Mood swings

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092625.cfm

This is one of the passages in the New Testament that forces me to consider what it must have been like to be one of the twelve. In a short two paragraphs we go from quiet prayer to poignant questions, to revelation, rebuke and then Jesus drops a bomb on them - it's all coming to an end, fellas.

When I work with new people coming to the faith, they are sometimes surprised that it might take a year or more to get to the point of being fully received into the Church. But we are being asked to journey like the Apostles did and today's very brief Gospel gives us one potential outline of how that journey might go.

My usual response to inquiries about the timeline is that it goes 'at the speed of relationship'. At first, there is a lot of questioning about who Jesus really is. Is He just a great prophet, is He a miracle worker (my little genie in a bottle), is He a sage life coach? We see that the Apostle's response is different than what the view of the 'crowds' who only know His words and appearance from a distance. The Apostles spent quiet time in prayer with Him, and He spends time explaining His teachings to them and communicating expectations to them about their life with Him. He is their rabbi, and they are trying to emulate Him. This is necessary in the life of the Christian.

Then there is the realization of who He really is. At first, this revelation is for us - we will probably have to process it a bit on our own or among the close friends with whom we have come to this understanding. We can fully expect that there will be a time for sharing - but first we must come to grips with what that means for us. While we can be elated in our discovery of who He is, we also have to confront the reality of what that means for our life. This takes time and thought and prayer and dialogue.

Like in a marriage, there is the 'til death do us part' component. For the Apostles, this was crushing. The preaching, the miracles, the travel, the crowds, even the angering of the Pharisees must have all been exhilarating elements. For sure, they were just getting in the rhythm of this and anxious to see where it was going - His popularity was skyrocketing (although I guess that term probably wasn't in vogue just yet). With each day, they saw something new and amazing and their whole lives they had learned about and yearned for the great Messiah, the Christ of God. And now it was going to end in death.

The most critical element and realization comes in the very last line: "and on the third day be raised." This is what brings our relationship with the Lord full circle. Eternal life promises the opportunity to love and be loved fully - what is craved in every relationship. Because we are human, we will always have 'mood swings' which take us through phases of our relationship with God, but if we remember who he is, we will know what lies ahead.