For your reading, reflection, faith-sharing, comments, questions, discussion.

May 28, 2006

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Reading 1
Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus,
I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up,
after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
by many proofs after he had suffered,
appearing to them during forty days
and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them,
he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for “the promise of the Father
about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When they had gathered together they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
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.”

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

R. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
For king of all the earth is God;
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading II
Eph 1:17-23

Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation
resulting in knowledge of him.
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,
far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in the one to come.
And he put all things beneath his feet
and gave him as head over all things to the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

or

Eph 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters,
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit
through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says:
He ascended on high and took prisoners captive;
he gave gifts to men.
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended
into the lower regions of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended
far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith

and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

or

4:1-7, 11-13

Brothers and sisters,
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling
you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.

But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature to manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

Gospel
Mk 16:15-20

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.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

Alleluia Ping!

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Did any of the rest of you celebrate the Ascension tonight/today?

Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26

The Election of Matthias

[15] In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (the company of
persons was in all about a hundred and twenty), and said,
[16] "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy
Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was
guide to those who arrested Jesus. [17] For he was numbered among us,
and was allotted his share in this ministry. [20a] For it is written in
the Book of Psalms, [20c] 'His office let another take.'

[21] So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that
the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, [22] beginning from the
baptism of John until the day when He was taken up from us--one of
these men must become with us a witness to His resurrection."

[23] And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was
surnamed Justus, and Matthias. [24] And they prayed and said, "Lord,
who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou
hast chosen [25] to take the place in this ministry and apostleship
from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." [26] And they
had cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was
enrolled with the eleven Apostles.

Commentary:

15-23. "Peter is the ardent and impetuous Apostle to whom Christ
entrusted the care of His flock; and since he is first in dignity, he
is the first to speak" (Chrysostom, "Hom. on Acts", 3).

Here we see Peter performing his ministry. Events will make for the
gradual manifestation of the supreme role of government which Christ
entrusted to him. His is a ministry of service--he is the "servus
servorum Dei", the servant of the servants of God--a ministry given to
none other, different from all other ministries in the Church. Peter
will carry it out in solidarity with his brothers in the Apostolate and
in close contact with the whole Church represented here in the 120
brethren around him.

This account of Peter with the other Apostles and disciples all brought
together is described by St. John Chrysostom in these words: "Observe
the admirable prudence of St. Peter. He begins by quoting the
authority of a prophet and does not say, 'My own word suffices,' so far
is he from any thought of pride. But he seeks nothing less that the
election of a 12th Apostle and he presses for this. His entire
behavior shows the degree of his authority and that he understood the
apostolic office of government not as a position of honor but as a
commitment to watch over the spiritual health of those under him.

"The disciples were one hundred and twenty, and Peter asks for one of
these. But he it is who proposes the election and exercises the
principal authority because he has been entrusted with the care of all"
("Hom. on Acts", 3).

21-22. The Apostles are witnesses "par excellence" of Jesus' public
life. The Church is "apostolic" because it relies on the solid
testimony of people specially chosen to live with our Lord, witnessing
His works and listening to His words. The twelve Apostles certify that
Jesus of Nazareth and the risen Lord are one and the same person and
that the words and actions of Jesus preserved and passed by the Church
are indeed truly reported.

Everyone who maintains unity with the Pope and bishops in communion
with him maintains unity with the Apostles and, through them, with
Jesus Christ Himself. "Orthodox teaching has been conserved by being
passed on successively since the time of the Apostles and so it has
remained up to the present in all the churches. Therefore, only that
teaching can be considered true which offers no discord with
ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition" (Origen, "De Principiis",
Preface, 2). See the note on Acts 1:26.

24-26. Verses 24-25 record the first prayer of the Church, which is
linked with what we were told in verse 14--"all these with one accord
devoted themselves to prayer"--and shows the disciples' firm belief
that God rules over all things and all events and looks after the
Church in a very special way.

The Christian community leaves in God's hands the choice as to who will
fill the empty place in the Twelve. It does this by using traditional
Hebrew method of casting lots, the outcome of which will reveal God's
will. This method of divining God's will is to be found quite a number
of times in the Old Testament (cf. 1 Samuel 14:41f); its use was
restricted to Levites, to prevent it degenerating into a superstitious
practice. In casting lots the Jews used dice, sticks, pieces of paper,
etc. each bearing the name of the candidate for an office, or of people
suspected of having committed some crime, etc. Lots were cast as often
as necessary to fill the number of places to be filled or the suspected
number of criminals.

In this instance they decide to cast lots because they consider that
God has already made His choice and all that remains is for Him to make
His will known: His decision can be ascertained unerringly by using
this simple human device. This method of appointing people, borrowed
from Judaism, did not continue to be used in the church for very long.

Now that Matthias has been appointed the Twelve is complete again.
The Apostolic College is now ready to receive the Holy Spirit whom
Jesus promised to send, and to go on to bear universal witness to the
Good News.

26. St. Luke usually applies the term "apostles" only to the Twelve
(cf., for example, Acts 6:6), or the Eleven plus Peter, who appears as
head of the Apostolic College (cf. 2:14). Except in Acts 14:14, Luke
never describes St. Paul as an Apostle--not because he minimizes Paul's
role (indeed, half the chapters of Acts deal with Paul) but because he
reserves to the Twelve the specific function of being witnesses to our
Lord's life on earth.

This apostolic character or apostolicity is one of the marks of the
true Church of Christ--a Church built, by the express wish of its
Founder, on the solid basis of the Twelve.

The "St. Pius V Catechism" (I, 10, 17) teaches that "the true Church is
also to be recognized from her origin, which can be traced back under
the law of grace to the Apostles; for her doctrine is the truth not
recently given, nor now first heard of, but delivered of old by the
Apostles, and disseminated throughout the entire world. [...] That
all, therefore, might know which was the Catholic Church, the Fathers,
guided by the Spirit of God, added to the Creed the word 'apostolic'.
For the Holy Spirit, who presides over the Church, governs her by no
other ministers than those of apostolic succession. This Spirit, first
imparted to the Apostles, has by the infinite goodness of God always
continued in the Church."

The principal role of the Apostles is to be witnesses to the
resurrection of Jesus (cf. 1:22). They perform it through the ministry
of the word (6:4), which takes various forms, such as preaching to the
people (cf. 2:14-40; 3:12-26; 4:2, 33; 5:20-21), teaching the disciples
within the Christian community itself (2:42), and declarations uttered
fearlessly against the enemies and persecutors of the Gospel of Jesus
(4:5-31; 5;27-41). Like the word of the Lord, that of the Apostles is
supported by signs and wonders, which render visible the salvation
which they proclaim (2:14-21, 43; 3:1-11, 16; 4:8-12, 30; 5:12, 15-16;
9:31-43).

