1: The disciples who completed Puccini’s opera Turandot.
The Italian composer Giacomo Puccini wrote La Boheme, Madama Butterfly and Tosca. It was during his battle with terminal cancer in 1922 that he began to write Turandot, which many now consider his best work. He worked on the score day and night, despite his friends' advice to rest, and to save his energy. When his sickness worsened, Puccini said to his disciples, "'If I don't finish Turandot, I want you to finish it." He died in 1924, leaving the work unfinished. His disciples gathered all that was written of Turandot, studied it in great detail, and then proceeded to write the remainder of the opera. The world premier was performed in La Scala Opera House in Milan in 1926, and Toscanini, Puccini’s favorite student, conducted it. The opera went beautifully, until Toscanini came to the end of the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music, put down the baton, turned to the audience, and announced, "Thus far the master wrote, but he died." There was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini picked up the baton, turned to the audience and, with tears in his eyes, announced, "But his disciples finished his work." The opera closed to thunderous applause, and to a permanent place in the annals of great works. Jesus instructs us in his Ascension message to finish his work of saving mankind by proclaiming His good news by words and deeds.2: "I have no other plan -- it must work."
4. "Go and see for yourselves."
Jesus has given us a map to help us find our way home to God. With varying degrees of interest, we've all studied Jesus' map and most of us can sketch it with reasonable accuracy. But having the map and being able to talk about it doesn't get us home to our Father. We have to follow the map: Walk the walk, not just talk the talk. "Be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." (Monsignor Dennis Clark)
Introduction to the Celebration
General Comments
Often referred to as the ‘Great Commission,’ this imposing image which concludes Matthew is functionally akin to the ascension stories in Lk 24:45-53 and Acts 1:1-11. The work of Jesus in making the Father known must be carried on by the church which is uniquely constituted with his authority (a point made more explicitly here than in Luke-Acts). The mission is presented as focused on baptism and an early liturgical formula is incorporated into the text. It is significant for our understanding of Christian origins that while for centuries, after the New Testament canon became fixed, people looked back to this text as the basis of the baptismal formula and trinitarian structure of the creeds, in fact Matthew is derived from the actual liturgical life of the author’s community.
4. We are not just people who rejoice that God loves us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Christ as the glory of the Father; we have to build a world of justice, truth, and peace. If we believe that Christ has ascended, then challenging corruption, untruth, intolerance, and all that enslaves should be characteristic symptoms of the presence of Christians in a society. The ascension is not a cosy feast: it should make us feel uncomfortable. Have we just been standing idle looking into heaven?
Gospel Reflection
Jesus’ departure from the earth and his return to heaven did not mean that his apostles and disciples would remain alone in their mission. Although he would no longer be physically present, he told them: ‘And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time’ (Mt 28:20). So there was no need for them to worry or to be lacking in confidence because he would be spiritually present, especially in the sacramental life of the Church.
This old African story of the generous chair maker mirrors the meaning of today’s celebration of the Lord’s Ascension. Today, Jesus the master “chair maker,” who has taught his disciples the “secrets” of “making” God’s kingdom of reconciliation and peace, now turns the work over to us. On this day, Jesus calls us to continue his work — work that has been vindicated and perfected in the Father’s raising him from the dead. We who have seen and heard the story of Jesus are now called to bring that hope into the lives of others and into the life we share as families, as the Church, as the human community. In every kindness we offer, in every word of encouragement and comfort we utter, in every moment we spend listening and supporting, we proclaim the Gospel of the Risen Jesus; every good work — however small or hidden — is a sign of Christ in our midst.
From Fr. Jude Botelho:
“Because, Sir, when my men go to town, they don’t drink no water.”[Robert L. Jamison, “Humor in Uniform,” Laughter, the Best Medicine, (New York: Berkley Books, 1981), p. 29.] Fortunately, those men who first heard the ascending Lord’s orders did not look for ways to get around them but did what they told. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
A beautiful old story tells of how Jesus, after his Ascension into Heaven, was surrounded by the Holy Angels who began to enquire about his work on earth. Jesus told them about His birth, life, preaching, death and resurrection, and how he had accomplished the salvation of the world. The angel Gabriel asked, “Well, now that you are back in Heaven, who will continue your work on earth?" Jesus said, "While I was on earth, I gathered a group of people around me who believed in me and loved me. They will continue to spread the Gospel and carry on the work of the Church.” Gabriel was perplexed. "You mean Peter, who denied you thrice and all the rest who ran away when you were crucified? You mean to tell us that you left them to carry on your work? And what will you do if this plan doesn't work?" Jesus said, "I have no other plan -- it must work." Truly, Jesus has no other plan than to depend on the efforts of his followers!
3: Solar Power:
One of the national coordinators of Sun Day held early in May every year is Denis Hayes. He worked as researcher at a Washington D.C. ‘think-tank’ and has written a book on solar energy entitled Rays of Hope: The Transition to a Post-Petroleum World. Hayes claims that we are at the crossroads of making a critical choice for mankind – the choice between going solar or going nuclear for a power source. Hayes opts for the sun because it is “the world’s only inexhaustible, predictable, egalitarian, non-polluting, safe, terrorist-resistant and free energy source.” We’ve already learned to use the power of the sun to grow food, make wine and operate greenhouses. All we need to do is develop better technology to harness solar energy to heat houses, drive our cars and run our industry. People like Hayes are looking at the sky with its sun as the main source of our future energy supply. Today we turn our attention to the sky for another reason – to commemorate our Lord’s Ascension into heaven. In the first reading, from Acts, Jesus makes a promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you.” That Spirit is the power source that can give all the energy we need to live our lives to the full (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds).
4. "Go and see for yourselves."
A remote tribe sent one of their men to explore the mysterious world beyond their tiny village. Upon his return, the native could barely put into words the wonders he had seen: the exotic flowers, the mystical sounds of the forest at night, the strange wild beasts, and the thrill of paddling his canoe over the treacherous rapids of the Great River Great River Great River Great River
Jesus has given us a map to help us find our way home to God. With varying degrees of interest, we've all studied Jesus' map and most of us can sketch it with reasonable accuracy. But having the map and being able to talk about it doesn't get us home to our Father. We have to follow the map: Walk the walk, not just talk the talk. "Be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." (Monsignor Dennis Clark)
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Thomas O’LoughlinIntroduction to the Celebration
The image we have of the Ascension is that of departing, going away, disappearing; but our belief as Christians is that it represents the silent presence of Christ everywhere in the universe. He is no longer limited by earthly conditions — to be in one place at one time in his presence to his followers — but now dwells in the heavens with the Father: present in every gathering of his people — so he is present among us now, present whenever his people are in need, present in hearts calling us to be disciples and to be his hands, and feet, and voice in our lives. To celebrate this feast today is not to recall a past event — that day long ago ‘when he went up to heaven’ — but to rejoice that Jesus is our living Lord, with us now, leading and guiding us, because he is not tied down to a moment in earthly history.
Michel de Verteuil
General comments
General comments
When we think of the Ascension of Jesus, the account given us in chapter 1 of the Acts of the Apostles naturally comes to our minds. In fact, some may find that this passage from St Matthew’s gospel is not an ascension story at all. This moment in the life of Jesus was significant from several points of view, however, and each account stresses some aspects over others.
We can identify three main aspects:
- At the end of his earthly life, and especially of his passion, Jesus makes his triumphant entry into heaven, to sit forever at the right hand of the Father.
- The time for forming his little community has come to an end, and Jesus sends his disciples out into the world.
- From now on Jesus and his followers must relate with each other differently.
All these aspects are present in the text. But do not look for them; just enter deeply into the story and you will discover for yourself how it presents the mystery of the Ascension.
In verses 16 the disciples (depleted since they were supposed to be twelve) make their way back to Galilee, the place where the whole adventure began.
