Posted on 06/05/2011 6:29:35 AM PDT by Salvation
June 5, 2011
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Reading 1
Responsorial Psalm
Reading 2
Gospel
Reading 1
Acts 1:12-14
After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles
returned to Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
a sabbath day’s journey away.
When they entered the city
they went to the upper room where they were staying,
Peter and John and James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew,
James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of James.
All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer,
together with some women,
and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Beloved:
Rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ,
so that when his glory is revealed
you may also rejoice exultantly.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you,
for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
But let no one among you be made to suffer
as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as an intriguer.
But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed
but glorify God because of the name.
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said,
“Father, the hour has come.
Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you,
just as you gave him authority over all people,
so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him.
Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God,
and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.
Now glorify me, Father, with you,
with the glory that I had with you before the world began.
“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.
They belonged to you, and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now they know that everything you gave me is from you,
because the words you gave to me I have given to them,
and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you,
and they have believed that you sent me.
I pray for them.
I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.
And now I will no longer be in the world,
but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”
Would like to be in on the Alluliah ping. Thanks.
Seeing Things As They Really Are
Pastor’s Column
The Ascension of the Lord
June 5, 2011
“It is not for you to know the times or the seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” From Acts 1:1-11
If only we could allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into seeing things in our lives as they really are! How vital it is for us to get beyond the illusions we prefer or a life lived only on the surface of reality. There are so many mysteries our Lord wishes to share with us if we are open to seeing them – in our personal lives, in the world around us, and in the world to come (where we are rapidly headed!). What we need is God’s perspective.
Even as Christ ascends into heaven, the disciples continue to ask the wrong questions. They still don’t get it! Incredibly, they still are expecting Jesus to be an earthly ruler in Israel. We, too, are curious about many things that really are not necessary for us to know right now, such as: when is the end of the world? How will I die? How many are in heaven or hell? What does the future hold for my family or my country? For Jesus these kinds of questions are always the wrong ones! Notice he does not satisfy the disciples’ curiosity: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons that the Father has established.”
Next, we find the disciples standing around, looking up into heaven, watching Jesus disappear into the sky. But not for long! Two angels appear and basically tell them to quit gazing and get going! They have been entrusted with a mission – to be Christ in this world and share the good news! The lesson for us is clear. Christ does not always answer our questions about why we suffer or what the future holds. He will answer all of this in the future. Instead, he has given you a vital mission, one that only you can perform.
What is this great mission Christ has entrusted to you? Our mission will always be found in the commitments we have made: in our work, our school, our family, our children, our parents, our church; in the strangers and the poor we meet, in the demands of the gospel; how I shop, what I buy, what I say about others; my honesty and integrity; my concern about the person God has placed in my path today; my acceptance of my daily cross. These are the questions the Holy Spirit will answer for us whenever we ask, throughout the day, because being Christ in your small corner of the world is the mission that He has entrusted to you. No one else can do this. Our role is vital, and this is why it is important to ask the Holy Spirit daily to allow us to see things as they really are – in my life, in the world, and in the world to come – from God’s perspective, and not just my own. Then my mission and how I must live my life will become clear.
Father Gary
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