The Twelve also perform a role of government in the Church. When the
members of the community at Jerusalem give up their property to help
their brothers in need, they lay the money "at the Apostles' feet"
(4:35). When the Hellenist Christians need to be reassured, the Twelve
summon the assembly to establish the ministry of the diaconate (6:2).
When Saul goes up to Jerusalem after his conversion, he is introduced
to the Apostles by Barnabas (9:26-28). The Apostles quite evidently
exercise an authority given them by our Lord who invested them with
untransferable responsibilities and duties connected with service to
the entire Church.

The Apostles also intervene outside Jerusalem as guarantors of internal
and external unity, which is also an essential distinguishing mark of
the Church. After Philip baptizes some Samaritans, the Apostles Peter
and John travel from Jerusalem to give them the Holy Spirit by the
laying on of hands (8:14-17).

After the baptism of the pagan Cornelius, the Apostles study the
situation with Peter, to ascertain more exactly the designs of God and
the details of the new economy of salvation (11:1-18). Apropos of the
debate in Antioch about the circumcision of baptized pagans, the
community decides to consult the Apostles (15:2) to obtain a final
decision on this delicate matter.

Most of St. Luke's attention is concentrated on the figure of Peter,
whom he mentions 56 times in Acts. Peter is always the center of those
scenes or episodes in which he appears with other Apostles or
disciples. In matters to do with the community at Jerusalem Peter acts
as the spokesman of the Twelve (2:14, 37; 5:29) and plays a key role in
the opening up of the Gospel to pagans.

The College of the twelve Apostles, whose head is Peter, endures in the
Episcopacy of the Church, whose head is the Pope, the bishop of Rome,
successor of Peter and vicar of Jesus Christ. The Second Vatican
Council proposes this once again when it teaches that the "Lord Jesus,
having prayed at length to the Father, called to Himself those whom He
willed and appointed twelve to be with Him, whom He might send to
preach the Kingdom of God (cf. Mark 3:13-19; Matthew 10:1-42). These
Apostles (cf. Luke 6:13) He constituted in the form of a college or
permanent assembly, at the head of which He placed Peter, chosen from
among them (cf. John 21:15-17)" ("Lumen Gentium", 19).

"Just as, in accordance with the Lord's decree, St. Peter and the rest
of the Apostles constitute a unique apostolic college, so in like
fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, and the bishops, the
successors of the Apostles, are related and united to one another.
[...]

"In it the bishops, whilst loyally respecting the primacy and
pre-eminence of their head, exercise their own proper authority for the
good of their faithful, indeed even for the good of the whole Church,
the organic structure and harmony of which are strengthened by the
continued influence of the Holy Spirit. The supreme authority over the
whole Church, which this college possesses, is exercised in a solemn
way in an ecumenical council. [...] And it is the prerogative of the
Roman Pontiff to convoke such councils, to preside over them and to
confirm them" ("ibid.", 22).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: 1 John 4:11-16

God is Love. Brotherly Love, the Mark of Christians

[11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
[12] No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in
us and his love is perfected in us.

[13] By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has
given us of his own Spirit. [14] And we have seen and testify that the
Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever
confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in
God. [16] So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love,
and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Commentary:

11-12. The Apostle underlines here the theological basis of brotherly
love: the love which God has shown us by the incarnation and redemptive
death of his Son, places us in his debt: we have to respond in kind; so
we "ought" to love our neighbor with the kind of gratitude and
disinterest that God showed by taking the initiative in loving us.

Moreover, by loving one another we are in communion with God. The
deepest desire of the human heart, which is to see and to possess God,
cannot be satisfied in this life, because "no man has ever seen God"
(v. 12); our neighbor, on the other hand, we do see. So, in this life,
the way to be in communion with God is by brotherly love. "Love of God
is the first thing in the order of commands", St Augustine explains,
"and love of neighbor is the first thing in the order of practice
[...]. You, who do not yet see God, will, by loving your neighbor,
merit to see him. Love of neighbor cleanses our eyes to see God, as
John clearly says, If you do not love your neighbor, whom you see, how
can you love God, whom you do not see (cf. 1 Jn 4:20)" ("In Ioann.
Evang.", 17, 8).

13. Having the gift of the Holy Spirit is the sure sign of being in
communion with God. Since the Holy Spirit is the love of the Father and
of the Son, his presence in the soul in grace is necessarily something
dynamic, that is, it moves the person to keep all the commandments (cf.
3:24), particularly that of brotherly love. This interior impulse shows
that the third Person of the Blessed Trinity is at work within us; it
is a sign of union with God.

The Holy Spirit's action on the soul is a marvelous and deep mystery.
"This breathing of the Holy Spirit in the soul," says St John of the
Cross, "whereby God transforms it into himself, is so sublime and
delicate and profound a delight to it that it cannot be described by
mortal tongue, nor can human understanding, as such, attain to any
conception of it" ("Spiritual Canticle", stanza 39).

14-15. Once more (cf. v. 1:4) St John vividly reminds his readers that
he and the other Apostles have seen with their own eyes the Son of God,
made man out of love for us. They were eyewitnesses of his redemptive
life and death. And in the Son, sent by the Father as Savior of the
world, the unfathomable mystery of God is revealed--that his very being
is Love.

"It is 'God, who is rich in mercy' (Eph 2:4) whom Jesus Christ has
revealed to us as Father: it is his very Son who, in himself, has
manifested him and made him known to us (cf. Jn 1:18; Heb 1:1f)" (John
Paul II, "Dives In Misericordia", 1).

16. "Knowing" and "believing" are not theoretical knowledge but
intimate, experienced attachment (cf. notes on 2:3-6; 4:1-6; Jn 6:69;
17:8). Therefore when St John says that they knew and believed "the
love God has for us" he is not referring to an abstract truth but to
the historical fact of the incarnation and death of Christ (v. 14), the
supreme manifestation of the Father's love.

"He who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him": St Thomas
Aquinas explains "that in some way the loved one is to be found in the
lover. And so, he who loves God in some way possesses him, as St John
says (1 Jn 4:16) [...]. Also, it is a property of love that the lover
becomes transformed into the loved one; so, if we love vile and
perishable things, we become vile and perishable, like those who
'became detestable like the things they loved" (Hos 9:10). Whereas, if
we love God, we are made divine, for the Apostle says, 'He who is
united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him' (1 Cor 6:17)" ("In Duo
Praecepta", prol., 3).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

From: John 17:11b-19

The Priestly Prayer of Jesus (Continuation)

(Jesus lifted his eyes to heaven and said, ) [11b] "Holy Father, keep them in
thy name, which thou has given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
[12] While I was with them, I kept them in thy name, which thou hast given
me; I have guarded them, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition,
that the scripture might be fulfilled. [13] But now I am coming to thee;
and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled
in themselves. [14] I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them
because they are not of the world. [15] I do not pray that thou shouldst
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil
one. [16] They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. [17]
Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth. [18] As thou didst send me
into the world, so I have sent them into the world. [19] And for their sake
I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.

