The preceding chapters represent an attempt to convey one consistent theme that has been repeatedly impressed upon our minds and hearts: Jesus gives to each person the invitation to eternal life with him, his Father, and the Holy Spirit. This eternal life begins now, and is a deeper invitation to intimate relationship with the God of all creation. This theme permeates Sacred Scripture and is central to the Gospel message. To the person who responds to this invitation, there naturally arises two questions, "What must I do to share in eternal life, to come to know the Father and his Son?" and "How can I extend this invitation to others?" The Church at Vatican II answered these questions by reminding us:
"The Church’s, mission is concerned with the salvation of men; and men win salvation through the grace of Christ and faith in him. The apostolate of the Church therefore, and of each of is members, aims primarily at announcing to the world by word and action the message of Christ and communicating to it the grace of Christ. The principal means of bringing this about is the ministry of the word and of the sacraments" (Vatican II, Decree on the Apostolate of the Lay People, 11.6).
The fruitfulness of the Church’s apostolate, depends on the union of the individual person with Jesus; in fact both questions are intimately tied together:
"Christ, sent by the Father, is the source of the Church’s whole apostolate. Clearly then, the fruitfulness of the apostolate of lay people depends on their living union with Christ; as the Lord said himself; ‘Whoever dwells in me and I in him, bears much fruit, for separated from me you can do nothing.’ This life of intimate union with Christ is maintained by the spiritual helps common to all the faithful, chiefly by active participation in the liturgy" (Vat II, I.4).
In addition to the liturgy, these include: performance of everyday tasks, advancing "fervently, joyfully, overcoming difficulties with prudent patient efforts"; continuous exercise of faith, hope, and charity; meditation on the Word of God and use of the light of faith; endurance of persecution; and by having genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Implicit in all of this is the need for prayer, for prayer permeates the life of the committed Christian. Prayer, all kinds of prayer, is the key to relationship with Jesus; prayer that then leads to action – what Vatican II calls the Apostolate. Prayer is essential, yet prayer is not really fruitful prayer unless it is reflected in action.
When Jesus walked among us, people saw no hesitation about approaching him. Some touched his garment, others asked only for his word, still others received the touch of his hand; all who asked received what they asked for; healing, deliverance, forgiveness, salvation. For his disciples the question was, "[W]here do you stay?"
Now Jesus no longer walks the earth; he sits at the right hand of the Father. Does this mean that it is no longer possible to approach him, that he is somehow distant and unconcerned with his people? The solution to the mystery of the beloved disciple, to cite but one example from the preceding chapters, provides a resounding answer: No! He sent the Holy Spirit, to be with us, to prompt our inner prayer and to approach him with every need and desire. We who have been baptized, even more especially, we who have also been confirmed, have acknowledged Jesus as our Lord and Savior. With this acknowledgement of faith in our hearts, comes the ability and responsibility to exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit which came with baptism and confirmation.
One of the greatest gifts we have received through the Spirit is that of faith, which we exercise in prayer — the ability to approach Jesus just the way the people of his time did. To them he was a very special, gifted person who cared about us and has the power to change our lives. We cannot approach him face-to-face literally, but we can have the same confidence that he hears our prayer. In fact, Jesus told his disciples that they (and we!) would perform greater signs than he did. How? By Jesus going to the Father with our request, when we make it.
Jesus wants his followers – us – to come to him, spend time with him, to listen, to learn, to be healed, and to make our requests of him. He wants us to intercede for one another, that all might receive healing and salvation. The immensity of the problems of the world and just the problems in our own lives often seem overwhelming, and we are tempted to throw up our hands in despair. However, Jesus has already performed the final saving task by his sacrifice on the Cross. It is not for us to save the world single-handed, so we can relax; the whole of even our own problems is not all on our own backs. What Jesus calls us to do is offer him our lives, so he can give us new life. We are called to give our time, our treasure, and, lastly, our spiritual treasure – the ability to pray. If we desire union with Jesus and to carry his good news to our part of the world, prayer is the only way. It is this last call that is so important: Pray always in the Spirit, for everyone in the holy company. Pray always that the word of God will be on the lips of those who proclaim it. Pray for the healing of the sick. Pray for deliverance from the evil one. Pray for the poor and the hungry. Pray that each one of us comes closer to our Lord Jesus, to know the great riches of his glory:
"That is why I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name; and I pray that he will bestow on you gifts in keeping with the riches of his glory. May he strengthen you inwardly through the working of his Spirit. May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, and may charity be the root and foundation of your life. Thus you will be able to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love, and experience this love which surpasses all knowledge, so that you may attain to the fullness of God himself. To him whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine – to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, world without end. Amen" (Eph 3:14-21).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The following books and other works by the same authors have in varying degrees influenced many of the ideas presented in this book. They are included as both sources and as suggestions for further reading.
Brown, R. E., The Community of the Beloved Disciple, Paulist Press, New York, 1979.
Doherty, Catherine de Hueck, Poustinia, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Ind. , 1975.
Hinnesbusch, Paul, ed., Contemplation and the Charismatic Renewal, Paulist Press, New York, 1986.
Kelsey, Morton, The Other Side of Silence, Paulist Press, New York, 1976.
Linn, Dennis, and Linn, Matthew, Healing Life’s. Hurts, Paulist Press, New York, 1978.
Sanford, John A., The Kingdom Within, Paulist Press, 1970.
Scanlan, Michael, and Shields, Ann Therese, And Their Eyes Were Opened, Servant, Ann Arbor, Mich., 1976.
Smith, Herbert F., The Pilgrim Contemplative, Books One and Two, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minn., 1977.
Wild, Robert A., The Post-Charismatic Experience, Living Flame Press, Locust Valley, NY, 1984.
Deacon's Bench 