XXV, March/April 2019

"Suddenly two men stood beside them" (Acts 1:10)

Dear Brothers in the Priesthood!

With this letter we start the reflections on the angels in the Acts of the Apostles. We referred to different texts of this book and of the Letters of St. Paul, which follow them in Sacred Scripture, when we asked about the presence of the angels in the life and teaching of St. Paul during the year dedicated to him, in 2008-2009. Nevertheless, we still may go through the many references to the angels in them so as to learn in what way we can benefit from their mission. We already read about them in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.

While meeting with them (the apostles), he (Jesus) enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise of the Father..., the Holy Spirit" ... He said, "when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, "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."
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet,… went to the upper room … (and) devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." (Acts 1:4-6,8-14)

The mountain of darkness and light

Just as Jesus had gone out of the city with his disciples to the mount of olives, to Gethsemane in order to initiate his redemptive suffering, even so now he goes there in order to go back to the Father (cf. Jo 17:4 and 19:30; Lk 24:50). Then it was night, now it is day. The same place which then could be called the mountain of darkness, as Jesus went there to suffer for the sake of sins and to confront the fallen spirits, could now be called the mountain of light, since from its summit Jesus went up to heaven.

During his agony, the apostles, with their weak human promises of fidelity, slept and left him alone in his suffering; here now, he leaves them alone, ascending to the Father, not however without leaving them the powerful and effective promise of the Holy Spirit.

And the angels were also present there, because, where Christ is, there too are his angels: Then they were present to strengthen their Lord, the God-man in his agony; now they address the apostles and confirm what Jesus had previously told them.

The Angels' help

While the apostles "were looking intently…, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them." Jesus was gone. The apostles were filled with wonder, standing there speechless. It is evident that they did not understand. But the holy angels were present, and they understood.

The angelic servants

Dressed in white, in their "uniform" as heavenly citizens, pure, authentic, transparent, the holy angels addressed the apostles.

(1) "Men of Galilee," they called them (cf. Lk 22:59f; 23:6f). They turn often to persons they are sent to calling them by name, so to "Hagar, maid of Sarai," (Gen 16:8) or to "Joseph, son of David" (Mt 1:20). However, the holy angels did not address them with that confidentiality with which Jesus called the apostles just some days before, namely as friends or "children" (cf. Jo 15:15; 21:5).

(2) Then they brought them back to themselves through the question: "Why are you standing there looking at the sky?" This recalls the angel's question after the resurrection: "Why are you weeping?" (Jn 20:13) or: "Why do you seek the living one among the dead?" (Lk 24:5). Here, however, they were not really expecting an answer. They put into words what the disciples may have been unable to describe: Jesus "has been taken up from you into heaven" (Acts 1,10-11). They want them to see this truth with the eyes of faith.

(3) Lifted to this level, they continued and said that "this Jesus … will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven" (ibid.). They pointed directly to the ultimate future of Christ's return in glory towards which the coming of the Holy Spirit and the whole life and apostolate of the Church is ordered. (At the first apparition of an angel recounted in Scripture, the angel asked: "Hagar, maid of Sarai, … where are you going?", Gen 16:8). Here now, as the Work of Christ on earth is completed, and the coming of the Holy Spirit and his guiding mission in leading the Church to prepare for Christ's second coming is imminent, they point to this second coming, namely as Judge for his final word for all and everyone (cf. Mt 24:30-31; 25:31-32).

Servants with angelic help

(1) Jesus had foretold his Passion, Death and resurrection (cf. Mt 16:21 etc.). He also referred to his ascension to Nicodemus (cf. Jn 3:13) and later to Mary of Magdala: "I have not yet ascended to the Father" and "I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (Jn 20:17); and he told her: "go to my brothers and tell them" (ibid.) this. But, could they understand what this would mean? The apostles were always surprised when Jesus appeared to them after the resurrection. Now too, as Jesus was taken up before their eyes with his body, did they fail to comprehend? Lifted up from earth, where will he go? Even today we still wonder with St. Paul: What is the glorified body like? (cf. 1 Cor 15:42-53; CCC 997-1000) Similarly, it is difficult to imagine how the future life will be after his second coming.

(2) Life after death is certainly a mystery, when seen from this side of the grave. While this puzzle may provoke curiosity, it more easily causes individuals to become discouraged, sad and disappointed. It can raise troubling questions and doubts, which many prefer not to address, especially in modern life today, where our welfare-world tries to put men asleep with regard to these final questions. The gospels do not hide the doubts of the apostles (cf. Jn 20:25; Acts 1:6). Now, Jesus left them, not just for one day or from one place, but until his second and last coming at the end of time (after we have all died!).

(3) All the more surprising, then is what St. Luke proceeds to declare in his gospel, namely, that the apostles "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Lk 24:52). Yes, we do not expect this. It is a fruit of grace which accompanies the activity of the holy angels. We know it from daily experience in our conscience. A simple thought leaves us cool; whereas a call of grace and inspiration from the holy angels is accompanied by an impulse and strength, an influence also on the will. Joy and love and generosity are on St. Pauls' list of the effects of heavenly interventions, the fruits of the Holy Spirit, "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity …" (Gal 5:22).

Priests as angelic Missionaries

In this moment of the definitive departure of Jesus from earth, we may think that the apostles needed some hope and "outlook," or some "solid ground to stand on". The holy angels acted, in fact, again as messengers (cf. CCC # 333). Their words brought light and hope. But we know too, Jesus had not left them totally alone. He had given them many instructions (cf. Acts 1:2). They knew about the Church, about the real presence of Jesus in the most holy Eucharist, about the promise of the Holy Spirit, about the "Mother of Jesus" among the apostles (cf. Acts 1:14) and about the continuation of the mission of the holy angels in this world.

Thus, we see the apostles – and like them the future priests – with the assistance of the holy Angels and under their guidance and inspiration: First with the eyes of faith looking up to heaven, or contemplating and praying, the goal and destination of all, the heavenly home. And from there, with clarity of mind and humble obedience, they go down into the "valley of tears" to fulfill their apostolic mission. Like the two angels, the human ministers know now how to build the bridge; they do not loose themselves on this earthly side of reality, but are aware of "the other side" and point to it, like these angels. They live in the tension between contemplation and action. They strive for holiness in the union with God and try to be close to the sinners: Close to the people entrusted to them, caring with fatherly love, but yet leading to the final goal on "the other side"; this is already the situation in the confessional, and can be at the bed of the sick and dying persons. The priests can really be called the visible angels in this world, and together with their help and assistance be even more effective representatives and imitators of Christ. May they help us to reach this goal.

Dear Brothers in the Priesthood!

Like the apostles looking up to the victorious Christ in heaven in our prayertime, in free moments, let us take frequent recourse to the holy angels. By uniting ourselves with them (both with our own Guardian Angel and the Guardian Angels of the parishioners), we will become for them what the holy angels were for the apostles at the ascension: a source of divine light in present situations, offering courage to face an unknown future, and peace of heart at every moment. May the holy angels care for us today as at that time for the apostles, and help us to become an angel for the others.

Fr. Titus Kieninger, ORC

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