Commentary:

11-19. Jesus now asks the Father to give his disciples four
things--unity, perseverance, joy and holiness. By praying him to keep
them in his name (v. 11) he is asking for their perseverance in the
teaching he has given them (cf. v. 6) and in communion with him. An
immediate consequence of this perseverance is unity: "that they may be
one, even as we are one"; this unity which he asks for his disciples is
a reflection of the unity of the three divine Persons.

He also prays that none of them should be lost, that the Father should
guard and protect them, just as he himself protected them while he was
still with them. Thirdly, as a result of their union with God and
perseverance they will share in the joy of Christ (v. 13): in this
life, the more we know God and the more closely we are joined to him,
the happier will we be; in eternal life our joy will be complete,
because our knowledge and love of God will have reached its climax.

Finally, he prays for those who, though living in the world, are not of
the world, that they may be truly holy and carry out the mission he has
entrusted to them, just as he did the work his Father gave him to do.

12. "That the scripture might be fulfilled": this is an allusion to
what he said to the Apostles a little earlier (Jn 13:18) by directly
quoting Scripture: "He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me"
(Ps 41:10). Jesus makes these references to Judas' treachery in order
to strengthen the Apostles' faith by showing that he knew everything in
advance and that the Scriptures had already foretold what would happen.

However, Judas went astray through his own fault and not because God
arranged things that way; his treachery had been taking shape little by
little, through his petty infidelities, and despite our Lord helping
him to repent and get back on the right rode (cf. note on Jn 13:21-32);
Judas did not respond to this grace and was responsible for his own
downfall. God, who sees the future, predicted the treachery of Judas
in the Scripture; Christ, being God, knew that Judas would betray him
and it is with immense sorrow that he now tells the Apostles.

14-16. In Sacred Scripture "world" has a number of meanings. First, it
means the whole of creation (Gen 1:1ff) and, within creation, mankind,
which God loves most tenderly (Prov 8:31). This is the meaning
intended here when our Lord says, "I do not pray that thou shouldst
take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the
evil one" (v. 15). "I have taught this constantly using words from
holy Scripture. The world is not evil, because it has come from God's
hands, because it is his creation, because Yahweh looked upon it and
saw that it was good (cf. Gen 1:7ff). We ourselves, mankind, make it
evil and ugly with our sins and infidelities. Have no doubt: any kind
of evasion from the honest realities of daily life is for you, men and
women of the world, something opposed to the will of God" ([St] J. Escriva,
"Conversations", 114).

In the second place, "world" refers to the things of this world, which
do not last and which can be at odds with the things of the spirit (cf.
Mt 16:26).

Finally, because evil men have been enslaved by sin and by the devil,
"the ruler of the world" (Jn 12:31; 16:11), the "world" sometimes
means God's enemy, something opposed to Christ and his followers (Jn
1:10). In this sense the "world" is evil, and therefore Jesus is not
of the world, nor are his disciples (v. 16). It is also this
pejorative meaning which is used by traditional teaching which
describes the world, the flesh and the devil as enemies of the soul
against which one has to be forever vigilant. "The world, the flesh
and the devil are a band of adventurers who take advantage of the
weakness of that savage you bear within you, and want you to hand over
to them, in exchange for the glittering tinsel of a pleasure--which is
worth nothing--the pure gold and the pearls and the diamonds and rubies
drenched in the life-blood of your God-Redeemer, which are the price
and the treasure of your eternity" ([St] J. Escriva, "The Way", 708).

17-19. Jesus prays for the holiness of his disciples. God alone is the
Holy One; in his holiness people and things share. "Sanctifying" has
to do with consecrating and dedicating something to God, excluding it
from being used for profane purposes; thus God says to Jeremiah:
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I
consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations" (Jer 1:5).
If something is to be consecrated to God it must be perfect, that is,
holy. Hence, a consecrated person needs to have moral sanctity, needs
to be practising the moral virtues. Our Lord here asks for both things
for his disciples, because they need them if they are to fulfill their
supernatural mission in the world.

"For their sake I consecrate myself": these words mean that Jesus
Christ, who has been burdened with the sins of men, consecrates himself
to the Father through his sacrifice on the Cross. By this are all
Christians sanctified: "So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in
order to sanctify the people through his own blood" (Heb 13:12). So,
after Christ's death, men have been made sons of God by Baptism,
sharers in the divine nature and enabled to attain the holiness to
which they have been called (cf. Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 40).

Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Mass Readings

First reading	Acts 1:15 - 26 ©
One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says: Let his camp be reduced to ruin, Let there be no one to live in it. And again: Let someone else take his office. ‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’ Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place’. They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.

First reading

Acts 1:15 - 26 ©

One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:
Let his camp be reduced to ruin,
Let there be no one to live in it.

And again:
Let someone else take his office.

‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’
Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place’. They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.

Psalm or canticle: Psalm 102

Second reading	1 John 4:11 - 16 ©
My dear people, since God has loved us so much, we too should love one another. No one has ever seen God; but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us. We can know that we are living in him and he is living in us because he lets us share his Spirit. We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God. We ourselves have known and put our faith in God’s love towards ourselves. God is love and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.

Second reading

1 John 4:11 - 16 ©

My dear people,
since God has loved us so much,
we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God;
but as long as we love one another
God will live in us
and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in him
and he is living in us
because he lets us share his Spirit.
We ourselves saw and we testify
that the Father sent his Son
as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in
God’s love towards ourselves.
God is love
and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him.

Gospel	John 17:11 - 19 ©
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘I am not in the world any longer, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us. While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except the one who chose to be lost, and this was to fulfil the scriptures. But now I am coming to you and while still in the world I say these things to share my joy with them to the full. I passed your word on to them, and the world hated them, because they belong to the world no more than I belong to the world. I am not asking you to remove them from the world, but to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’

Gospel

John 17:11 - 19 ©

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:
‘I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.
Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except the one who chose to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these things
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you to remove them from the world,
but to protect them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’

Sunday, May 28, 2006
The Ascension of the Lord (Solemnity)

First Reading:
Psalm:
Second Reading:
Gospel:

Acts 1:1-11
Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9
Ephesians 1:17-23 or 4:1-13 or 4:1-7, 11-13
Mark 16:15-20

When you feel the assaults of passion and anger, then is the time to be silent as Jesus was silent in the midst of His ignominies and sufferings.

-- St. Paul of the Cross

The Joy of the Resurrection

by Fr. Jack Peterson

Other Articles by Fr. Jack Peterson

The Joy of the Resurrection

05/27/06

The ascension of our Lord into heaven was a marvelous day for Christians. First of all, Christ’s ascent into heaven was not just another pretty day on the calendar; it was an essential act in the saving work of Christ. Jesus had to return to the Father’s side. It is His rightful place to be.