Let verse 17 speak to you deeply; the scene is very touching. Ask yourself why some hesitated.
The commission of Jesus in verses 18 and 19 is in three waves:
– a statement of his own authority;
– a three-fold command,
– and a promise.
Each section is worth meditating on by itself.
- At the end of his earthly life, and especially of his passion, Jesus makes his triumphant entry into heaven, to sit forever at the right hand of the Father.
- The time for forming his little community has come to an end, and Jesus sends his disciples out into the world.
- From now on Jesus and his followers must relate with each other differently.
All these aspects are present in the text. But do not look for them; just enter deeply into the story and you will discover for yourself how it presents the mystery of the Ascension.
In verses 16 the disciples (depleted since they were supposed to be twelve) make their way back to Galilee, the place where the whole adventure began.
Let verse 17 speak to you deeply; the scene is very touching. Ask yourself why some hesitated.
The commission of Jesus in verses 18 and 19 is in three waves:
– a statement of his own authority;
– a three-fold command,
– and a promise.
Each section is worth meditating on by itself.
Prayer Reflection
“Mr Minister, I must remind you that you are not God, you are just a man. One day your name shall be merely a faint scribble on the pages of history, while the name of Jesus Christ shall live forever.” Archbishop Tutu to a government minister who had threatened the Church
Lord, when we have committed ourselves to a noble cause
we experience something of what the eleven felt
when they were reunited with Jesus on the mountain in Galilee.
We may have been defeated,
let one another down as they had let down Jesus,
our group depleted, as theirs without Judas.
But we are here together on this mountain
and we know that no power in heaven or on earth
will conquer what we stand for.
We can go into the world
teaching all nations to respect the values we believe in;
whatever happens to us, now or in the future,our cause will live for ever.
Lord, when we have committed ourselves to a noble cause
we experience something of what the eleven felt
when they were reunited with Jesus on the mountain in Galilee.
We may have been defeated,
let one another down as they had let down Jesus,
our group depleted, as theirs without Judas.
But we are here together on this mountain
and we know that no power in heaven or on earth
will conquer what we stand for.
We can go into the world
teaching all nations to respect the values we believe in;
whatever happens to us, now or in the future,our cause will live for ever.
Lord, we pray for those who at one time were touched by your grace:
– they turned away from drugs, alcohol, or a wrong relationship;
– forgave a deep hurt;
– began to pray again.
Now they have strayed again , and they feel helpless,
without the energy to make a new start.
Teach them to do as the apostles did when, reduced to eleven,
they set out for Galilee.
Tell them that there is a mountain somewhere
where you have arranged to meet them again,
because once you have entered our lives you will be with us always,
yes, even to the end of our lives.
– they turned away from drugs, alcohol, or a wrong relationship;
– forgave a deep hurt;
– began to pray again.
Now they have strayed again , and they feel helpless,
without the energy to make a new start.
Teach them to do as the apostles did when, reduced to eleven,
they set out for Galilee.
Tell them that there is a mountain somewhere
where you have arranged to meet them again,
because once you have entered our lives you will be with us always,
yes, even to the end of our lives.
Lord, we pray for those of us who are in positions of authority –
parents, teachers, leaders in the Church or the State.
Don’t let us become possessive of those in our charge.
Help us rather to be like Jesus, to let them go, when the time comes,
to whatever part of the world you call them to,
and to do so without regrets,
trusting that whatever true or good they have learned from us
they will teach others to observe,
and wherever they are, we will always be with them.
parents, teachers, leaders in the Church or the State.
Don’t let us become possessive of those in our charge.
Help us rather to be like Jesus, to let them go, when the time comes,
to whatever part of the world you call them to,
and to do so without regrets,
trusting that whatever true or good they have learned from us
they will teach others to observe,
and wherever they are, we will always be with them.
“But when Carnival come and pass
People does go back to race and class.” Earl Lovelace, The New Hardware Store
Lord, for us here in Trinidad and Tobago,
Carnival is a special time of togetherness.
Other nations have similar times.
We pray that we may not live these moments in isolation,
as if on some mountain far away from the rest of life.
Tell us, as Jesus told his disciples, that we have seen possibilities for ourselves,
that we must go out and teach all nations to observe
what we have learned about humanity during these days,
– something that will be with us always.
People does go back to race and class.” Earl Lovelace, The New Hardware Store
Lord, for us here in Trinidad and Tobago,
Carnival is a special time of togetherness.
Other nations have similar times.
We pray that we may not live these moments in isolation,
as if on some mountain far away from the rest of life.
Tell us, as Jesus told his disciples, that we have seen possibilities for ourselves,
that we must go out and teach all nations to observe
what we have learned about humanity during these days,
– something that will be with us always.
Lord, we sometimes have regrets for the Church of the past.
We feel like the eleven setting out for Galilee.
From time to time we meet that Church again and feel very happy,
as they did when they were reunited with Jesus on the mountain.
But part of us quite rightly hesitates:
we know well that we cannot bring back the past,
that we must go in new directions,
discovering new disciples among the nations.
We need not be afraid:
Jesus promised that he will be with us always,
even when we come to the end of a time.
We feel like the eleven setting out for Galilee.
From time to time we meet that Church again and feel very happy,
as they did when they were reunited with Jesus on the mountain.
But part of us quite rightly hesitates:
we know well that we cannot bring back the past,
that we must go in new directions,
discovering new disciples among the nations.
We need not be afraid:
Jesus promised that he will be with us always,
even when we come to the end of a time.
Lord, forgive us that as a Church we limit our horizons.
Let Jesus speak to us again of the many nations who could be his disciples,
people ready to be baptized and to observe all the commands he gave us.
Let Jesus speak to us again of the many nations who could be his disciples,
people ready to be baptized and to observe all the commands he gave us.
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Thomas O’LoughlinGeneral Comments
Often referred to as the ‘Great Commission,’ this imposing image which concludes Matthew is functionally akin to the ascension stories in Lk 24:45-53 and Acts 1:1-11. The work of Jesus in making the Father known must be carried on by the church which is uniquely constituted with his authority (a point made more explicitly here than in Luke-Acts). The mission is presented as focused on baptism and an early liturgical formula is incorporated into the text. It is significant for our understanding of Christian origins that while for centuries, after the New Testament canon became fixed, people looked back to this text as the basis of the baptismal formula and trinitarian structure of the creeds, in fact Matthew is derived from the actual liturgical life of the author’s community.
Homily Notes
1. Luke’s images are so powerful, full of colour, and the sense of ending and going away are so strong that they dazzle us and we fail to see through them to the mystery they present. Our response to this image must not be that of asking ‘how did it happen?’ but ‘what does it tell us today about the Christian life?’ The key question is this: ‘if Jesus is not present as he was before the crucifixion, then how is he leading us, teaching us, and being present to us?’
2. We live in the’ Age of the Church’: the Lord is not present as once in Palestine, nor as he will be after this world; rather he is to be seen through the works and words of those who are united to him through baptism: the church. The church is not an organisation to promote his cause or ideology, but the people who see themselves as acting as a group, in union with the Christ they cannot see, to bring about the kingdom. Many people each doing their bit, seeking to be honest and loving in their actions with others, and doing so as they know that these are not just random actions but made into a united endeavour by Christ towards making the Father’s kingdom come about.
3. To celebrate the ascension is to be aware that here and now one must act as a part of the church: this is how Christ is present in the world. Likewise, it is to acknowledge a moral responsibility: if one bears the name ‘Christian’ and people are scandalised by our failures – and the more someone publicly identifies him/herself with Christ as in the case of clergy and religious, the greater the offence – then this is people taking us at our word that we are Christ’s body on earth. To say one will represent Christ (i.e. make him present here and now) is an awesome mission. Older textbooks used to point to a distinction of individual failures versus collective holiness (still found in the liturgy: ‘look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church’), but this, while answering a theological problem, must not distract us from the existential predicament of the Christian: to be a disciple is to be aware of the dignity one is given in making Christ present. Moreover, examining our actions in the light of that fact is part of the cross of discipleship.
