Any time you see one of us women in the parish sharing a reflection, you know you will be receiving a message with a different angle, weaving into our liturgical season a special event or experience.  And so it is today. Not only are we celebrating the Feast of the Ascension this weekend, but also World Environment Day.

As I wondered how I might find a meeting place for these two, I received, as so often happens, an amazing gift and inspiration.  June 1 happens to be the 5th anniversary of the death of Thomas Berry, one of our great modern-day prophets. I had been reading a recent book written by Carolyn Toben about the legacy of Thomas Berry and as I completed it, I was struck with amazement at the parallel between the lives of Jesus and Thomas.

We’ll look for a moment at the events described in our Scriptures today. Throughout Jesus’ life, he had, over and over, and in many different ways, been drawing his followers towards a greater, broader consciousness.  Though human, Jesus was the Son of God, with a wisdom and power that transcended the purely human. He was, has always been, and would be, one with God in an unfolding story beyond what any of his followers could imagine.

During his human years on Earth, he was doing all he could to reveal the vision God has for the world. He called this vision the Reign of God. It was a way of living of infinite compassion and love, of inclusion, of unity, of nonviolence, of justice. Jesus himself lived this out, and in doing so, he became a threat, a disturbance, to the established authorities and systems of his day. For living this way, the way of God, he was put to death in an effort to eliminate him and his threat.  The world tends to be fearful and resistant to what shakes up or challenges the established way. But, as we have been celebrating, the way of God, the way of Life, did, and will always, overcome.  Jesus rose from the dead! – to the wonderment and incredulity of his followers. These ordinary, uneducated people had had their lives turned upside down over and over for 3 years. Jesus kept trying to prepare them, but it was often more than they could take in. It was overwhelming, even frightening.  And just as they were beginning to absorb the reality of the Risen Jesus, he asks them to meet him on a mountain in Galilee, in the countryside where he had so often taught them. Again, it is all too much for them. The Gospel tells us that as they meet Jesus, some worship him, but some doubted. How real and human they are!  In confusion, they ask, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”  “No”, says Jesus, “I am here to tell you that you will soon be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and you will become my witnesses to the ends of the earth”.  And with that, he leaves their sight, ascends to heaven – with the promise that he will be with them always to the “end of the age”.  Now put yourself in their place! What would you have done with all that? What would you have been feeling?  Such huge statements for ordinary folks!

Our second reading gives us a flavour of the transformation taking  place in these ordinary people as the promised Spirit of the Risen Christ began to move and work in them, helping them to further absorb the words and life of Jesus and begin living as he did. And it gives us hope and direction for our living today.

If we are serious as Christians, we need to admit that we are still trying to absorb the meaning of Jesus’ words, life, death and Resurrection, and to discern where they are calling us today.

Into our world comes Thomas Berry. With a broad consciousness of the unfolding of the Universe, and a deep spirituality, his life and teaching, like that of Jesus, have called us to a much bigger awareness, a broader consciousness of our Sacred Story, the Story of the Universe. Like Jesus, he spoke over and over of a new vision which, for many, has been very difficult to absorb. He was often criticized and discredited. But science had allowed him to bring a greater understanding to Jesus as the Christ, the Power of Love at the heart of the unfolding Universe over 13.7 billion years, and the evolution of the Earth over 4.5 billion years. No wonder Jesus’ statements were huge. The Story is huge!  

Like Jesus, Thomas Berry has called us to an awareness of relationship as the heart of all existence – what he calls a relationship of communion where all of creation is experienced as interconnected and holy; all is one.  All of creation owes its life to the Powerful Source of Love Present and Living within the unfolding, growth and transformation over these many billions of years and will continue until the end of all ages.

Thomas Berry makes Jesus’ teaching relevant to our time as science offers us so much more information, and as our relationship to the Earth has become so critical. Thomas points out that there have been many moments of immense destruction and death in the past, and we are now in the midst of another period of tremendous crisis.  World Environment Day, along with leading scientists around the world, are passionately urging us to recognize the reality of Climate Change and its effects. Much of creation is endangered and dying, having devastating results for all. At the same time, Thomas Berry points out that Life has always triumphed. Out of destruction can come new life, and a new level of consciousness, of awareness.  Resurrection has occurred through the millennia and continues to occur. He believes that is happening today, but, like Jesus, he tells us that we must be involved, must participate.  We are in a moment of transition to a whole new era, a whole new relationship with the Earth. It is this new relationship which will heal. Can we hear the Loving Voice of Christ who has spoken through every cosmic event now asking us to recognize that loving the Earth as our common origin unifies all of creation? We are in a sacred, deeply spiritual relationship.

Thomas Berry invites us to “practice an intimate presence to the beauty and wonder of the natural world through [our]  intuitive awareness ...of the oneness of all life;...to stop and enlarge moments throughout [our] days to become aware of the mysteries and miracles of creation all around [us[ - the movement of a squirrel, the sound of a bird, the pattern of a leaf, changing patterns of light, the sun, the rain, the stars, dawn and sunset....We are not ourselves without everything and everyone else.”  Can we hear Jesus saying, “May they all be one.”?

As we reclaim a sense of the sacred in all of creation, Thomas points out that each of us has a unique part to play in this period of great transition. As we each find our way to live in a greater communion and loving interconnectedness, we will discover greater and greater Life, abundant Life. We will be guided by the same Divine Power that “spun the galaxies into space, lit the sun and brought the moon into orbit.”

Thomas Berry poured out his wisdom and teachings almost to his last breath as an elder in his 90s. As Carolyn Toben left him for the last time, she saw that “though exhausted, he smiled deeply knowing that his task was complete.”  And then she says, “As I leaned over to kiss his forehead, I knew that my task had just begun.”

Jesus also poured out his teachings until he ascended, leaving us with His Spirit, and the task which he calls us, his followers, to continue  today, to draw all of creation closer to the Reign of God.  May we be worthy of Jesus’ faith in us, and of Thomas’ passionate urgings to live in communion with all of creation. May we  come to experience abundant Life.