In addition, it was from there that the Father and the Son would together send the Holy Spirit upon the world, the Spirit of life and truth. The descent of the Spirit at Pentecost was essential to the rebirth of humanity and mission of the Church. This mystery is a very important moment in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Today is also a marvelous cause of hope for humanity. Jesus, fully God and fully man, left this earth, ascended into heaven and took His seat at the right hand of the Father. He paved the way for us to follow. He is the first fruits of salvation. Man has indeed been summoned to heaven, invited to share in the life and love of God. Jesus’ ascension assures us that heaven is our real home. We belong with Him in His Father’s house. This is a cause for profound hope. In heaven, we will know the fullness of life, the fulfillment of all our unfulfilled desires and the happiness of gazing upon the face of God for all eternity. Jesus’ return to the Father’s side confirmed the Church’s mission. We read in Acts that just before Jesus was lifted up He proclaimed to the Apostles: “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” In Mark’s Gospel, just before Jesus was taken up into heaven, our Savior said to the disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” The ascension made it plain that from then on, God the Father was going to use human beings, drawn together into the Church and led by the Spirit, to continue the saving work of his only-begotten Son. This should make us rejoice and tremble at the same time. We rejoice because as members of the Church we have been entrusted with a fabulous task, and we tremble because we have a huge responsibility. Furthermore the ascension is a festival of joy. Pope Benedict teaches that the joy of the ascension goes much deeper than feelings. The beauty of this mystery when comprehended by the understanding and the will causes them to rejoice. Hence, the Apostles were able to experience profound joy in their minds and hearts at the time of the ascension even though they were feeling sad at the physical loss of Christ. Pope Benedict uses the example of the joy of the martyrs, like Maximilian Kolbe who led his fellow prisoners in beautiful song as they were starving to death. The example of the martyrs proclaims that Christian joy runs deep in the soul. Benedict XVI goes on to say: “Only when we experience something of it ourselves have we understood the feast of Christ’s ascension. What has happened here is a realization in the human heart of the definitiveness of redemption so that knowledge becomes joy.” Fr. Peterson is Campus Minister at Marymount University in Arlington and interim director of the Youth Apostles Institute. (This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

The Work of God

Year B

- The Ascension of the Lord

Go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mark 16:15-20

15 And he said to them: Go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believes and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believes not shall be condemned.
17 And these signs shall follow those who believe: In my name they shall cast out devils: they shall speak with new tongues.
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay their hands upon the sick, and they shall recover.
19 And the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and was seated at the right hand of God.
20 But they going forth preached everywhere: the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs that followed.

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Ascension of the Lord - Go into the whole world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

My dear disciples, apostles, and you who listen to me, my time on earth was very fruitful and the hour came for me to return to my Father since I had already accomplished his Will.

I have already told you that I am the way, the truth and the life, I have offered you food for the journey because I am the bread of life, I will protect you and save you because I am the Good Shepherd and I have asked you to remain in me because I am the vine and you are the branches.

My presence with you will continue always in my Church until the end of times, it is by being part of my mystical body and by eating and drinking of my Eucharistic Presence that you will draw life from me and be nourished to remain strong in the faith until you also accomplish the plan of my Father.

I invite you to be my witnesses, to live a life by my model of charity, to live my commandments of love and to teach others to do the same. You don’t have to be priests to preach my gospel, since you can preach by your example, however you will be my joy if you are my anointed ministers and proclaim my words not from your minds but from your hearts. I am very sad to hear my gospel being torn apart by those who resist the inspiration of my Holy Spirit.

To believe in my gospel is to believe every sentence that I spoke, to ponder it in your hearts and to open yourselves to that powerful word that speaks to you in order to change your life. When I speak in my gospel I always have a double message, one that is understood by the mind and another that is to be sought for, my Spirit takes care to reveal it. My words are addressed to you in human language so that you understand, but they are spoken from the Spirit and therefore they have the power of God.

In baptism you become part of me, and you enter into my mystical body the Church. Those who reject the Church, reject me, those who reject me, reject life. Those who believe in my words and take them into their hearts will be given my gifts. They will have the power to cast out devils, and to pray for the sick who will recover, but the intellectuals don’t even believe in my word nor in the devil, so they miss out on my spiritual gifts.

Anyone who believes in me can pray in my name and I will grant his petitions, provided they are in accordance with the Will of my Father. A prayer of faith has great power, when it is said by someone who loves my word, I remain faithful to what I say.

My signs will accompany the believers, because they take my word seriously. Miracles are quite possible even today. I am the Lord ever faithful, I will respond with integrity to the call of those who belong to me.

I have ascended to my Father, I have taken possession of my Kingdom, I am preparing a place for your souls in eternity. In due time you will join me in the everlasting joy that the Father has prepared for those who love Him.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

Did any of the rest of you celebrate the Ascension tonight/today?

Yes.

Office of Readings -- Awakening Prayer

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 144 (145)
The greatness and goodness of God
I will praise you to the heights, O God, my king – I will bless your name for ever and for all time. I will bless you, O God, day after day – I will praise your name for ever and all time. The Lord is great, to him all praise is due – he is great beyond measuring. Generation will pass to generation the praise of your deeds, and tell the wonders you have done. They will tell of your overwhelming power, and pass on the tale of your greatness. They will cry out the story of your great kindness, they will celebrate your judgements. The Lord takes pity, his heart is merciful, he is patient and endlessly kind. The Lord is gentle to all – he shows his kindness to all his creation. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 144 (145)

The greatness and goodness of God

I will praise you to the heights, O God, my king –
I will bless your name for ever and for all time.
I will bless you, O God, day after day –
I will praise your name for ever and all time.

The Lord is great, to him all praise is due –
he is great beyond measuring.
Generation will pass to generation the praise of your deeds,
and tell the wonders you have done.
They will tell of your overwhelming power,
and pass on the tale of your greatness.
They will cry out the story of your great kindness,
they will celebrate your judgements.
The Lord takes pity, his heart is merciful,
he is patient and endlessly kind.
The Lord is gentle to all –
he shows his kindness to all his creation.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 144 (145)
Let all your creatures proclaim you, O Lord, let your chosen ones bless you. Let them tell of the glory of your reign, let them speak of your power – so that the children of men may know what you can do, see the glory of your kingdom and its greatness. Your kingdom stands firm for all ages, your rule lasts for ever and ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 144 (145)

Let all your creatures proclaim you, O Lord,
let your chosen ones bless you.
Let them tell of the glory of your reign,
let them speak of your power –
so that the children of men may know what you can do,
see the glory of your kingdom and its greatness.
Your kingdom stands firm for all ages,
your rule lasts for ever and ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 144 (145)
The Lord is faithful in all his words, the Lord is holy in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who are falling, the Lord lifts up all who are oppressed. All look to you for help, and you give them their food in due season. In your goodness you open your hand, and give every creature its fill. The Lord is just in all his ways, the Lord is kind in all that he does. The Lord is near to those who call on him, to all those who call on him in truth. For those that honour him, he does what they ask, he hears all their prayers, and he keeps them safe. The Lord keeps safe all who love him, but he dooms all the wicked to destruction. My mouth shall tell the praises of the Lord. Let all flesh bless his holy name, for ever and ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 144 (145)

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
the Lord is holy in all his deeds.
The Lord supports all who are falling,
the Lord lifts up all who are oppressed.
All look to you for help,
and you give them their food in due season.
In your goodness you open your hand,
and give every creature its fill.