3. To celebrate the ascension is to be aware that here and now one must act as a part of the church: this is how Christ is present in the world. Likewise, it is to acknowledge a moral responsibility: if one bears the name ‘Christian’ and people are scandalised by our failures – and the more someone publicly identifies him/herself with Christ as in the case of clergy and religious, the greater the offence – then this is people taking us at our word that we are Christ’s body on earth. To say one will represent Christ (i.e. make him present here and now) is an awesome mission. Older textbooks used to point to a distinction of individual failures versus collective holiness (still found in the liturgy: ‘look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church’), but this, while answering a theological problem, must not distract us from the existential predicament of the Christian: to be a disciple is to be aware of the dignity one is given in making Christ present. Moreover, examining our actions in the light of that fact is part of the cross of discipleship.
4. We are not just people who rejoice that God loves us, while keeping our eyes fixed on Christ as the glory of the Father; we have to build a world of justice, truth, and peace. If we believe that Christ has ascended, then challenging corruption, untruth, intolerance, and all that enslaves should be characteristic symptoms of the presence of Christians in a society. The ascension is not a cosy feast: it should make us feel uncomfortable. Have we just been standing idle looking into heaven?
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John LittetonGospel Reflection
We are familiar with the frequently used saying ‘to come full circle’, which means that people or things, having set out on a journey or task, have returned to where they started. They have successfully completed the cycle and are back at the beginning. This applies particularly to our thoughts about Jesus on the Feast of the Ascension.
In one sense, the Ascension celebrates that Jesus has come full circle because, having come from the Father to accomplish a specific mission, he returns to the Father having achieved what he was sent to do. And he was sent to save us from spiritual death and alienation from God that is due to our sins.
But in another sense, the Ascension marks the passing on of the baton by Jesus to his apostles. At the beginning of his public ministry, he had preached that the kingdom of heaven was close and he had challenged people to repent of their sins and believe in the Good News, which involves putting the teachings of Christ into practice in their lives. Now the responsibility for that ministry was being passed on to the apostles and disciples. They were mandated to continue his saving work, drawing all nations to the truth of the Gospel.
Jesus’ departure from the earth and his return to heaven did not mean that his apostles and disciples would remain alone in their mission. Although he would no longer be physically present, he told them: ‘And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time’ (Mt 28:20). So there was no need for them to worry or to be lacking in confidence because he would be spiritually present, especially in the sacramental life of the Church.
He also promised to send the Holy Spirit who would guide them in their various activities. In fact, the Church will never be alone and it will never be abandoned by the risen Lord Jesus. We celebrate that reality today as we mark the close of the postresurrection appearances of Jesus — apart from his appearance during the conversion of Saul (see Acts 9:3-7).
The message of the Ascension is clear. The saving work of Christ is now being handed over to the Church. The baton is being passed on to us. Just as in a relay race, it is imperative that we do not drop the baton. In other words, the responsibility for passing on the faith rests with us. Let us carry the faith with courage and conviction and let us pass it on to those we meet.
The message of the Ascension is clear. The saving work of Christ is now being handed over to the Church. The baton is being passed on to us. Just as in a relay race, it is imperative that we do not drop the baton. In other words, the responsibility for passing on the faith rests with us. Let us carry the faith with courage and conviction and let us pass it on to those we meet.
We remember too the words of Jesus: ‘You received without charge, give without charge’ (Mt 10:8). So we transmit by word and example to others what has been given to us, while accepting that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus.
The gift of faith, according to Jesus, has been freely given to us. Yet, in a sense, it comes with a price attached. Jesus’ suffering and death was the price of our salvation and, consequently, when we were baptised we assumed the duty of spreading the faith. His last words on earth, immediately before his ascension to heaven, were a missionary statement instructing his followers to go into the whole world to lead converts to the Church.
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1. From the Connections:
“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.”
Acts 1: 1-11
Acts 1: 1-11
“Go and make disciples of all nations . . . and know that I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Matthew 28: 16-20
Matthew 28: 16-20
THE WORD:
Today’s readings include two accounts of Jesus' return to the Father:
Reading 1 is the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, Luke’s “Gospel of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ Ascension begins volume 2 of Luke’s work. The words and images here invoke the First Covenant accounts of the ascension of Elijah (2 Kings 2) and the forty years of the Exodus: Luke considers the time that the Risen Lord spent with his disciples a sacred time, a “desert experience” for the apostles to prepare them for their new ministry of preaching the Gospel of the Resurrection. (Acts alone places the Ascension forty days after Easter; the synoptic Gospels -- including, strangely, Luke’s -- specifically place the Ascension on the day of Easter; John writes of the "ascension" not as an event but as a new existence with the Father.)
Responding to their question about the restoration of Israel, Jesus discourages his disciples from guessing what cannot be known. Greater things await them as his “witnesses.” In the missionary work before them, Christ will be with them in the presence of the promised Spirit.
Matthew’s Gospel begins with the promise of Emmanuel – “God is with us.” It concludes on the Mount of the Ascension, with Emmanuel’s promise, “I am with you always.”
HOMILY POINTS:
Jesus’ Ascension is both an ending and a beginning. The physical appearances of Jesus are at an end; his revelation of the “good news” is complete; the promise of the Messiah is fulfilled. Now begins the work of the disciples to teach what they have learned and to share what they have witnessed.
The fledgling Church is not off to a very promising start. Christ places his Church in the care of a rag-tag collection of fishermen, tax collectors and peasants. And yet, what began with those eleven has grown and flourished through the centuries to the very walls of our own parish family.
The Church Jesus leaves to the disciples on the mount of the Ascension is rooted not in buildings or wealth or formulas of prayer or systems of theology but in faith nurtured in the human heart, a faith centered in joy and understanding that is empowering and liberating, a faith that gives us the strength and freedom to be authentic and effective witnesses of the Risen One, who is present among us always.
Christ entrusts to his disciples of every time and place the sacred responsibility of teaching others everything he has taught and revealed about the Father: God's limitless love, his unconditional forgiveness and acceptance of every person as his own beloved child and our identity as God's sons and daughters and brothers and sisters to one another. Christ also calls us to be witnesses of God's presence in our lives: to bring into the lives of others his healing forgiveness and reconciliation with God and one another, to hand on to others the story that has been handed on to us about Jesus and his Gospel of love and compassion.
The Ascension of the Lord is not the observance of a departure but the celebration of a presence. Matthew’s Gospel begins with the promise of Emmanuel – “God is with us”; it concludes with the promise of the Risen Christ, “I am with you always, even to the end of time.” While Jesus returns to the Father from whom he comes, he remains present to us in the Spirit of his love, his hope, his compassion.
The master chair maker
There is an African parable about two villages separated by a river. In each village, there lived a woodworker who knew how to make chairs. Both knew the secret of making strong, durable and beautiful chairs.
But the chair maker in the first village was afraid to teach others because he thought they would not make the chairs correctly — and worse, if they did, they could cut into his business. So he jealously guarded his work. He became suspicious of anyone with wood, worried that they may have discovered his secret. He would ridicule them and warn them not to try and make a chair themselves. So he made all the chairs in the village, but no one wanted to go near him. The young men of the village interested in woodworking left the village rather than ask to learn from him. The chair maker eventually died alone — and his secret with him.
