May 17, 2015

Feast of the Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 4: 1-13; Mark 16: 15-20

The internet is changing the way we do things, how we search for answers, redirecting our reading from newspapers, magazines and books to the ‘pages’ of computer apparatuses. A magazine I really enjoy, Spiritual Life Magazine, published by the Carmelites, is now totally on-line. Soon newspapers, magazines, etc. will follow this same trend. It’s hard for me to get used to this ‘new way’.

Well ‘before it’s too late’, I would like to recommend a book to you that has excitement galore. Jim Auer reviewed the book in this way: “It has three prison breaks, a perilous sea voyage, shipwreck, intrigue, plots, betrayal, an earthquake, strange visions, midnight escapes from hit squads, people running naked through the street, mobs, riots, murders, a viper attack, a lovable but slightly ditzy maid, and an unfortunate death brought on by a very long homily.” And there is a lot more in this book…really exciting things…do you have an idea of what the book is?

Actually it’s the second volume of a book authored by person by the name of Luke…actually it’s St. Luke. He wrote what is known as the third gospel and the above mentioned book, The Acts of the Apostles. Have you read it?...Have you read it recently?...As followers of Jesus who are trying as best as we can to live as Christians, it is a book that can help us so much because it is a book about the early Church and its development. It begins at the Resurrection of Jesus and concludes with Pauls’ first imprisonment. Why is it important?

(Acts 12 tells of Rhoda, the ditzy maid; Acts 20 tells of Eutychus who died and then Paul revived.)

Jesus predicted His suffering, death and Resurrection many times. And the Apostles were just not ready for it…I wonder how many even believed that it would happen. They were totally unprepared…they hid behind locked doors in the Upper Room where they had shared their last Passover meal with Jesus. Then Jesus appeared to them and they received the Spirit and began to believe. Then came the point of today’s feast, the Ascension and they watched Jesus going up in the sky and then He was gone. They were left alone…AGAIN…what are they to do? Luke tells how “suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen Him going into heaven. Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas, son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.”

This feast is the feast of each and every Christian. It’s a graphic reminder that Jesus left us so that we could be Jesus to our world. Jesus came to tell us that each person was created in love and each of us is needed to bring God’s love to our world. And that’s the tension that exists in each person’s life. We live in the world and the values of God are not a part of the world. Our world tells us to be concerned with ourselves. Our world tells us that the poor, the struggling and the lost are on their own. Our world tells us that being concerned with the needy whether this need is financial, physical, emotional or spiritual is not our concern. Take care of Numero Uno…me. Our world is not about God and God’s love. Yet each person, each Christian is called to build up God’s kingdom of love and peace and good works. I have to continually ask myself if I am being open to the Holy Spirit who is constantly moving me not only closer to Jesus but also moving me to be closer to being Jesus each day of my life.

The early Church faced so many obstacles and were filled with the Holy Spirit. Page after page of the Acts of the Apostles shows people who struggled with their faith, struggled with being Jesus. I can learn from their faith and their struggles in spite of overwhelming odds. They believed...I am challenged each day to live my belief.

We know that after His Resurrection, Jesus stayed with His disciples for forty days. I’m sure they were so glad to be with Him and to continue to learn from Him, but things had changed. In Mark’s gospel there is no mention that Jesus performed any miracle during those days. What did He do...He spent time with them saying that He would give them the power to forgive one another and to chase away evil. They would be able to pick up snakes with their bare hands (snakes were a symbol for sin in the early Church) and drink the ‘deadly poison’ of their evil world and not be harmed. And Jesus would send the Holy Spirit.

Now they wanted to know, “WAS THIS THE TIME”…was this the time that Jesus would change everything: kick Rome out of Israel…get all people to believe in Him…do away with all evil, killing and anger? Would this be the time? He said NO…you are the ones who will preach ME and live ME in your world. THE HOLY SPIRIT will be with you. Now it is up to each of you…it is up to those who are reading this blog today and it’s up to me. He is placing everything in my hands…am I up to it? AND He us waiting for each of His followers to complete His mission.

During the recent pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi on the second last day we celebrated the Eucharist in the Chapel of Peace in the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi. At the end of mass, we attempted to sing St. Francis’ Peace Song’…I had sung this so many times and felt I knew it by heart. I didn’t…all of us stumbled. But it reminded me of how much work I still have to do daily to be Jesus. St. Francis wrote: “Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

So I reflect on:

• Jesus is waiting—waiting for me to fulfill His mission in the world. Can I reflect on this each morning and at the end of each day?
• Do I reflect at the end of each day on what signs I see of Jesus’ ongoing presence in my world?
• John 15:16, “It was not you who chose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain…” So how am I doing?

Sacred Space 2015 shares:

“Jesus commissions His disciples to bring the good news that God is on the side of the poor, the sick, the outcasts, and all those who suffer injustice. Those who cannot bear to have beggars, former prostitutes, servants, women, and children as their equals would simply not be at home in God’s kingdom.

Jesus help me to inclusive in my love. Open my narrow heart to include those who injure me or differ from me in so many ways.”