Do you ever feel as though the concept of God’s plan for your life feels too distant and abstract to perceive? If you raised your hand, just know I’m raising mine, too. The life of a Christian striving for virtue and closeness with our creator is not always simple! But Moses’ words to the Israelites in today’s first reading pierce my heart, even centuries after he spoke them: “For this command that I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you.” Moses is talking to the Israelites about God's instructions that will lead them to the Promised Land, but it’s a relevant reminder for us, too.

Our calling as disciples of Christ is to evangelize. To be honest, it’s something many of us aren’t entirely comfortable with. Anyone who has ever felt ill-equipped to share the faith with family or friends should be reassured by today’s Gospel. Jesus’ early followers probably felt unprepared to share the news that the kingdom of God was at hand – and they received their marching orders from Jesus himself! When Jesus sent the seventy-two out to proclaim his coming, he knew they would feel insecure.

Too often, we conceive of our earthly pilgrimage as a convoluted maze we must travel by ourselves. Consequently, many of us either ignore the question altogether or become overwhelmed by how ill-equipped we are for the task. But in today’s Gospel, Jesus indicates that confusion was never part of his plan. Responding to Peter’s profession of faith, Jesus says, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” From the mouth of Eternal Wisdom comes words which establish a Church on Peter’s God-given faith. Already a leader among the disciples, Peter now receives his vocation to be the foundation of unity among the Apostles.

Today's feast is set apart to reverence the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist. In our limited human capacity, this concept can feel abstract, and we may struggle to understand it. In these moments, I find that pondering the person of Jesus Christ in the Gospels illuminates my mind and heart. Hearing the familiar story of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes in today's Gospel, I'm particularly struck by the first line of the passage: "Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured."

Between two people who love each other, speech often gives way to silence. But first, in order to nourish love, there must be a mutual exchange of words. Persons in love wish to share their most intimate secrets so that they might know and be known. In an act deserving of our endless wonder, God disclosed his most intimate secret to us: He is a communion of Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — who relate to each other in an eternal exchange of love. St. Thomas Aquinas insisted that the Trinity is not a reality we could have figured out on our own (in contrast to, for example, God’s existence — which we can know simply by examining creation).

In today’s first reading, we join the Apostles in the Upper Room. These individuals had accompanied Jesus to his death and been witnesses to his resurrection and ascension. Can you imagine the throes of emotion accompanying each experience? Now, they gather together, perhaps discussing what to do next. They wonder where they should go, and who they should listen to, since Jesus was no longer there: “And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind.”

Every day the world urges us to place our trust in countless things: money, brands, self-improvement methods — all with instant results! As Christians, however, we know that only God’s promises are worth betting everything on, and they are not fulfilled on our self-determined timelines. Today’s readings portray Jesus, the wounds of his crucifixion still visible, accompanying his followers for 40 days after his resurrection.