But the chair maker in the second village did not keep his knowledge to himself. He helped anyone who asked what wood to use, how to plane and cut the pieces, how to mix the glue to assemble the pieces. Over the years, many of the young men of the village served as his apprentices. Sometimes one of them would discover a way to improve the chair. The master chair maker would encourage the apprentice to show what he discovered to others. As a result, the chairs in the village kept getting better and better. People from other villages would come and buy their excellent chairs — and soon tables and benches he and his apprentices began to make.
When people praised the master chair maker’s work, he would laugh and say, “I did not build these chairs alone. These young men have improved my chairs. I am getting old, but these young men will continue building better and better chairs. I have given my skills and knowledge to them and they have given their love and friendship to me. Together we have done far more than if I had worked alone.” (Adapted from Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom and Joy, compiled by Joseph G. Healey.)
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ILLUSTRATIONS:From Fr. Jude Botelho:
Today’s first reading from the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles establishes a link between Jesus’ going and the coming of the Holy Spirit, and it also establishes the connection between Jesus and the founding of the Church. The emphasis is not so much on Jesus’ departure but on his new presence in the world through the Holy Spirit. The feast of the Ascension is the point of transition. The disciples were not ready to cope with the transition, they wanted to know more definitely when things would take place. “Lord has the time come?” Jesus responds by telling them that what is of prime importance is to believe and let the Spirit take possession of us and guide our every step. Yes, Jesus will not be with them but He will be in them. “You will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. Jesus will remain the same and yet he will be differently present to us after his ascension to Father
Gaze heavenward but go worldwide!
Nicky often boasted about his deep faith. Once, a storm arose and the rains threatened to flood Nicky’s house. A fireman rushed in and said, “Come, I’ll carry you away!” Pointing upward, Nicky exclaimed, “Jesus is the way!” The downpour continued and the waters reached Nicky’s waist. A fisherman rowed by and screamed, “Jump in, I’ll steer you to safety!” gazing heavenward, Nicky retorted, “Only Jesus saves!” Later, rising rainwater forced Nicky to climb onto the rood. The pilot of a helicopter hovering overhead shouted, “I’ll help you!” Nicky replied: “I trust in God alone!” Nicky drowned in the raging waters. In heaven, he complained: “Lord, I trusted you, but you abandoned me!” God replied, “No, I didn’t! I tried to save you as fireman, fisherman and pilot! Why didn’t you do anything besides gazing heavenward?”
Francis Gonsalves in ‘Sunday Seeds for daily Deeds’
The gospel of Matthew links the end of the ministry of Jesus to the beginning of the new ministry of the Spirit in the Church. Matthew is deliberately silent and does not mention the ascension of Jesus into heaven. Perhaps he does so to make a point. Jesus is not departing, He is not leaving us for good. He is with us always. Rather, Matthew prefers to discuss the mission of the disciples. “Go, start moving. You, not me. I’m going to be in you; it is up to you now!” The mission given to the apostles and the followers is quite clear. They are told that they will receive His power and will act in His name. The disciples had to wait till the Lord had ascended into heaven; they had to wait for the Spirit to descend on them, they had to wait to be filled with his power. For this to happen they waited in prayer, they waited together, and they waited in hope. Their waiting was rewarded by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in whose name they went forth to the ends of the earth. We are empowered in our mission only when we discover that God is with us in our innermost being. “And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.”
Going ….to come!
Friendship is one of life’s greatest blessings. It is both simple and mysterious. In a myriad of ways, it can begin so casually between neighbours, between work and sporting colleagues, as well as between people committed to similar ideas. The link of shared values and common interests is the seed that sometimes develops into a bond of mutual friendship. It is a mystery why some connections blossom into precious personal relationships and others do not. All friendship is enriched by mutual concern, care and celebration. But the refining fire that fashions friendship into ongoing and life-giving relationship is crisis and difficulty, shared and survived. The friend who stands by one in the darkest moments of troubles is the true friend for whom we all long and treasure always. Before Jesus left his disciples to return to the Father, he promised them such enduring friendship. He was sending them to baptise all peoples, so founding his church worldwide. To sustain them and their successors in their daunting task, he gave them an unconditional guarantee that he would be with them no matter what crisis hit his church. In our time, it is a reassuring promise. It is the promise of this Ascension Day.
Tom Clancy in ‘Living The Word’
He is the same yet different……
Lech Walesa worked for years as an electrician in the Gdansk shipyards. During those years he and his fellow workers founded the movement which came to be known as ‘Solidarity.’ Walesa became its leader. This brought them into open conflict with the communist leaders. Eventually the workers won out. The communist regime collapsed and democracy returned to Poland. Then on December 9, 1990 something happened which a few years prior would have been unthinkable. Walesa the shipyard worker, was elected first president of a free and democratic Poland. It was a great honour for Walesa. His fellow workers were delighted. They too felt honoured because of their association with him. However there was sadness too. They knew that it would change forever the way they related to him. They knew they were losing him. However they were hoping that he would not forget them and that he would help them from his new and more influential position. -The illustration may go some way in helping us to understand what we are celebrating on this great feast of Ascension.
Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’
Flor McCarthy in ‘New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies’
The power within
A priest, Walter Ciszek by name, was in Russia for 23 years, five of which were spent in the dreaded Lubyanka prison in Moscow and ten of which were spent in the harsh Siberian slave labour camp. He was finally released from Russia in 1963, in exchange for two Soviet spies held in USA. He died in 1984 at the age of 84. After release he wrote a book “He Leadeth Me’. In this book he tries to answer the question: ‘How did you manage to survive in Russia?’ he says: “I was able to endure the inhuman conditions in which I found myself because I experienced somehow the presence of God. I never lost my faith that God was with me, even in the worst of circumstances.” What was true of Fr. Walter Ciszek is true of each of us. Jesus is with us; God is with us in the power of his Holy Spirit.Vima Dasan in ‘His Word Lives’
Footprints
In the familiar story entitled “Footprints” a man at the end of his life wanted to know why in though times there was only one set of footprints in the sand. After all, the Lord had promised to walk with him all the way. The Lord replied by telling him that he never left him in times of trial. When the man saw only one set of footprints, it was then that the Lord carried him. The Lord was with Fr. Ciszek for twenty-three years of hardship in Russia. The Lord was with the man walking in the sand. May the risen Lord be with us all the days of our life.
Albert Cylwicki in ‘His Word Resounds’
Passing the batonPractically, what does this mean? How do you and I, in the 20th century, carry out Jesus’ commission to be his witnesses to the world and his teachers to the nations? There are as many ways to do this as there are Christians. We can do what two 25-year-old university graduates did recently. After completing their degree, one from Georgetown and the other from Marquette, they entered a seminary. We can do what Albert Schweitzer did. At the age of 30 he abandoned his music career in Europe to study medicine and become a missionary doctor in Africa. We can do what the basketball coach of Spring Hill College, Alabama, did a few years back. At the age of 45 he resigned his position and began studies for the priesthood. We can do what Mother Angelica did. In her 50s she began a religious television channel. We can imagine the courage it took for these five people to do what they did.
Mark Link in ‘Sunday Homilies’
Run the race well
Many years ago, a great Arctic explorer started on an expedition to the North Pole. After having spent two years in the freezing and lonely place, he wrote a message, tied it to the leg of a carrier pigeon, and let it loose to make the two thousand miles journey to Norway. The bird circled thrice, and then started its southward flight in the freezing cold for hundreds of miles; it travelled and crossed the icy frozen oceans and wastelands until it reached and dropped into the lap of the explorer’s wife. The arrival of the bird proved that everything was well with her husband in that deserted, lonely and frozen arctic North. Likewise, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost proved to the disciples that Jesus had entered the heavenly sanctuary after His Ascension as He had promised. Now He was seated at the right hand of God the Father, for His redemption work was over. The coming of the Holy Spirit was the fulfilment of the promise of Christ.
