Dear Parishioners:
The Ascension of Jesus, which we
celebrate today (formerly celebrated on Ascension Thursday), is a great Mystery
of the Lord. It tells us something about
God’s plans for our human nature. Not
only does death lose its power through the Resurrection, but, by the action of
the Holy Spirit, the Risen Humanity that is given to us through Jesus is taken
into the very Heart of Reality, the Life of the Holy Trinity. Forever, by God’s sheer gift, we are to have
a “place” in God in the fullness of Life.
It is beyond our understanding.
That is the nature of a Mystery.
While it might seem that this deep
truth could move us to keep our “heads in the clouds,” on the contrary, it
invites us to become more deeply involved in the things of earth, because it
reveals them to have infinite value.
Through the Ascension, the Spirit took the “stuff” of this world into
God. The transformation of mortality
into immortality, earthly flesh into Heavenly glory, is what the Ascension accomplishes. We are invited to participate in the very
transformation of the cosmos by our commitment to follow the path Jesus Christ
mapped out for us: “Men of Galilee , why gaze in wonder at the heavens? This
Jesus whom you saw ascending into heaven will return as you saw him go.” (Acts 1:11 ) Our earthly journey is destined
to lead to glory for us and for the world.
Next weekend, Pentecost Sunday, we
come to the conclusion of the Easter Season.
The 50 Days of Easter serve to deepen our awareness of the power of the
Holy Spirit. As we prepare for
Pentecost, we join the whole Church in prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit.” May our hearts be open to discover what God
wants to accomplish among us as we continue the earthly portion of our
journey. The Spirit reveals that God has
amazing things in store for us. What do
you see unfolding around us? How are you
responding to the Spirit’s call in your heart?
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