May 13, 2018

Bulletin May 13, 2018 Ascension of the Lord Acts 1: 1-11; Ephesians 1: 17-23; Mark 16: 15-20 We have journeyed through Lent. Most feel they could have spent more time on Lenten resolutions along with spending more time in prayer. Many have walked away from Lent feeling that there was ‘something lacking’ in their approach. ‘I could have…I wish I had…I feel bad that I let other ‘things’ hinder my getting closer to the Lord.’ Actually, our Lent was exactly what the Apostles experienced. They had been following Jesus for a better part of three years. I’m sure some went back and forth from their ‘day job’ to hear and be with this astounding preacher and healer. They had grown through their encounters that Jesus was ‘more than special. Did they all believe that He was the Messiah? Probably. Did they know what the Messiah of the prophets would be like? Maybe. Were they able to fit together a concrete image of the Messiah as God had shared? I do not believe so; if they did, they would not have run away and hidden in the Upper Room from the High Priest’s death squads. In a word they were lost, and so desperately wanted to be found. They returned to Galilee and their previous lives after the death of Jesus, wondering what all this meant. Then Jesus came and appeared to them and their ‘Resurrection faith was born.’ Jesus’ words are critical to the meaning of the Resurrection appearances. Luke 24: 36- 43 . ”Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then He said to them ‘Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and my feet, that it is I Myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.’ … While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,,,” another translation for this last line is “They were still unconvinced, still wondering, for it seemed too good to be true.” They really wanted to believe that Jesus was alive and present but they had mentally prepared themselves for disappointment. John 20: 19-20 shares, “Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When He said this , He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.” This peace is not just the absence of discord or wars. It has so many positive implications suggesting a most important and most powerful state of well being…one where one is being fully accepted…of being totally in the right place at the right time. This is only given by God since it reflects the knowing and feeling of God’s love! SO THE QUESTION to the Apostles and to each person is what are we going to do about this? And Jesus adds again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I send you…” We are being sent! Is there a question as to what Jesus is saying? Is there doubt with what we should be about? Today’s Gospel sets us straight, “Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.” Now the demons to be cast out are not those featured in melodramatic stories of exorcism but everyday ones of dissension, anger, distrust, hatred, getting even. In Scripture demons are always portrayed as agents of chaos who are in constant conflict with the world of peace and love God created. Also venomous serpents and poisonous drink is taken symbolically. Faith is a journey. In the time of Jesus, travellers had to be on the lookout for poisonous serpents hidden along the roadways and also the poisons that were found in stagnant waters and wells. We are called to bring peace and love; kindness and compassion; healing and comfort which heals anger, resentment and the like. So the question remains, how am I to live the glorified Jesus each moment of each day? The Benedictine priest and scripture scholar, Fr. Demetrius Dumm from Latrobe, PA who taught me during my sabbatical at Notre Dame says this in his masterpiece, Flowers in the Desert, A Spirituality of the Bible: “Jesus has promised to be with us until the end and He has given us His Spirit to guide and encourage us on the different journey of faith. There are many ways by which we can draw upon the strength of that divine presence but one that is often overlooked is the very helpful way of quiet, contemplative prayer. We should by all means engage in public and communal prayer, especially the formal, liturgical prayer of the Church, and many have benefited also from more informal, charismatic prayer. But we need also to engage in fervent and regular private, personal prayer. An ancient and truly effective form of personal prayer is the prayer of the quiet. This simply means setting aside twenty minutes or half an hour once a day to sit quietly and be totally attentive to the Lord. Of course, there will be distractions but we must not be discouraged. The success of the prayer really does not consist in eliminating all distractions but rather in the loving effort to make the time available and to do one’s best to be attentive. If thoughts of urgent needs come to mind, one simply lays them quietly before the Lord in the sure knowledge that nothing more practical can be done at that moment. Some recommend the use of a mantra, such as the name of Jesus to recall one’s attention gently to the presence of the Lord. If this helps, all well and good, but the most important consideration here is not technique but simple faithfulness to the practice of this prayer. If our human friends are pleased and honored when we make time for them in our busy schedules, we can assume that God is even more pleased and will use this opportunity to change us in the ways that seem best to Him. It will seem, of course, that this is all a waste of precious time that could be spent better in some good work…God works in subtle and quiet ways to achieve His mighty purposes… It is impossible to put limits on what might happen in such an encounter between a sincere and generous person and an all-loving God.The least that can happen is that one will be gradually changed. The Lord will truly speak in that silence and the one who hears Him will become more confident, calmer, more able to be patient with others, more sensitive, more able to put aside illusions and face the truth, more able to cope with problems, he will be less angry and frustrated, less fearful, especially less fearful of death. But most of all, one will be refreshed and strengthened for love and service. And all of this will help to bring about that painful conversion by which we participate in the Passion of Jesus and prepare for own wonderful homecoming.” If we are called to be Jesus in our lives, we need to take time to be with Jesus in a relationship of friendship and mentoring. So I reflect on: • When have I felt abandoned and frightened? Who or what pulled me out of those feelings? When have I had to leave someone or something? • When have I felt empowered with the gifts of wisdom and insight to know God clearly? • What price am I willing to pay to know God? Sacred Space 2018 states: “What do we proclaim? The good news. To whom? The whole of creation. And what is the good news? Is it a bundle of complicated doctrine that pulls us into arguments with people? Holy Spirit, show me the simplicity and beauty of the good news. Jesus says that, in His name, miraculous things will happen. How do I feel about this part of His message in the verses Am I comfortable—or not—with the idea of wonders still happening today?”