John Rose in ‘John’s Sunday Homilies’
*****
From Fr. Tony Kadavil’s Collection:
1: Solar Power: One
of the national coordinators of Sun Day held early in May every year is Denis
Hayes. He worked as researcher at a Washington D.C. ‘think-tank’ and has
written a book on solar energy entitled Rays of Hope: The Transition to
a Post-Petroleum World. Hayes claims that we are at the crossroads of
making a critical choice for mankind – the choice between going solar or going
nuclear for a power source. Hayes opts for the sun because it is “the world’s
only inexhaustible, predictable, egalitarian, non-polluting, safe,
terrorist-resistant and free energy source.” We’ve already learned to use the
power of the sun to grow food, make wine and operate greenhouses. All we need
to do is develop better technology to harness solar energy to heat houses,
drive our cars and run our industry. People like Hayes are looking at the sky
with its sun as the main source of our future energy supply. Today we turn our
attention to the sky for another reason – to commemorate our Lord’s Ascension
into Heaven. In the first reading, taken from Acts, Jesus makes a
promise, “You will receive Power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you.” That
Holy Spirit of the risen and ascended Lord is the power source that can give
all the energy we need to live our lives to the full. (Albert Cylwicki in His
Word Resounds). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
2: The Unfinished
Painting: Leonardo da Vinci had
started to work on a large canvas in his studio. For a while he worked at it –
choosing the subject, planning the perspective, sketching the outline, applying
the colors, with his own inimitable genius. Then suddenly he stopped working on
it. Summoning one of his talented students, the master invited him to complete
the work. The horrified student protested that he was both unworthy and unable
of completing the great painting which his master had begun. But da Vinci
silenced him. “Will not what I have done inspire you to do your best?” Jesus
our Master began to spread the Good News two thousand years ago by what he said
and did and, supremely, by what he suffered. Jesus illustrated his message and
has left us to finish the picture. Will Jesus’ life not inspire us to finish
the picture? This is the message of the Ascension (John Rose in John’s
Sunday Homilies). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
3: “I have no other
plan — it must work.” A beautiful old story tells of how Jesus, after his
Ascension into Heaven, was surrounded by the angels who began to enquire about
his work on earth. Jesus told them about His birth, life, preaching, death and
Resurrection, and how he had accomplished the salvation of the world. The
Archangel Gabriel asked, “Well, now that you are back in Heaven, who will
continue your work on earth?” Jesus said, “While I was on earth, I
gathered a group of people around me who believed in me and loved me.
They will continue to spread the Gospel and carry on the work of
the Church.” Gabriel was perplexed. “You mean Peter, who denied you
thrice and all the rest who ran away when you were crucified? You mean to
tell us that you left them to carry on your work? And what will you do if this
plan doesn’t work?” Jesus said, “I have no other plan — it must work.”
Truly, Jesus has no other plan than to depend on the efforts of his followers! http://frtonyshomilies.com/
4: The disciples who completed Puccini’s opera Turandot.
The Italian composer Giacomo Puccini wrote, among other
operas, La Boheme, Madama Butterfly and Tosca. It
was during his battle with terminal cancer in 1922 that he began to write Turandot,
which many now consider his best work. He worked on the score day and night,
despite his friends’ advice to rest, and to save his energy. When his sickness
worsened, Puccini said to his disciples, “If I don’t finish Turandot,
I want you to finish it.” He died in 1924, leaving the work unfinished. His
disciples gathered all that was written of Turandot, studied it in
great detail, and then proceeded to write the remainder of the opera. The world
premier was performed in La Scala Opera House in Milan in 1926, and Toscanini,
Puccini’s favorite student, conducted it. The opera went beautifully, until
Toscanini came to the end of the part written by Puccini. He stopped the music,
put down the baton, turned to the audience, and announced, “Thus far the master
wrote, but he died.” There was a long pause; no one moved. Then Toscanini
picked up the baton, looked at the audience and, with tears in his eyes,
announced, “But his disciples finished his work.” The opera closed to
thunderous applause and to a permanent place in the annals of great works.
Jesus instructs us in his Ascension message to finish his work of saving
mankind by proclaiming His Good News by words and deeds. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
5: The Ascension
mission to preach the Gospel: After attending a convention led by Billy
Graham a woman wrote to him. “Dear Sir, I feel that God is calling me to preach
the Gospel. But the trouble is that I have twelve children. What shall I do?”
The televangelist replied: “Dear Madam, I am delighted to hear that God has
called you to preach the Gospel. I am even more delighted to hear that He has
already provided you with a congregation in your own home.”
6: The Ascension
walk-out: There was a long-winded pastor who preached salvation history
from Genesis to Revelation in every sermon. On the feast of Ascension as he
reached Isaiah, he remarked that the prophet said nothing about the
Ascension of Our Lord. He asked his audience, “What shall we do with him?” One
old man in the front seat said, “He can have my seat, Father, I am leaving.”
7: And after death
ascend or descend? At the end of school what do you want to do? I want to
do my Senior Certificate. After your Senior Certificate what do you want to do?
– I want to go to college. After college what do you want to
do?
– I want to get a job. Then what do you want to do?
– I want to get a job. Then what do you want to do?
– I want to make big
money. What do you want to do after making money?
– I want to build a big house. After that what do you intend
to do?
– I want to get married. What will you do after getting
married? – I will have a family. What will you do after having a family? – I
will retire. What do you want to do after you retire?
– I want to take a rest. What will you do after taking a
rest?
– I don’t know. Will you die?
– Oh yes, I will die too. What will happen after death? I am
not sure!
32 Additional
anecdotes:
1) Passing the Baton: The
critical moment in a relay race is the passing of the baton from one runner to
another. More relays are won or lost at that moment than at any other. The
feast of the Ascension might be compared to the passing of the baton in a relay
race. On this day over 2,000 years ago, Jesus passed the baton of
responsibility for the Kingdom of God to his followers. Jesus commissioned them
to complete the work he had begun. The saving work of Christ is now being
handed over to the Church. In other words, the responsibility for passing on
the Faith rests with us. Let us carry the Faith with courage and conviction and
let us pass it on to those we meet. How do you and I, in the 20th century,
carry out Jesus’ commission to be his witnesses to the world and his teachers to
the nations? There are as many ways to do this as there are Christians. We can
do what two 25-year-old university graduates did recently. After completing
their degrees, one from Georgetown and the other from Marquette, they entered
the Seminary. We can do what Albert Schweitzer did. At the age of 30 he
abandoned his music career in Europe to study medicine and became a missionary
doctor in Africa. We can do what the baseball coach of Spring Hill College,
Alabama, did a few years back. At the age of 35 he resigned his position and
began his studies for the priesthood. We can do what a Poor Clare cloistered
nun, Mother Angelica, did. In her 50s she began a Catholic religious television
channel, EWTN. (Mark Link S. J. in Sunday Homilies, quoted in Net
for Life). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
2) Great commissions: Actually,
there have been many persons given exciting commissions in their lifetimes.