The Lord is just in all his ways,
the Lord is kind in all that he does.
The Lord is near to those who call on him,
to all those who call on him in truth.
For those that honour him,
he does what they ask,
he hears all their prayers,
and he keeps them safe.
The Lord keeps safe all who love him,
but he dooms all the wicked to destruction.

My mouth shall tell the praises of the Lord.
Let all flesh bless his holy name,
for ever and ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Reading	1 John 3:18 - 24 ©
My children, our love is not to be just words or mere talk, but something real and active; only by this can we be certain that we are children of the truth and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence, whatever accusations it may raise against us, because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything. My dear people, if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience, we need not be afraid in God’s presence, and whatever we ask him, we shall receive, because we keep his commandments and live the kind of life that he wants. His commandments are these: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another as he told us to. Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.

Reading

1 John 3:18 - 24 ©

My children,
our love is not to be just words or mere talk,
but something real and active;
only by this can we be certain
that we are children of the truth
and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,
whatever accusations it may raise against us,
because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.
My dear people,
if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,
we need not be afraid in God’s presence,
and whatever we ask him,
we shall receive,
because we keep his commandments
and live the kind of life that he wants.
His commandments are these:
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another
as he told us to.
Whoever keeps his commandments
lives in God and God lives in him.
We know that he lives in us
by the Spirit that he has given us.

Reading	From a homily on the Song of Songs by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop
The glory you gave to me, I have given to them
When love has entirely cast out fear, and fear has been transformed into love, then the unity brought us by our saviour will be fully realised, for all men will be united with one another through their union with the one supreme Good. They will possess the perfection ascribed to the dove, according to our interpretation of the text: One alone is my dove, my perfect one. She is the only child of her mother, her chosen one. Our Lord’s words in the gospel bring out the meaning of this text more clearly. After having conferred all power on his disciples by his blessing, he obtained many other gifts for them by his prayer to the Father. Among these was included the greatest gift of all, which was that they were no longer to be divided in their judgement of what was right and good, for they were all to be united to the one supreme Good. As the Apostle says, they were to be bound together with the bonds of peace in the unity that comes from the Holy Spirit. They were to be made one body and one spirit by the one hope to which they were all called. We shall do better, however, to quote the sacred words of the gospel itself. I pray, the Lord says, that they all may be one; that as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, so they also may be one in us. Now the bond that creates this unity is glory. That the Holy Spirit is called glory no one can deny if he thinks carefully about the Lord’s words: The glory you gave to me, I have given to them. In fact, he gave this glory to his disciples when he said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. Although he had always possessed it, even before the world existed, he himself received this glory when he put on human nature. Then, when his human nature had been glorified by the Spirit, the glory of the Spirit was passed on to all his kin, beginning with his disciples. This is why he said: The glory you gave to me, I have given to them, so that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, I want them to be perfectly one. Whoever has grown from infancy to manhood and attained to spiritual maturity possesses the mastery over his passions and the purity that makes it possible for him to receive the glory of the Spirit. He is that perfect dove upon whom the eyes of the bridegroom rest when he says: One alone is my dove, my perfect one.

Reading

From a homily on the Song of Songs by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop

The glory you gave to me, I have given to them

When love has entirely cast out fear, and fear has been transformed into love, then the unity brought us by our saviour will be fully realised, for all men will be united with one another through their union with the one supreme Good. They will possess the perfection ascribed to the dove, according to our interpretation of the text: One alone is my dove, my perfect one. She is the only child of her mother, her chosen one.
Our Lord’s words in the gospel bring out the meaning of this text more clearly. After having conferred all power on his disciples by his blessing, he obtained many other gifts for them by his prayer to the Father. Among these was included the greatest gift of all, which was that they were no longer to be divided in their judgement of what was right and good, for they were all to be united to the one supreme Good. As the Apostle says, they were to be bound together with the bonds of peace in the unity that comes from the Holy Spirit. They were to be made one body and one spirit by the one hope to which they were all called. We shall do better, however, to quote the sacred words of the gospel itself. I pray, the Lord says, that they all may be one; that as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, so they also may be one in us.
Now the bond that creates this unity is glory. That the Holy Spirit is called glory no one can deny if he thinks carefully about the Lord’s words: The glory you gave to me, I have given to them. In fact, he gave this glory to his disciples when he said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. Although he had always possessed it, even before the world existed, he himself received this glory when he put on human nature. Then, when his human nature had been glorified by the Spirit, the glory of the Spirit was passed on to all his kin, beginning with his disciples. This is why he said: The glory you gave to me, I have given to them, so that they may be one as we are one. With me in them and you in me, I want them to be perfectly one.
Whoever has grown from infancy to manhood and attained to spiritual maturity possesses the mastery over his passions and the purity that makes it possible for him to receive the glory of the Spirit. He is that perfect dove upon whom the eyes of the bridegroom rest when he says: One alone is my dove, my perfect one.

Canticle	Te Deum
God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you! You, the Father, the eternal – all the earth venerates you. All the angels, all the heavens, every power – The cherubim, the seraphim – unceasingly, they cry: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts: heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!” The glorious choir of Apostles – The noble ranks of prophets – The shining army of martyrs – all praise you. Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you. – Father of immeasurable majesty, – True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship, – Holy Spirit, our Advocate. You, Christ: – You are the king of glory. – You are the Father’s eternal Son. – You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb. – You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you. – You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father. – You will come, so we believe, as our Judge. And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood. Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory. Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance. Rule them and lift them high for ever. Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever. Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you. In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Te Deum

God, we praise you; Lord, we proclaim you!
You, the Father, the eternal –
all the earth venerates you.
All the angels, all the heavens, every power –
The cherubim, the seraphim –
unceasingly, they cry:
“Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts:
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of your glory!”

The glorious choir of Apostles –
The noble ranks of prophets –
The shining army of martyrs –
all praise you.
Throughout the world your holy Church proclaims you.
– Father of immeasurable majesty,
– True Son, only-begotten, worthy of worship,
– Holy Spirit, our Advocate.

You, Christ:
– You are the king of glory.
– You are the Father’s eternal Son.
– You, to free mankind, did not disdain a Virgin’s womb.
– You defeated the sharp spear of Death, and opened the kingdom of heaven to those who believe in you.
– You sit at God’s right hand, in the glory of the Father.
– You will come, so we believe, as our Judge.

