May 29: Surprises / Sorpresas

Change often takes us by surprise. No matter how adaptable we think we are, we find it hard to cope with all that is happening already and all that is new in any given day. The Acts of the Apostles shows how remarkably adaptable the early disciples were in their various ministries (for example, St. Paul in Acts 18, 1-8). The work that needed to be done to spread the Gospel urged St. Paul and his companions to become “as a Greek with the Greeks, and as a Jew with the Jews.” They appear to have always been resilient and ready to respond to the sometimes surprising movements of the Holy Spirit.

The same openness to change was required when Jesus told His disciples, before His Passion, that He must “go away.” He told them, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.” Their grief at the surprising news of His pending absence was real, but He taught them to wait with patience for His return. “You will grieve — but your grief will be turned into joy.”

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Como creyentes, estamos de camino en nuestra peregrinación hacia Dios. A veces, encontramos a sorpresas. A otras veces caminamos en la oscuridad, aun cuando hagamos lo mejor que podamos para hacer del camino de Cristo nuestro propio camino. Pero confiamos que Dios nos dará su Espíritu para mantenernos en marcha y para guiarnos hacia nuestra meta en la vida … y

hacia nuestra meta ultima: la vida eterna.