There was Michelangelo’s commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,
Sir Christopher Wren’s commission to build St. Paul’s Cathedral in London,
Walter Reed’s assignment to stop yellow fever at the “Big Ditch” in Panama,
Chamberlain’s orders to stop the Confederates at Little Roundtop in Gettysburg
and most recently the mission of the U.S. Navy Seals to get the terrorist
master-mind, Bin Laden, dead or alive. But I tell you, in my life and yours,
there is an even greater commission. It is found here in Matthew 28:18-20 where
Jesus Christ turns to his disciples and says, “Go, therefore, and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you.” http://frtonyshomilies.com/
3) “Is this thing
working?” There is the funny story of the raw army recruit standing at
attention on the drill field. The drill instructor yells, “Forward, march!” And
the entire ranks begin to move, all except this one raw recruit. He’s still
standing there at attention. So, the drill instructor strolls over to him and
yells in his right ear, “Is this thing working?” “Sir, yes, sir!” the recruit
yells. Then the drill instructor walks around to the other ear and yells, “Is
this thing working?” “Sir, yes, sir!” the soldier yells. “Then why didn’t you
march when I gave the order?” “Sir, I didn’t hear you call my name.” Some of us
are like that soldier standing around waiting for God to call our names. But
the great commission given by Jesus on the day of his Ascension is a blanket
order. It has everyone’s name on it. And you can be sure that the man in charge
says, “Go! Make disciples! Teach!” It is your mission and my
mission. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
4) “Torpedo
evangelism.” Rebecca Pippert, the author of Out of the
Saltshaker: Into the World, tells of a time she was sitting in her car at a
traffic light with her window rolled down. As the light turned green a car
drove by and its occupant threw something into her car hitting her on the
cheek. It didn’t hurt but she was so startled that she pulled over immediately.
When she unrolled the paper, she discovered it was a Gospel tract. She says she
was the apparent victim of what she refers to as “torpedo evangelism.” I’m sure
the torpedoer meant well. At least I hope so, but he or she did the wrong thing
for the right reason in the wrong way. We can engage people in conversation
about their Faith and their relationship with God in a non-judgmental manner.
We can encourage. We can invite. We can offer counsel. But we leave the hard
work, the heart work, up to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You see, we are not on
some sort of spiritual mugging mission. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
5) Reaching Peak
Performance: One of the superstars in that professional speakers’
circuit is a man named Charles Garfield. He is a psychologist from San
Francisco. He makes up to 150 speeches a year, he says. Actually, if the truth
were known, he makes one speech 150 times. He began his career as a
mathematician for NASA. He was part of the Apollo Project that put a man on the
moon. He left NASA to study psychology. He became interested in what motivates
people to reach their highest possible achievement in this life. He went to
Berkeley and got a PhD in psychology. Then he interviewed 1,500 people on how
they achieved what he called “peak performance.” He published that result in a
book, and then he started on the lecture circuit. He said the one thing that
all peak performers have in common is a sense of mission. “What you need in
this life if you want to have fulfillment is a sense of mission.” It is giving
yourself to something that is greater than yourself. That is what a mission is.
That mission is found at the conclusion of Matthew’s Gospel: “All power
in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And
behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20) Not
only does the Church have a mission to perform in this world, but everybody in
the Church is supposed to have a part in performing that mission. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
6) “They don’t drink
no water.” The chief warrant officer was brought before the provost marshal
and asked if he had received the general’s order. “Yes, Sir.”
“Then why didn’t you comply?” roared the provost.
“Well, Sir, I didn’t think it applied to us.”
“And why not?”
“Well, Sir, I didn’t think it applied to us.”
“And why not?”
“Because, Sir, when my men go to town, they don’t drink no water.”[Robert L. Jamison, “Humor in Uniform,” Laughter, the Best Medicine, (New York: Berkley Books, 1981), p. 29.] Fortunately, those men who first heard the ascending Lord’s orders did not look for ways to get around them but did what they told. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
7) Nietchze and
Hitler: Nietchze, the German philosopher, said, “God is dead and the
stench of his corpse is all across Europe.” He advocated humanism and proposed
the development of a “superman” of Aryan heritage, protected by selective
breeding and superior education. The Nazi Party picked up his idea, and men
like Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, Mengle, Himmler, and Rommel set about building
such a society in Germany’s Third Reich. But it all ended with bullets and
bombs, chaos and suffering such as the world has seldom seen. The Christian
Faith has no less a plan. But it involves a higher order. Hitler would have
renewed man by his own efforts. We seek to renew the human race by the work of
God. Our mission as given by the ascending Jesus is not to make converts or
Church members, but baptized, obedient disciples! http://frtonyshomilies.com/
8) Three-step
Baptism: In one of the great cathedrals of Europe there is a
baptistery that tells the story. The water flows through it reminding us that
Jesus says he is the living water. To be baptized, a person walks down three
steps, each one marked by a word: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Descending the steps, the convert is plunged beneath the water to die to sin
and then raised from the depths to newness of life in Christ. To leave the
baptistery now he must climb three steps, each one marked by a word: The
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. So it is that a new creature is born, a
new breed of man, a citizen of a new kingdom, a breed apart. Dead to sin, he is
alive to God and sent forth to grow and love and give light to a lost and dying
world. He doesn’t do it alone. He does it in the Church, in little communities.
In these, people demonstrate, in their way of being together, God’s eternal
Kingdom come upon them. It took Michelangelo over ten years to paint the
Sistine Chapel. Our missionary commission lasts until the job gets done, until
life is over, “until the close of the age.” http://frtonyshomilies.com/
9) “Alter your course
10 degrees north.” Have you heard the story of a sea captain who was
guiding his ship on a very dark night? He saw faint lights in the distance and
told his signalman to send a message, “Alter your course 10 degrees south.” A
prompt message returned, “Alter your course 10 degrees north.” The captain
became angry because his command had been ignored, so he sent a second message,
“I command you to alter your course 10 degrees south!” Again, a message
promptly returned, “Alter your course 10 degrees north.” Infuriated, the
captain sent off a third message: “I am the captain, and this is a battleship.
Alter your course 10 degrees south!” Once again, a prompt reply came, “Alter
your course 10 degrees north – I am a lighthouse.” These last words of Jesus
are the signal we are to obey. No wonder we label the call “the Great
Commission.” The tragedy of the Church – our great sin – is that the Great
Commission of Jesus is our “great Omission.” http://frtonyshomilies.com/
10) Plus Ultra =
“More beyond!” “In Fourteen Hundred Ninety-two/Columbus sailed the
ocean blue!” In 1992 the world marked the 500th anniversary of Christopher
Columbus’ adventure in the Santa Maria. As we all now know,
Columbus did not end up where he was headed, which is why some Native Americans
are now called Indians. This man from Genoa believed, “God granted me the gift
of knowledge … (and) revealed to me that it was feasible to sail … to the
Indies and placed in me a burning desire to carry out this plan.” Columbus set
out with a belief that he had tested with his mind, and with a Faith to which
he was willing to give his life! How many of us can walk in Columbus’ shoes?
When, on Friday, August 3, 1492, the Nina, the Pinta,
and the Santa Maria, eased away from their moorings at Palos, in
southern Spain, Columbus was putting his beliefs and his Faith into the
realities of life. Before the reports of his trans-Atlantic travel penetrated
the Old World, Spanish coins had stamped upon them an outline of the Straits of
Gibraltar. Underneath the outline of the Straits was the Latin
inscription Ne Plus Ultra. It translates, “No more beyond.” It
meant that the world ended in the great expansive voids of water beyond the
Straits. There was nothing more. But once Columbus returned home and told of
what he had seen, of what he had discovered, and once that report was widely
shared, new coins were minted. The inscription was changed to Plus
Ultra. It translates, “More beyond!” That is the mountaintop affirmation
which came to the disciples in Galilee and the word that ends Matthew’s Gospel.
http://frtonyshomilies.com/
11) Wellington defeated: Wellington
and Napoleon were fighting the battle of Waterloo. It was a decisive battle.
Life for many, many persons hinged on its outcome. At last, word was
transmitted to London by means of semaphores – a visual code with reflected
sunlight spelling out the message letter by letter. A sentry picked up the
message from his post atop a great cathedral. Letter by letter he passed on the
message to London. The first word was “Wellington.” The second word was
“defeated.” Suddenly a very dense fog settled in upon the cathedral, making it
impossible for the light to penetrate the mists and allow the message forwarded
on. The fog grew denser, and its darkness was mirrored in the hearts of the
Londoners who had received the word, “Wellington defeated.” It meant that
Napoleon had won. The English of London were a conquered people. Hope was gone.
