Episode Transcript  

One

Jacob’s Dream

Abraham had Isaac, and Isaac had Jacob.  God later changed Jacob’s name to Israel. He had twelve sons who became the basis for the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Now, early on in his life, Jacob took a long trip through the wilderness, and one night, on his trip, when he laid down to sleep, he had a dream. He dreamed he saw a ladder stretching between earth and heaven, and angels were going up and down on this ladder. This is the famous image of Jacob’s ladder.

What does it mean?

Two

The Chosen People

On the one hand, the image of the ladder to heaven has a clear reference to the function of the chosen people. Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the entire nation of Israel were especially chosen by God to be the way by which all the world, all the nations, could come into the covenant family with the One, True God. All the people of the earth who had fallen into paganism could look to the Israelites, could see the wonders God worked for them, and the sublime truths God revealed to them in the Ten Commandments. Their job was to be the ladder, the bridge, the contact-point between earth and heaven.

But of course, far from fulfilling that role, the Israelites repeatedly fell into the idolatry and sin of the people they were supposed to provide an example for. And, in fact, it turned out that the ultimate way the Israelites would fulfill their mission of connecting God and humanity would be by being the people from whom Jesus Christ would come.

Three

Christ – the Fulfillment of the Ladder

If you remember, in the Gospel of John, when Jesus meets Nathaniel, Nathaniel is converted almost immediately when Jesus says, “I saw you sitting under the fig tree.” But then Jesus says, “Do you believe just because I saw you sitting under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this. Amen, Amen I tell you, you will see the heavens opened, and angels ascending and descending on the Son of man.” (John 1:51).

Did you hear that? Angels ascending and descending, that’s exactly what Jacob saw when he dreamed about the staircase to heaven. 

Jesus is Jacob’s ladder. He is the bridge between God and humanity. He is the connection between the divine and the human that was being prepared through the whole of the Old Testament.

Four

The Church – the Ladder

Since the coming of Christ, the Chosen People has expanded. Christ’s coming, His Taking Humanity to Himself, has universalized those who are given the mission of connecting God and humanity. It’s not just the job of the descendants of Israel. It’s the job of all of us. It’s a universal job. It’s the job of that Universal Community, the Catholic Church.

Christ has come. The bridge has been established. And now Christ dwells in you. You have become part of the Body of Christ, the Church. And you and I are to be the bridge, the ladder to help others to God. So are you doing that? Are you fulfilling your mission as a Catholic? The mission of helping your family and friends to Jesus, so that Jesus can bring everyone to their home with God?

Five

How to be a Bridge

Jesus is the bridge between God and humanity. And we are invited to participate in His work. If we want to help people cross that bridge to heaven, one principle governs everything: You can only be a bridge if you are in living contact with both sides. That means two things.

First, we must develop a deep friendship with Jesus. We do this by receiving Him regularly in the Eucharist, returning to Him often through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and spending time with Him daily in meditation on the Word of God, always ending with a concrete resolution. Without this, we may talk about God, but we will not carry Him.

Second, we must develop a deep friendship with the people God has entrusted to us. We do this by spending time with them, taking an interest in their lives, asking good questions, listening well, and showing them that they are loved and delighted in.

So the question becomes very practical: Are you taking the initiative to spend time with your people regularly? When you are with them, are you truly present? Do they experience you as someone who delights in them, not someone trying to fix or manage them? Because when we have a real friendship with Jesus through the sacraments and daily meditation, and a real friendship with others, we place ourselves where the Holy Spirit can act. And the Spirit will do the rest. The Spirit will give you the grace, the timing, and the opportunities to be the bridge you are meant to be, and through you, the Spirit will help others cross over into life with God.

So, ask yourself two questions: What do you need to do to foster a better friendship with Jesus? What do you need to do to improve your friendship with the people God has entrusted to you? The answer to both should form your practical resolution. 

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