And so we ask of you: give help to your servants, whom you set free at the price of your precious blood.
Number them among your chosen ones in eternal glory.
Bring your people to safety, Lord, and bless those who are your inheritance.
Rule them and lift them high for ever.

Day by day we bless you, Lord: we praise you for ever and for ever.
Of your goodness, Lord, keep us without sin for today.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us.
Let your pity, Lord, be upon us, as much as we trust in you.
In you, Lord, I trust: let me never be put to shame.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

Catholic Culture

Collect:
God our Father, make us joyful in the ascension of your Son Jesus Christ. May we follow him into the new creation, for his ascension is our glory and our hope. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Recipes:

more

» Dolmas
» Stuffed Pigeons

Activities:

Prayers:

May 28, 2006

Solemnity of the Ascension

At the end of His earthly life Jesus ascends triumphantly into heaven. The Church acclaims Him in His holy humanity, invited to sit on the Father's right hand and to share His glory. But Christ's Ascension is the pledge of our own. Filled with an immense hope, the Church looks up towards her leader, who precedes her into the heavenly home and takes her with Him in His own person: "for the Son of God, after incorporating in Himself those whom the devil's jealousy had banished from the earthly paradise, ascends again to His Father and takes them with Him" (St. Leo).

The ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and the State of Nebraska have retained the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord on the proper Thursday, while all other provinces have transferred this solemnity to today, the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

The Ascension

Besides the hope and the joyful expectancy of heaven so characteristic of the Ascension feast there is a note of melancholy. Before the final departure of Jesus, the Apostles must have been very much disturbed: each felt the distress of one who sees his dearest friend and companion going away forever, and finds himself alone to face all the difficulties of life. The Lord realized their state of mind and consoled them once more, promising the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter: "He commanded them," we read in the Epistle (Acts 1:1-11), "that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but should wait for the promise of the Father... you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence." But even this time the Apostles did not understand! How much they needed to be enlightened and transformed by the Holy Spirit, in order to accomplish the great mission which was to be entrusted to them! Jesus continued "You shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you and you shall be witnesses unto Me ... even to the uttermost part of the earth." For the moment, however, they were there, around the Master, weak, timid, frightened, like little children watching their mother leave for a distant, unknown land. In fact, "while they looked on, He was raised up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." Two angels came to distract them from their great amazement and to make them realize what had happened. Then, placing their trust in the word of Jesus, which would henceforth be their only support, they returned to Jerusalem where, in the Cenacle, they awaited in prayer the fulfillment of the promise. It was the first novena in preparation for Pentecost: "All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with ... Mary, the Mother of Jesus" (ibid. 1:14).

Silence, recollection, prayer, peace with our brethren, and union with Mary: these are the characteristics of the novena we too should make in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Excerpted from Divine Intimacy, Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.

Things to Do:

Today we continue the novena to the Holy Spirit which ends on Pentecost Sunday.

May Devotion: Blessed Virgin Mary

The Holy Spirit: Pentecost

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 92 (93)
The magnificence of the Creator
The Lord reigns! He is robed in splendour, clothed in glory and wrapped round in might. He set the earth on its foundations: it will not be shaken. Your throne is secure from the beginning; from the beginning of time, Lord, you are. The rivers have raised, O Lord, the rivers have raised their voices. The rivers have raised their clamour. Over the voices of many waters, over the powerful swell of the sea, you are the Lord, powerful on high. All your promises are to be trusted: and holy is your habitation, O Lord, to the end of time. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 92 (93)

The magnificence of the Creator

The Lord reigns! He is robed in splendour,
clothed in glory and wrapped round in might.
He set the earth on its foundations:
it will not be shaken.
Your throne is secure from the beginning;
from the beginning of time, Lord, you are.

The rivers have raised, O Lord,
the rivers have raised their voices.
The rivers have raised their clamour.
Over the voices of many waters,
over the powerful swell of the sea,
you are the Lord, powerful on high.

All your promises are to be trusted:
and holy is your habitation,
O Lord, to the end of time.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever. Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord. Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord. Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever. Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever. Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever.

Canticle

Daniel 3

All creatures, bless the Lord

Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; all growing things, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; springs and fountains, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, whales and fish; birds of the air, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame; sons of men, bless the Lord.

Bless the Lord, O Israel, praise and exalt him for ever.

Bless the Lord, his priests; all his servants, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, spirits of the just; all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord.

Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him for ever.

Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praise and exalt them for ever.
Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven, praise and glorify him for ever.

Psalm 148
An anthem to the Lord, the Creator
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the highest heavens. Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his powers. Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all stars that shine. Praise him, waters of the heavens, and all the waters above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were made. He set them firm for all ages, he made a decree that will last for ever. Praise the Lord from the earth, sea-serpents and depths of the sea, fire, hail, snow and fog, storms and gales that obey his word, mountains and hills, fruit-trees and cedars, wild beasts and tame, serpents and birds. Kings of the earth, all peoples, all leaders and judges of the earth, young men and women, old people with the young – praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted. His splendour is above heaven and earth, he has raised up the strength of his people. This song is for all his chosen ones, the children of Israel, the people close to him. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 148

An anthem to the Lord, the Creator

Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the highest heavens.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his powers.

Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all stars that shine.
Praise him, waters of the heavens,
and all the waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were made.
He set them firm for all ages,
he made a decree that will last for ever.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
sea-serpents and depths of the sea,
fire, hail, snow and fog,
storms and gales that obey his word,
mountains and hills,
fruit-trees and cedars,
wild beasts and tame,
serpents and birds.

Kings of the earth, all peoples,
all leaders and judges of the earth,
young men and women,
old people with the young –
praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.

His splendour is above heaven and earth,
he has raised up the strength of his people.
This song is for all his chosen ones,
the children of Israel, the people close to him.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

A concluding prayer may follow here.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

Regnum Christi

Consecrated in Truth: Authentic Love
May 28, 2006

Yet Christ invites us to share his joy completely.

Seventh Sunday of Easter
Father Walter Schu, LC

John 17:11b-19
Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed, saying: "Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. When I was with them I protected them in your name that you gave me, and I guarded them, and none of them was lost except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. I gave them your word, and the world hated them, because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth."

Introductory Prayer: Lord, at your Ascension you entrusted your mission of saving souls into my poor, weak hands. Help me to confide in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit so that I may be an authentic witness of true, Christian love in the world.

Petition: Mary, help me to be an ardent witness to the truth of Christian love, just like Christ’s first apostles after his Ascension. Help me to open my heart and will to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.

1. “So I Sent Them into the World.” Jesus has ascended into heaven. In today’s Gospel, from the scene of the Last Supper, he transmits his mission to his apostles — and each one of us. Just how transcendent is this undertaking Christ places entirely in our hands? It is nothing less than the eternal salvation of souls. There are real, concrete persons whose eternal destiny is linked to our faithfulness to Christ, to our Christian witness. Does not such a responsibility make us tremble in our weakness and sinfulness? How can we hope to live up to such a mission? Yet Christ invites us to share his joy completely. He does not abandon us in his ascension, but promises to consecrate us in the Spirit of Truth — the Holy Spirit, the great advocate in our apostolic mission. May we respond in prayer to the Church’s liturgy this week as she prepares us to receive the Holy Spirit on the great feast of Pentecost.

