May 26, 2021
by Mary Clifford Morrell
A few weeks ago, a delightful image popped up in my social media feed. It was a baby owl, sitting on a branch, but leaning over as far as possible so he was looking back at me from an upside-down position.
That’s a different perspective, I thought, later considering how valuable looking at things from a different perspective can actually be.
That thought has been part of my daily reflections since then, so I was intrigued when the celebrant for the Feast of the Ascension Mass spoke about perspective in his homily.
He spoke about taking a drive up the mountain and the lovely sights one can see, but, he said if you really want to see everything you have to pay attention on the drive back because you will see things you didn’t see on the way up. The drive back on the same road offers a new perspective.
I have found that to be true, often very surprised at what I have missed driving somewhere. I often find myself noticing an old home, an interesting store, or a lovely patch of flowers and thinking, “Wow, I didn’t notice that before.”
He related those two perspectives—the drive up and the drive down—to us walking with Jesus before his ascension and how we understand him and the events of his life in light of his Ascension.
Prior to his Ascension, the disciples had doubts and perhaps considered if all that had happened was a failure. Had Jesus acquiesced? He allowed all that had happened to happen without any push back.
The celebrant explained that we, like the disciples, must travel the road twice, the second time reliving the events of Jesus’ life; not seeing Jesus reduced to weakness but manifesting his power, a divine power which leads to forgiveness, renewal, reconciliation, and rebuilding.
Jesus tells the apostles, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Part of our growth as disciples is to also look at ourselves, from time to time, with a different perspective to evaluate how well, or if, we are allowing the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.
Trappist monk Thomas Merton observed, “We cannot see things in perspective until we cease to hug them to our own bosom.” It is human nature to believe the way we see things the first time around is the right way, the only way, to see and understand them.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit can help us take that second drive up the mountain.
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.