinks, implying we know how God thinks. Luke flips the script. Luke asks us to be transformed, to think in new ways.

So here we are in this liminal time between Ascension and Pentecost. And I listen closely to the readings.

Today’s reading from Acts of the Apostles, Paul is brilliant! As he stands accused before a divided assembly, he realizes that his accusers are split over the issue of resurrection. With incredible insight, he speaks in a way that turns the groups against each other, and he goes free. This is ingenious thinking.  He thinks differently.

And that reading is paired with the intimate prayer of Jesus in John’s Gospel. You can feel the tenderness and the deep connection. Jesus prays not only for his disciples but for all who will come after them, including you and me. What Jesus asks of the Father, the Father cannot deny.

The Father listens and answers the prayer of his Son. That prayer includes you. And so I invite you, find a quiet place, take a deep breath, and slowly read the prayer Jesus made for you to his Father. Let it change the way you think.

Fr. David Colhour, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Cross Province. He resides in Chicago, Illinois.