2. “Consecrate Them in the Truth.” Just who is the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Blessed Trinity, the one who desires to become the gentle guest and consoler of our soul? The Holy Spirit is the personal love of the Father and Son for each other. As the liturgy’s second reading reminds us, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). These are also the opening words of Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est. They reveal the heart of what it means to be consecrated in the truth: to be consecrated in love. Only the Holy Spirit can enable us to undergo the journey of purifying and disciplining ”eros” (human love or the love of attraction – “ascending love”), so that it can be healed and restored to its true grandeur (cf. Deus Caritas Est, nos. 4-5). If we follow this ascetic path of renunciation, then eros will in the end merge with “agape” (Christian love, or gratuitous, oblative love which seeks only the good of the other – “descending love”) (cf. No. 7). The love of agape, forged within us by the Holy Spirit, will impel us to seek the good of souls without counting the cost.

3. “And I Consecrate Myself for Them.” How does Christ consecrate himself? He does so precisely in his passion and cross. That is why Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s saying is ever valid: “Love, to be true love, has to hurt.” Pope Benedict confronts directly the question of the renunciation demanded by true love. He asks if the Church doesn’t spoil love. “Doesn’t the Church, with all her commandments and prohibitions, turn to bitterness the most precious thing in life?” (Deus Caritas Est, no. 3). The answer, of course, is a resounding “No!” Only the asceticism of Christian chastity purifies and disciplines love so that it rises above the sensual sphere to become a truly personal act of self-giving. It is no coincidence that only natural family planning requires continence, whereas contraception does not. Are we willing to be hated by the world in standing up for this most fundamental of the Church’s teachings to preserve authentic love?

Dialogue with Christ: Holy Spirit, you are the source of love in my life because you are love itself. Help me to win all the graces for souls that Christ is asking of me by consecrating myself in truth — the truth of the cross, renunciation and purification — to live true love in self-giving, without counting the cost.

Resolution: I will both practice and defend the Church’s teaching on chastity, especially natural family planning, in order to live authentic Christian love.

Homily of the Day

Homily of the Day

Title:	God's Creative Love
Author:	Fr. Frank E. Jindra
Date:	Sunday, May 28, 2006

Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26 / 1 Jn 4:11-16 / Jn 17:11b-19

This weekend’s Gospel is an extension from last weekend’s exhortation from Jesus to remain in my love. He said in last weekend’s Gospel: As the Father loves me, so I also have loved you. This weekend Jesus turns to the Father asking that all this be accomplished. All what be accomplished?

Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Him. The Love between them is the Holy Spirit, and from Them and the Eternal Love comes all creation.

This weekend, Jesus prays that they may be one just as we are one. What is that one-ness of God, and how do we participate in it? It is all about love.

Jesus told us the greatest commandment is to love God with all we are, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. He is calling us into a relationship that is an icon of the Trinity! When we, out of love for God, love our neighbor we become one with our neighbor.

Our love for God mirrors the love between the Father and the Son. From that love “spirates” (breathes) the love of our neighbor (you do get from “spirate” to Spirit, right?).

Thus, as the Father and the Son Love and from them proceeds the Holy Spirit (as our creed states), so to we — in response to Jesus’ prayer that we be one — unite ourselves in Love with God and from us (God and us) proceeds the love of our neighbor.

As God’s Love created the universe (His Kingdom), so our love with God is called to create His Kingdom on earth. We can join in God’s creative Love in more ways than just husbands and wives with their children. Every time we love our neighbor — wherever he or she is found — we help create the one-ness Jesus prayed for in today’s Gospel.

Let’s go create His Kingdom — in His Love.

Inspiring Ascension Sunday Sermons

Jn 17:11-19
#	Douay-Rheims	Vulgate
11	And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou hast given me: that they may be one, as we also are.	et iam non sum in mundo et hii in mundo sunt et ego ad te venio Pater sancte serva eos in nomine tuo quos dedisti mihi ut sint unum sicut et nos
12	While I was with them, I kept them in thy name. Those whom thou gavest me have I kept: and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition: that the scripture may be fulfilled.	cum essem cum eis ego servabam eos in nomine tuo quos dedisti mihi custodivi et nemo ex his perivit nisi filius perditionis ut scriptura impleatur
13	And now I come to thee: and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy filled in themselves.	nunc autem ad te venio et haec loquor in mundo ut habeant gaudium meum impletum in semet ipsis
14	I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them: because they are not of the world, as I also am not of the world.	ego dedi eis sermonem tuum et mundus odio eos habuit quia non sunt de mundo sicut et ego non sum de mundo
15	I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from evil.	non rogo ut tollas eos de mundo sed ut serves eos ex malo
16	They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world.	de mundo non sunt sicut et ego non sum de mundo
17	Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth.	sanctifica eos in veritate sermo tuus veritas est
18	As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.	sicut me misisti in mundum et ego misi eos in mundum
19	And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.	et pro eis ego sanctifico me ipsum ut sint et ipsi sanctificati in veritate

Madonna Enthroned with the Infant Christ and Saints

Antoniazzo Romano

1487
Oil on panel, 166 x 165 cm
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome

The saints are St. Peter and St. Francis.

Our love for God mirrors the love between the Father and the Son. From that love “spirates” (breathes) the love of our neighbor (you do get from “spirate” to Spirit, right?).
Thus, as the Father and the Son Love and from them proceeds the Holy Spirit (as our creed states), so to we — in response to Jesus’ prayer that we be one — unite ourselves in Love with God and from us (God and us) proceeds the love of our neighbor.

Let us recall that the love of our neighbor is expressed by Christ in ecclesial terms in Luke 10:29-37. The Samaritan, a figure of Christ, leaves the wounded man, his spiritual neighbor, to the care of the innkeeper, to whom the oil, the wine, and the two coins are given to sustain the wounded till Christ returns from His journey to Jerusalem. The parallel between the innkeeper and the Church Militant is impossible to miss.

An Awesome and Inspiring Sermon on the Solemnity of Ascension Sunday.

http://www.catholicdoors.com/homilies/2006/060528.htm

My brothers and sisters in Jesus, children of the Lord who is abounding in steadfast love, welcome to today's celebration of the Holy Mass. I pray that the love and grace of Jesus dwells within all of you on this beautiful spiritual day.

Today, we are celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. This Feast commemorates the elevation of Christ into Heaven by His own power in the presence of His disciples on the fortieth day after His glorious Resurrection.

