Dear Parishioners:
The Solemnity of the
Ascension (which used to be celebrated on Thursday) has for many years been
observed on Sunday so that all God’s People may be able to contemplate the
Mystery. In times past, it was often
matter for confession that a Holy Day of Obligation had been missed. We can see the mercy of the Church in opening
the Mystery to us on our usual day of gathering. This Mystery is truly a highlight of the
Paschal Journey. It tells us that what
we do in Time affects our Eternity. The
very “stuff” of this world is destined for a transformation from mere dust into
glory.
Jesus, the Son of God,
lives among us. He lived our earthly
life in its fullness. The Resurrection
of Jesus gives back the fullness of human life, body and soul to Jesus the
Man. The Ascension of the Risen Lord
with His glorified human nature takes our nature into the Life of Jesus, the Eternal
Son of the Father, forever giving humanity a place to be in the very Godhead. This is something beyond our understanding,
but believing it opens our minds and hearts to the glory that is store for us
in Christ Jesus.
When we allow our minds
to be lifted up through Faith and when we exercise the gift of Hope that comes
to us from the Spirit, we are free to Love in this world and the next with the
Love of God at work in our very souls.
Earthly hopes and dreams become the context for us to realize and wonder
at God’s plans for us. As St. Paul reminds
us, “no eye has seen…what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (I Corinthians 2:9)
Paul prays for the Ephesians
and for us: “May
the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that
belongs to His call, what are the riches of glory in His inheritance among the
holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power for us who
believe, in accord with the exercise of His great might, which He worked in
Christ, raising Him from the dead and seating Him at his right hand in the
heavens.” (Ephesians 1:18-20)
The Ascension invites us to put our Hope into practice by engaging with God’s
plan to build up His Kingdom in the world.
This week, I will be
leaving for a vacation to see a part of the world that I have never seen – the southern
part of Africa. While I am away, a
number of priests have been invited to take care of the Masses and anything
else that may come up while I am gone. I
know you will welcome them warmly. If on
some occasion, you find that a priest is not present when one is expected, know
that you are all in charge of moving forward as a community of prayer, doing
whatever is possible in the absence of a priest. The Kingdom of the Lord is built up by our
common efforts and by our filling in for one another along the journey.
Focolare Word of Life for June 2019
“You will receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will by My witnesses.”
(Acts of the Apostles 1:8)
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