Inspired by the Writings of Fr. Jules Chevalier

Meditations I, pp. 608–611

Early this morning, in the quiet stillness before the world fully awakened, I opened the worn and yellowed pages of Fr. Jules Chevalier’s Meditations. There is something sacred about reading old spiritual writings. The pages seem to carry the prayers, tears, and hopes of generations who searched for God long before us.

My eyes rested on pages 608–611, the meditation for the Feast of the Ascension.

I began to read slowly.

And soon, it no longer felt like I was merely reading a text. It felt as though the words themselves were praying within me.

Fr. Jules Chevalier invites us first to contemplate the glory of Jesus ascending into Heaven. What a beautiful and profound image! The Mount of Olives — once the place of Christ’s agony, sorrow, and loneliness — now becomes the place of His triumph and glory. The very mountain that witnessed His tears now witnesses His exaltation.

That thought touched me deeply.

Because our lives also have their own Mount of Olives.

We all carry hidden struggles: silent disappointments, fears about the future, wounds that never fully heal, sacrifices unnoticed by others, burdens quietly carried in the depths of the heart. Often we ask God to remove these crosses. We pray for easier roads, lighter burdens, clearer answers.

Yet Jesus does not erase the Cross.
He transforms it.

And Fr. Chevalier writes a sentence that remained in my heart long after I read it:

“We must pass through the Cross before reaching Tabor.”

How true those words are.

The world teaches us to seek comfort, recognition, success, and security. But Christ reveals another path — the path of surrender, humility, sacrifice, and faithful love.

The Ascension is not Christ escaping the world.
It is the fulfillment of divine love.

Jesus ascends carrying the wounds of His Passion. Even in glory, the marks of love remain upon Him. His wounds become signs of victory. And this means that no suffering offered in love is ever wasted before God.

As I reflected on these pages, I found myself asking:

How many times have I wanted the glory without the sacrifice?
How many times have I desired resurrection without passing through Good Friday?
How many times have I followed Jesus only when the road was easy?

Fr. Chevalier then leads us into another consoling truth: Christ ascended into Heaven to intercede for us before the Father.

This part moved me profoundly.

Jesus did not leave humanity behind. He did not ascend in order to become distant. Instead, He remains eternally present as our Mediator. He knows our weakness, our fears, our spiritual battles, our hidden tears. He carries humanity in His Sacred Heart.

What consolation there is in knowing that Heaven is not empty of compassion.

Sometimes life feels unbearably heavy. There are moments when prayer seems dry, when faith feels fragile, when we grow tired of struggling. Yet the Ascension reminds us that Christ continuously presents His wounded hands before the Father on our behalf.

He remembers us.
He prays for us.
He walks with us.

The Ascension is not the absence of Jesus.
It is His presence in a deeper and more mysterious way.

Then comes the most challenging part of the meditation:
If we wish to follow Jesus into glory, we must walk in His footsteps.

Not merely admire Him.
Not merely speak about Him.
But truly live as He lived.

This is the heart of Christian discipleship.

To follow Christ in humility.
To follow Him in patience.
To follow Him in forgiveness.
To follow Him in hidden charity.
To remain faithful even when no one notices.

Fr. Chevalier reminds us that all the saints walked this same road:

“Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.”

At first, these words may seem difficult. But they are not words of despair. They are words of hope. Because suffering is never the final chapter for those who belong to Christ.

Beyond Calvary, there is Resurrection.
Beyond the Cross, there is glory.
Beyond earthly sorrow, there is eternal joy.

The Ascension therefore becomes a promise.

Where Christ has gone, we are called to follow.

Our lives are not meant to remain imprisoned within the limits of this world. We were created for Heaven. We were made for eternity. Deep within every human heart lives a longing for the Father’s house.

Yet how easily we forget this.

We become consumed by schedules, anxieties, responsibilities, disappointments, and worldly concerns. We spend so much time looking downward that we forget to lift our eyes upward.

The Ascension teaches us to raise our hearts toward Heaven.

Not to escape the world, but to live within it with deeper hope, greater courage, and stronger faith.

Finally, Fr. Jules Chevalier speaks about the necessity of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, the Christian journey becomes impossible. Human strength alone is too weak. Our enthusiasm fades. Our love grows cold. Our courage weakens.

But the Spirit renews everything.

The Holy Spirit strengthens weary hearts, rekindles faith, purifies love, and gives us the courage to continue walking even through darkness.

This morning, after meditating on these pages, I remained in silence for a long time.

A peaceful silence.

And deep within my soul, I felt as though Christ Himself was whispering gently:

“Do not be afraid.
The path I walked is also your path.
Remain faithful in love,
carry your cross with trust,
and one day, I will lead you
into the glory of the Father.”

Yongki Wawo, MSC

Jakarta, 14 May 2026