The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven completed His earthly work of our redemption. Through His numerous apparitions to hundreds of people between the Day of His glorious Resurrection and the Day of His Ascension, Jesus proved two things. First of all, He proved that He was the promised Messiah. Secondly, He proved that through He Who overcame death, those who persevere in their living faith shall also overcome death and inherit the Kingdom of God.

Based on the writings of St. Augustine, the Catholic Church believes that the observance of the Feast of the Ascension of Jesus is of Apostolic origin. During the 5 th century, St. Augustine wrote that this Feast was of universal observance within the Church far long before his time.

During today's First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles that spiritually enriched us with the Word of God, we heard the words that were written in the beginning of the second book of St. Luke to Theophilus. In his first book, the Gospel According to Luke, St. Luke wrote an orderly account about what Jesus had done and taught from the beginning of His ministry until the day when He was taken up to Heaven after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen. Now, St. Luke was writing about what took place following those days.

For forty days, Jesus had appeared to His disciples, presenting Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs. While speaking about the Kingdom of God, Jesus explained the Scriptures to His disciples. He ate and drank with them. He walked on the Road to Emmaus with some. He allowed some to touch Him to prove that He had a physical body.

Having done these things, Jesus commanded the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until such time as they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of the promise of the Father. While John the Baptist baptized with water for the repentance of sins, Jesus would baptize His disciples with the Holy Spirit.

Through His actions, Jesus was opening the eyes of His disciples as to what was to come. In seeking to understand what was to come, some asked Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom of Israel?" Jesus answered, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority." Failing to perceive the unmeasurable greatness of the mystery of God that was unravelling itself before their eyes, some of the disciples still longed for a worldly kingdom, a time when the enemies of the Jewish people would be destroyed. Had the disciples forgotten the past teachings of Jesus when He had told them not to believe in those who would say that the kingdom of God is here or there because it is within?

Jesus said to His disciples, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the eyes of the disciples would be opened. They would embrace a spiritual heart that would open their minds to the fact that the spiritual Kingdom of God has come on earth as it is in Heaven. They would perceive that the spiritual Kingdom of God embraces all the saints of the past, present and future who are baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. For it is living faith in Christ and the Sacrament of Baptism that one is born again and qualifies to receive salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

When Jesus had finished telling His disciples what they needed to know, He was lifted up and a cloud took Him out of their sight. When we say that Jesus was lifted up into Heaven, it is not meant that to the height of the clouds is Heaven. It simply means that Jesus disappeared from their view. He was raised up and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

After Jesus was lifted up and the cloud took Him out of the sight of the disciples, they kept gazing towards heaven. Suddenly, two men in white robes stood by them and asked them why they were looking up towards heaven. They told the disciples that Jesus shall return in the same way that He was taken up into Heaven.

Contrary to the false teachings that we hear around us, Jesus shall not return to this world through a second physical birth. Nor shall He return to come and get 144,000 chosen ones to raise them to Heaven. When He returns, it will be at the end of this age when this physical world shall come to its end. It shall be at the resurrection of the bodies, at the moment before the final judgment of all.

While awaiting that moment, St. Paul tells us through today's Second Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians that we should lead a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

We are reminded that there is One Body of Christ and one Spirit of God. The Body of Christ is the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that Jesus has instituted on earth. To this Body and Spirit, we have been called to the one hope of our calling, to one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

Contrary to the false circulating teachings of many, there is no salvation outside the one Body of Christ. Not all or many Churches lead to Christ and to salvation. Not all Churches in this world have the same Lord, the same faith, the same baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. Each Church has its own doctrines. Only one Church has the true doctrine, the truth that Jesus taught to His followers. Jesus instituted only one Church on earth. All other Churches have been instituted by men. And the true Church is the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church that has its seat in Rome under our spiritual father and Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict, The XVI. Just as the human body without a spirit is dead, [Jas. 2:26] the bodies of the false Churches without the Spirit of Christ are dead!

Before the coming of Christ on earth, man was a slave to sin. He was a captive within the kingdom of Satan who was the prince of this world. Since the glorious Resurrection of Jesus, God reclaimed His Kingdom, making captivity itself a captive. Through Christ, the captives of Satan become the captives of Jesus. To Jesus, we are indebted for our freedom from the slavery of sin.

Over and above Jesus making captives out of His people, He gave them gifts. To each was given grace according to what Jesus determined was needed for the spiritual growth of His Body. Some were called to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and some teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until all have come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

"In Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, there are similar lists of gifts. However, there are some striking differences. In Ephesians, it is a question of the universal Church and not particular communities. The gifts are concentrated in certain "offices" within the Church. No mention is made of individual charismatic gifts of tongues, healing, etc... as in 1 Corinthians." (The Jerome Biblical Commentary, p. 347)

During today's Second Reading, we heard St. Paul asking what it meant that Jesus had ascended. Did it mean that He had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? No! In this passage, it meant that He who descended from Heaven, who had been sent by the Father, is the same One who ascended far above all the heavens. Jesus has returned to Heaven from where He came from.

Today's spiritual message is found in the Gospel Reading that we heard earlier. When Jesus appeared to the eleven, He said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved: but the one who does not believe will be condemned." In other words, those who do not believe and refuse the Sacrament of Baptism will be condemned. It is absolutely necessary that one be baptised of water and Spirit in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

To those who believe, Jesus promised to bless them with spiritual signs. In His Name, they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Again, I must emphasize that these gifts are not the same as the gifts that are found in Romans and 1 Corinthians. Some of these gifts were given to the disciples of Christ in the early days of the founding of the Catholic Church for the benefit of the universal Church. As such, I do not recommend that anyone should go out and play with snakes and poison to test the Word of God. In all likelihood, unless prevented by the grace of God as part of His mysterious Divine Plan, they will be bitten and they will be poisoned.

Having said this, after being taken up into Heaven, the disciples went out and proclaimed the Good News everywhere. Today, we see the fruit of their work because Jesus worked with them and confirmed the messages by the signs that accompanied the Gospel.

For two thousand years, the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church has valiantly persisted by the grace of God the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit in the Most Holy Name of Jesus. For two thousand years, the Catholic Church has proclaimed the Good News to the whole creation, generation after generation. For two thousands years, the Ascension of the Lord has been commemorated in thoughts, in words and in actions.

My brothers and sisters, as you reflect upon the Ascension of the Lord Jesus during the coming week, remember that while Jesus has ascended into Heaven, He is here with us today. He is present in our hearts. He is present in His apostolic Church. He is physically present in the Holy Eucharist and in the Sacred Tabernacle. As mysterious as it appears, while He has ascended, our faith affirms to us that He is still here with us.

May Jesus always be with each and everyone of you as you are moved by His Spirit to proclaim the Good News to those around you.

Ascension reveals the 'ultimate vocation' of all human beings, says Pope during prayer today

Extinguish the Paschal Candle on the Feast of Ascension . . . or Else!

HOMILIES PREACHED BY FATHER ALTIER ON THE SOLEMNITY OF THE ASCENSION

Ascension Thursday