Liberty was no more. England was ruled by another. But as suddenly as it had
come, the fog lifted. The sentry returned to his tower, and went back to his
duties, feverishly attempting to transmit the whole message. And London saw it
– the good news breaking upon the city and telling the full story: “Wellington
defeated the enemy!” Whether the semaphores’ message to London is history or
fiction, it does convey the truth of Christian Faith! That truth is the shout
first heard in Joseph’s garden as the earliest followers of Christ made the
discovery. It is the victory message of Jesus’ word to his disciples upon that
Galilee mountaintop, and it is the shout heard through the centuries as human
life has been understood as life lived in two worlds – one temporal, the other
eternal. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
12) “I am the
smartest man in the world”. A ridiculous story with religious
significance has been making the rounds lately. It is about a pilot and three
passengers a boy scout, a priest, and an atomic scientist in a plane that
develops engine trouble in mid-flight. The pilot rushes back to the passenger
compartment and exclaims, “The plane is going down! We only have three parachutes,
and there are four of us! I have a family waiting for me at home. I must
survive!” With that, he grabs one of the parachutes and jumps out of the plane.
The atomic scientist jumps to his feet at this point and declares, “I am the
smartest man in the world. It would be a great tragedy if my life were snuffed
out!” With that, he also grabs a parachute and exits the plane. With an alarmed
look on his face, the priest says to the Boy Scout, “My son, I have no family.
I am ready to meet my Maker. You are still young with much ahead of you. You
take the last parachute.” At this point, the Boy Scout interrupts the priest,
“Hold on, Father. Don’t say any more. We’re all right. The world’s smartest man
just jumped out of the plane wearing my knapsack!” For such smart people who do
not believe in an afterlife, today’s feast of Ascension seems a myth. But it is
the guarantee of their resurrection and ascension to Heaven for Christians. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
13) Are we
going to them? 95% of North American Christians will not lead a
single person to Christ in their lifetime and I cry, “Lord, help us!” Some of
you know the story: 36 million Americans (14% of the population) live in
poverty. Of those, the portion living in our urban centers has increased from
30% in 1968 to about 47% today. Are we going to them? And are
we going to the 57% of the 36 million poor who remain in rural America? Seventy
million individuals in the United States are under the age of 18—are we
going to them? Nearly one million foreign-born people immigrate to
this country every year. Are we going to them? Thirty-two
million people in America speak some language other than English as their
primary language. Are we going to them? We have more unsaved
and unchurched people in our nation than ever before in our history—172
million. Are we going to them? Ninety percent of the
population of the United States now lives in urban settings. Are we
going to them? Over 150 million people in America claim to be
“born-again Christians.” We have to question what that means. And we wonder if
people are not interpreting the Christian Faith as mere mental assent to
correct doctrine, accepting forgiveness and professing Christ as an insurance
policy – a way to get into Heaven when we die and leave this earth – missing
the whole notion of discipleship, growing into the likeness of Christ. If all
born-again Christians were disciples, would there not be greater signs of the
transforming power of Christ at work in the world? http://frtonyshomilies.com/
14) “The City of the
World increasingly oozes its decay.” Peter Kreeft, professor at Boston
College, has perceptively noted, “The City of the World increasingly oozes its
decay.” We saw signs of it in the half-time show of the 38th Super
Bowl. One hundred million people – how many children were among them? – saw
Justin Timberlake rip off a portion of Janet Jackson’s upper clothing, exposing
a private part of her body. We cringed at that and the media talked about it
for days. But not much was said about the “dirty” dancing and lewd lyrics,
including words about getting a woman naked before the song was done. Other
singers through lyrics and dance displayed sexual lust as they gyrated with
female dancing partners. The truth, friends, is that halftime show is not the
exception in television fare. In fact, it was rather tame compared to what
constantly flows from television and the Internet. “The City of the World
increasingly oozes its decay.” But what about disciples of Jesus? What about
the Church? What about the City set on a hill? What are we doing about “the
fact that all the septic tanks on the hill are backing up”? We need disciples
with a passion of shedding the Light of Christ into every dark corner of the
world. http://frtonyshomilies.com/
15) Gaze
Heavenward but go worldwide! Nicky often boasted about his deep Faith.
Once, a storm arose and the rains threatened to flood Nicky’s house. A fireman
rushed in and said, “Come, I’ll carry you away!” Pointing upward, Nicky
exclaimed, “Jesus is the way!” The downpour continued and the waters reached
Nicky’s waist. A fisherman rowed by and screamed, “Jump in, I’ll steer you to
safety!” gazing heavenward, Nicky retorted, “Only Jesus saves!” Later, rising
rainwater forced Nicky to climb onto the roof. The pilot of a helicopter
hovering overhead shouted, “I’ll help you!” Nicky replied: “I trust in God
alone!” Nicky drowned in the raging waters. In Heaven, he complained: “Lord, I
trusted you, but You abandoned me!” God replied, “No, I didn’t! I tried to save
you as fireman, fisherman and pilot! Why didn’t you do anything besides gazing
heavenward?” (Francis Gonsalves in Sunday Seeds for Daily Deeds; quoted in Net
for Life). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
16) He is the same yet different……Lech
Walesa worked for years as an electrician in the Gdansk shipyards. During those
years he and his fellow workers founded the movement which came to be known as
“Solidarity,” Walesa became its leader. This brought them into open conflict
with the Communist leaders. Eventually the workers won out. The Communist regime
collapsed and freedom returned to Poland. Then on December 9, 1990, something
happened which a few years prior would have been unthinkable. Walesa the
shipyard worker was elected first president of a free and democratic Poland. It
was a great honor for Walesa. His fellow workers were delighted. They too felt
honored because of their association with him. However, there was sadness too.
They knew that it would change forever the way they related to him. They knew
they were losing him. They were hoping that he would not forget them and that
he would help them from his new and more influential position. — The
illustration may go some way in helping us to understand what we are
celebrating on this great feast of Ascension. (Flor McCarthy in New
Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho and in Net for Life). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
17) The power within:
Father Walter Ciszek SJ was in Russia for 23 years, five of which were
spent in the dreaded Lubyanka prison in Moscow and ten of which were spent in
the harsh Siberian slave labour camp. He was finally released from Russia in
1963, in exchange for two Soviet spies held in USA. He died in 1984 at the age
of 84. After release he wrote a book, He Leadeth Me. In this book
he tries to answer the question: “How did you manage to survive in Russia?” He
says: “I was able to endure the inhuman conditions in which I found myself
because I experienced somehow the presence of God. I never lost my Faith that
God was with me, even in the worst of circumstances.” What was true of Fr.
Walter Ciszek is true of each of us. Jesus is with us; God is with us in the
power of the Holy Spirit. (Vima Dasan in His Word Lives; quoted in Net for
Life) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
18) Footprints:
In the familiar poem entitled “Footprints” a man at the end of his life wanted
to know why in tough times there was only one set of footprints in the sand.
