Stepping Up

In today’s first reading from the first chapter of Acts, we have the election of St. Matthias to take the place of Judas as one of the Twelve.

It is a fascinating moment, taking place against the backdrop of a period of emptiness, after the Ascension but before Pentecost: a time of transition.

Yet even within those strange days, having lost the physical presence of Jesus and having not yet received the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were not idle. They saw the need to fill the space left empty by Judas and they stepped up to the task.

For his part, Matthias – who had always been a background figure – stepped up to the responsibility of apostleship when the lot fell on him.

Our own lives often seem full of times of transition, of emptiness, and of uncertainty.

We need to ask the Lord Jesus always to give us the wisdom and the courage to step up to the task - to the work he sets before us - for the honor and glory of his name.