Building & Crossing Bridges
A few weeks ago, I drove over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Bridges have fascinated me since I was a youth looking for the spires of the Mackinaw Bridge in northern Michigan. I have been over many other bridges in my years, and as a seminarian I drove over the Verrazzano Bridge in New York City. I remember the clouds obscured the top of the bridge, which made it even more thrilling…it was as if I was driving into a cloud.
My thoughts turned to bridges and heights as we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, as Scripture reads, “…as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.”
St. Catherine of Siena, in her dialogues, mentions the Ascension as a bridge that is formed between the world and the very heights of heaven.
She wrote of hearing the Heavenly Father say:
“So first I made a bridge of my Son as he lived in your company. And though that living bridge has been taken from your sight, there remains the bridgeway of his teaching which, as I told you, is held together by my power and my Son’s wisdom and the mercy of the Holy Spirit. My power gives the virtue of courage to those who follow this way. Wisdom gives them light to know the truth along the way. And the Holy Spirit gives them a love that uproots all sensual love from the soul and leaves only virtuous love.
Jesus the bridge…
St. Ephrem, too, uses this image of the bridge beautifully as he writes:
“He who was also the carpenter’s glorious son set up his cross above death’s all-consuming jaws, and led the human race into the dwelling place of life. Since a tree had brought about the downfall of mankind, it was upon a tree that mankind crossed over to the realm of life…We giver glory to you, Lord, who raised up your cross to span the jaws of death like a bridge by which souls might pass from the region of the dead to the land of the living…”
Jesus the bridge…
Jesus built that bridge following the perfect plan of salvation, that perfect plan of love and mercy.
Bridges are wonderful…but they are a little scary. As we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, we remember that our Savior has gone before us to those heights…Our Blessed Mother has gone before us, too. So too, have all those who put their faith and trust in Jesus, as He teaches so clearly, “…behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
-Rev. Christopher Uhl
