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While the book of Acts is basically a history of the early church, there is a lot of theology that can be gleaned if the reader just takes the time to really dig into the meat that is marinating in the milk. As I delve into some of that meat, we find Jesus with the disciples at Bethany, where He is ready to ascend into Heaven. Just before He leaves He gives instructions for the men to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the gift He promised from the Father,“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not...

A cyberattack on a major American hospital system has caused dangerous medication mix ups including patients administered narcotics by mistake, leading to an admission to intensive care for life-threatening breathing difficulties. In another case, a female patient suffered a cardiac arrest and died after data mishaps delayed test results that would determine her life-saving treatment. Elsewhere, a nurse working for the Kansas branch of the major medical group recalled a 'near miss,' which involved him almost administering a potentially life-threatening dose of narcotic to a baby — because of false paperwork. Employees at Ascension, a Catholic healthcare system with more...

“Thus It Is Written, Thus You Shall Preach” (Luke 24:44-53) During the forty days from Christ’s resurrection to his ascension, our Lord met with his disciples on a number of occasions. Jesus was preparing these disciples to be his apostles, his sent-out ones, who would preach and teach and begin to carry out the church’s worldwide mission. So he needed to instruct them, to make it clear to them what their mission would be. And that’s what we find going on in the reading today from Luke 24. Jesus makes clear what the content of their preaching and teaching will...

“Lifting Up His Hands He Blessed Them” (Luke 24:44-53) Reading again from the Holy Gospel for the Ascension of Our Lord, from Luke 24: “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” Today we consider those hands of Jesus, the hands with which he blessed his disciples, as he ascended into heaven. For what Jesus did back then, he does for us, too. And so our theme on this Ascension Day: “Lifting Up His Hands He Blessed...

OKLAHOMA CITY – In a move to protect Oklahoma’s frontline healthcare heroes from religious discrimination, the State of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit on Friday to block Ascension Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest healthcare networks, from carrying out its plan to fire employees who have been denied religious exemptions from Ascension’s nationwide COVID-19 vaccination mandate. In court filings, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights Enforcement says it began an investigation into Ascension Healthcare after receiving several civil rights complaints. In reviewing the complaints, the attorney general says it determined the hospital system was summarily denying religious exemption requests...

Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor has filed a lawsuit against Ascension Healthcare, in an attempt to block the company from firing employees who do not get a COVID-19 vaccination.

As noted in yesterday’s post, in late July, Ascension Healthcare, one of the largest private healthcare systems in the United States, has mandated a COVID-19 vaccination for its employees, physicians, volunteers, and vendors. Many of Ascension’s employees and associates, as well as other concerned citizens, are opposed to Ascension’s COVID vaccine mandate. One of those employees is “Jane Addams,” who is the head of Ascension Healthcare Workers Fighting for Medical Freedom. Out of concern of possible retribution from Ascension Healthcare / Sacred Heart Hospital, she is choosing to use a pseudonym. Her concerns appear to be justified, as I know...

The People are fighting back against vaccine mandates! In late July, Ascension Healthcare, one of the largest private healthcare systems in the United States mandated coronavirus vaccination for its employees, physicians, volunteers, and vendors. It cited a need for more action to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and promised exemptions to the mandate for people with health issues or religious objections. According to the Alabama-based NBC15 News, an email sent to Ascension employees said fewer than 50% of its employees in Florida and the Gulf Coast were vaccinated. Ascension is looking to increase that percentage considerably. Yet many of Ascension’s employees...

“When Our Lord Ascends, He Also Sends” (Luke 24:44-53) Today we’re celebrating the Ascension of Our Lord. Forty days after his resurrection, our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, and so it is on this day--forty days after Easter, always on a Thursday--when we have this festival. And what I want to focus on today for our Ascension theme is this: “When Our Lord Ascends, He Also Sends.” When our Lord ascends, he also sends. What do I mean by that? I mean that when our Lord Jesus Christ ascends into heaven, at the same time he also sends out...

Posted on May 23, 2020 by Msgr. Charles Pope Love Lifted Me: A Homily for the Ascension of the Lord In more dioceses than not, the Feast of the Ascension is celebrated this Sunday. The liturgist in me regrets the move from Thursday, but here we are any way. LetÂ’s ascend with the Lord, three days late!This marvelous feast is not merely about something that took place two thousand years ago, for though Christ our head has ascended, we the members of His body are ascending with Him. Because He was ascended, we, too, have ascended. In my own...

Live streamed Mass from St Mary's in Ft Walton Beach. God bless!

May 24 2020 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...

“Ascended and Still Present” (Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:15-23) Where is Jesus, and what is he doing? That’s a good question to ask on this Ascension Day. Where did Jesus go when he ascended, and what is he doing now? Alright, you say, I know the answer to that; we just confessed it in the Creed: “He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” OK, fine, but what’s the big deal about that? Is that enough to have a whole special festival service, to come out and have church on a Thursday? Well, I...

Feast of St. Mark MARK 16:15-20 Friends, today’s Gospel gives us Mark’s very laconic account of the Ascension: "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." We should think of it as Jesus’ going to his heavenly place in order to reign over the earth. Now, don’t literalize this language—there aren’t chairs in heaven—but take it very seriously indeed. What Mark is suggesting is that Jesus is now reigning; he’s in the attitude of a king on his throne. This means that he...

POSTED ON JUNE 1, 2019 BY MSGR. CHARLES POPE What Does the Ascension Accomplish for Us? A Homily for the Feast of the Ascension This marvelous feast is not merely about something that took place two thousand years ago, for although Christ our Head has ascended, we the members of His body are ascending with Him. Because He ascended, we too have ascended. In my own life as a Christian, I am brought higher every year by the Lord, who is drawing me up with Him. This is not some mere slogan; it is something I am actually experiencing. An...

June 2 2019 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...

“Ascension Joy” (Luke 24:44-53)How did you feel about going to church this evening? Were you happy and excited? If you were happy, were you more excited about the service or the ice cream social afterward? C’mon, admit it! No, seriously, did coming to an Ascension service tonight spark joy for you? Or were you instead a little grumpy about having to go to church on a Thursday night? Did you focus on the joy of being able to be in the presence of God, to hear his Word and receive the blessed Sacrament? Or did you complain about one more...

May 30 2019   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...

O rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cœlos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis, alleluia. O King of glory, Lord of hosts, who didst this day ascend in triumph above all the heavens! leave us not orphans, but send upon us the Spirit of truth, promised by the Father, alleluia. THE OCTAVE IS OVER; the mystery of the glorious Ascension is completed; and our Jesus is never again to be seen upon this earth until he come to judge the living and the dead. We are to see him...

White Greater Double O rex gloriæ, Domine virtutum, qui triumphator hodie super omnes cœlos ascendisti, ne derelinquas nos orphanos; sed mitte promissum Patris in nos Spiritum veritatis, alleluia. O King of glory, Lord of hosts, who didst this day ascend in triumph above all the heavens! leave us not orphans, but send upon us the Spirit of truth, promised by the Father, alleluia. WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN how the Ascension of our Emmanuel won him the empire over our understanding:—it was the triumph of Faith. The same mystery gave him a second victory—the victory of Love, which makes him...