"The One Up Above"

What does that mean when we refer to the "one up above?" Conventional wisdom would say the person is talking about their God. Well, how can we know this God is up above and not below, behind, or in front? Why do we say this? I say it. When thanking God, I look up. When in doubt, I look up. I don't look down. I don't turn around and talk to the back of my chair - that's for certain. Rightfully, I could look at anything and thank God - for God is through, with, and in everything we see (all that is good and has come to be).

So, how did this come about?

I wondered about this during Adoration this afternoon. People say God is above them and the evil one below them. Is this absolutely true? I assume we say this because we look at the hierarchy of creation and so we think of the King of Creation as being above us. Are peasants ever above the King? Certainly not. So with God above us, satan must be beneath us, right? I beg to differ.

Satan can never be beneath us unless we make a concerted effort to keep him there. Walk around the city, notice him among our brothers and sisters - in false prophets, "adult" book stores, "planned" parenthoods, etc. Is he ever below us? Never. He is among us and in fact sometimes (and maybe a lot of times, and sadly) above us, replacing our Creator. When we put ourselves, money, fame, debauchery before God, satan takes His place above us - where he wants to reign forever.

So my brothers and sisters, be mindful of He who should be above you and he who should be beneath you. Our God only wants happiness for us. He has sent many a prophet to speak to us about getting closer to him and letting us know how much he loves us. The Bible is a Book of Love - intimate love. This God who created everything - even us - asks for our love so we can join him in paradise for eternity. We're far from him, but He gave us the Way back. There is absolute Truth and it came in the form of a man. God so loved the world...

He gives us the path and sheds his grace upon us to get closer to him to enthrone him on our heart's mantle. In our Exodus from Egypt, he gave us manna for the journey. Our new Exodus is from eternal damnation and our new manna is his only Son in the Most Holy Eucharist. We eat this new Bread and we're filled with so much grace. Why does God continually give us his love? How do we deserve any of it?

That is true love.

He wants us to return home. We're not destined for earthly residence, but the Heavenly Jerusalem. We know no better, but our Father continues to give us grace so we make it home. We are all Prodigal Sons, but we won't find true happiness and our heart's delight until we allow His love to penetrate our darkened souls.

We must never lose sight of the fact that we are either Saints or outcasts, that we must love for Heaven or for Hell; there is no middle path in this.

- St. John Vianney

Thirty Three

"The meaning of Christ's Ascension expresses our belief that in Christ the humanity that we all share has entered into the inner life of God in a new and hitherto unheard of way. It means that man has found an everlasting place in God." The Ascension is not "the temporary absence of Christ from the world", but "we go to heaven to the extent that we go to Jesus Christ and enter into him. Jesus himself is what we call 'heaven.'"

Pope Benedict XVI

Not only have I entered such an important age of my life today, but I got to share my day with a couple of great events in the Church. May 1st is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. St. Joseph has been my model for some time now and means even more now that I have my own infant Jesus to care for. What a model Joseph has set before us men: the Protector of the Holy Family; of the Mother of God; of the Word Incarnate.
Today's Feast Day reflects on Joseph the Worker. Instituted as a combatant to the traditional May Day events around the globe sponsored by the Communists, we remember Joseph as the humble Carpenter, who as a righteous Jewish man (Mark 1:19), undoubtedly taught the Scriptures to the Christ Child.

But today St. Joseph the Worker took a backseat to an even greater event in the Church: the Ascension.
Today we are reminded, as the Holy Father mentions, that he has not abandoned us; no, he has taken us to the Father in heaven for all eternity. What a glorious event.

There is hope!

"Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven." (Acts 1:11)