Caught Between What Has Been and What Is to Come

There is a moment in the first of this Sunday’s reading (Acts 1:1-11) where the disciples stand looking toward the sky. Jesus is gone. They are left in that quiet space between memory and promise, holding onto what they have seen, and wondering what comes next. It is a moment we know well. We, too, often live between what has been and what is still unfolding.

In the uncertainty there has also been instruction. Do not stand looking upward. Do not remain still. Christ’s leaving is not a loss. It is a sending. Something new is beginning. The path is not fully clear, but it is already set before them.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Ep 1:17-23), deepens this understanding. Paul prays that our hearts may be enlightened, that we may truly see the hope to which we are called. This hope is rooted in the power of God, the same power that raised Christ and placed Him above all things. This means that our lives, even in their quiet and ordinary moments, are held within something far greater than we can comprehend.

In the Gospel (Mt 28:16-20), Jesus speaks words that carry both a mission and a promise. Go. Live what you have received. Share it with others. And as you go, remember this: you are not alone. “Behold, I am with your always, until the end of the age.”

So, we stand like the disciples, in this in-between space. We are not meant to linger in uncertainty or to wait passively for direction. We are called to live as witnesses, strengthened by the Spirit, rooted in hope, and confident in the promise that Christ walks with us.

Faith Sharing Questions

1. Where in your life do you feel you are in an “in-between” moment, and how is God present to you there?

2. How does the promise “I am with you always” bring you comfort or strength right now?

3. What is one area of your life where God may be inviting you to take a step forward in faith?