After all, the Lord had promised to walk with him all the way. The Lord replied
by telling him that He had never left him in times of trial. When the man saw
only one set of footprints, it was then that the Lord carried him. The Lord was
with Fr. Ciszek for twenty-three years of hardship in Russia. The Lord was with
the man walking in the sand. May the risen Lord be with us all the days of our
life. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds; quoted in Net for Life) http://frtonyshomilies.com/
19) Run the race
well: Many years ago, a great Arctic explorer started on an expedition
to the North Pole. After having spent two years in the freezing and lonely
place, he wrote a message, tied it to the leg of a carrier pigeon, and let it
loose to make the two thousand miles journey to Norway. The bird circled
thrice, and then started its southward flight in the freezing cold for hundreds
of miles; it travelled and crossed the icy frozen oceans and wastelands until
it reached and dropped into the lap of the explorer’s wife. The arrival of the
bird proved that everything was well with her husband in that deserted, lonely
and frozen arctic North. Likewise, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of
the Pentecost proved to the disciples that Jesus had entered the Heavenly
sanctuary after His Ascension as He had promised. Now He was seated at the
right hand of God the Father, for His redemption work was over. The coming of
the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of the promise of Christ. (John Rose in
John’s Sunday Homilies; quoted in Net for Life).
http://frtonyshomilies.com/
20) ”You shall be my
witnesses”: In a court of law, both the Prosecution and the Defense
want witnesses. There is nothing more convincing than an eyewitness who was
actually there at the time the events took place and can retell what happened
clearly and precisely. A courtroom scene might go something like this. “I was
walking along Morayfield Road near the Cheesecake Shop on my way to work. I
work at one of the stores near there, you know the shop that’s next to the …”
“Thank you but please tell us what you saw and heard on the day in question.”
“Well, I heard this loud crash, coming from the intersection, you know the one
with the car yard on the corner. “Was it the intersection of Morayfield Road
and Torrens Road?” “That’s right. There were squealing tyres and then a loud
crash; I turned and looked in the direction of the noise and I saw three
crumpled cars.” “Am I right in saying that you didn’t actually see what had
happened?” “That’s right, but I did see a man running down the road away from
the accident. He was bleeding ….” A witness is important to a trial as someone
who has seen and heard something. We use that word “witness” in a two-fold
sense. A witness witnesses an event and then, when that
witness tells someone about that event, he or she bears witness to
others about what had been seen and heard. Jesus said to his disciples, “You
shall be my witnesses first of all in Jerusalem, then out in the countryside of
Judea and then to our distant cousins in Samaria.” In fact, “you will be
witnesses for Me” in every part of the world. (Rev. Gerhardy). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
21) Gospel bombs: Some
time ago now, Joseph Bailey wrote a book called the Gospel Blimp.
It’s about the attempt of Christian neighbours reaching out to the community
for Christ. The family purchased a hot air balloon to broadcast the Gospel to
the community and dropped “bombs” on the town (These “bombs” were tracts
wrapped in coloured cellophane). In spite of the trouble and expense of this
attempt at witnessing to Jesus, it failed miserably. The point the writer was
making is that there is no substitute for loving care and personal witness,
even though this is slow, time-consuming, likely to cause anxiety and even
likely to create some hostility. You have probably heard these sayings, “I’d
rather see a sermon than hear one”, and
“Actions speak louder than words.” There is truth in these sayings, but there
are still those times when words are necessary, and we must speak. The Gospel,
by its very nature, needs to be shared. It isn’t something we keep to
ourselves, but, by our words and deeds of love, the Gospel speaks to the lives
of people about God’s love for them and His willingness to reach out and
embrace everyone in his time of need. When was the last time you talked with
someone outside of your circle of Christian friends about Jesus? When was it
that you last attempted to share your Faith with someone or at least invited
someone to your Church on a Sunday?
(Rev. Gerhardy). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
22) Leaf of the Tree
of Immortality: There is a legend that says that once there was a boy
whose sister was very ill and was about to die. Someone told the family that if
they could get a leaf of the tree of immortality she would be cured
immediately. To get this leaf, someone had to go to Heaven. The little boy made
his way to Heaven and met St. Peter and asked for the leaf. St. Peter agreed to
give him the leaf and told him that one day she would eventually die but she
would not die of any sickness. As St. Peter went in to get the leaf of
immortality the little boy peeped into Heaven and saw all the beautiful scenes and
heard angelic music. He was in ecstasy. When St. Peter came back with the leaf
of immortality he said to Peter, “Forget about the leaf. Can my sister and I
come and stay here forever?” St. Paul tells us “what no one ever saw or heard,
what no one ever thought would happen, is the very thing God prepared for those
who love him.” (Elias Dias in Divine Stories for Families; quoted
by Fr. Botelho). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
23) ‘I want to see
Heaven’ There is an ancient fable which tells us about a crane that
was wallowing in the mud and eating tiny snails. All of a sudden there came a
beautiful, snow-white feathered swan. Looking at the heavenly bird the crane
asked, “Who are you, and where are you coming from?” “I am coming from a
heavenly place,” said the swan. “What are these heavenly places,” asked the
crane. The swan looked at the miserable crane and said, “If you want to see the
heavenly places, come with me. There are limpid streams of water, and beautiful
gardens and trees. There is food and drink of every kind, music and amusement
of your choice. There is a peaceful atmosphere. There is love, joy and eternal
happiness.” The crane looked at the swan with dismay and said, “Will there be
mud and snails? I love to wallow in it and feed on the snails.” –Man is not
ready to leave his earthly abode for heavenly things. Jesus went up to Heaven
to prepare for us a place in Our Father’s home. (Elias Dias in Divine
Stories for Families; quoted by Fr. Botelho). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
24) The ascended King
of the universe: Monarchy has been the most common form of government
in human history. There is a good reason for this. When the reins of power are
in one set of hands, a government can act quickly and efficiently. But there is
also a perennial problem with monarchy. What happens when a good king dies? How
can you ensure that the next king will be just as good? The times of greatest
prosperity and peace in every civilization have come under the rule of wise
kings. But most kings are not wise. Most kings, like most human beings, tend to
be selfish, weak, and shortsighted. And so, history shows the same tragic
pattern happening again and again: a great king brings peace and prosperity to
a wide realm, only to have it shattered after his death. Charlemagne united and
Christianized most of Europe, but when he died his empire was divided among
three selfish and petty sons, who tore it asunder. King Louis IX of France, St
Louis reigned 44 years, (1226-1270). His vast kingdom spread justice and mercy
as the sun spreads light, but his sons and grandsons ended up sowing the seeds
of division that would soon tear apart the rich fabric of Christendom. What the
peasants of France sang upon St Louis’s death is a song that reverberates
throughout history: “To whom will poor folk cry out, now that the good king is
gone, who loved them so?” But there is one King, wiser and better than any
other, who has come back from the dead. His name is Jesus Christ, and his
Kingdom will last forever, because he has ascended to the everlasting throne,
where he sat at the beginning, sits now, and will sit without end. (The
E-Priest). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
25) St. Paschal
Baylon Visits the King: We don’t think much about this, but it is the
truth behind everything we believe. If Christ had not ascended into Heaven, we
would not be able to pray to him at any time and in any place and we would not
be able to have him close by in the Eucharist, because he would still be
limited by time and space. One of the saints whom the Church commemorates on
May 17, thought about this truth a lot, and learned to take advantage of it. St
Paschal Baylon was a Spanish peasant, a shepherd for the first 24 years of his
life. He could barely read, but he loved Christ, and he had a special
understanding of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. He had to stay with
his sheep from dawn to dark, which made it impossible for him to go to Mass
every day. So, he did the next best thing. At the hour Mass was being
celebrated, he would kneel on the hillsides, gazing at the Church in the
valley, and pray, uniting himself to Christ Who was renewing his sacrifice and
presence through the priest’s ministry. Eventually, St Paschal found his
vocation to become a religious brother. He joined the local Franciscan
community and encouraged everyone by his virtue, joy, and good humor. During
free moments between duties, he could almost always be found in the chapel,
speaking with Christ in the Eucharist. To casual onlookers he was kneeling on a
hard-stone floor here on earth, but in truth he was enjoying the presence of
our King who sits forever on his throne in Heaven. He died when he was only
fifty-two, at the very moment that the bell rang to signify the consecration at
Mass. (E-Priest). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
26) The Holy of
Holies Open to All: But what exactly are we to be witnesses of? Jesus tells
us right before he ascends into heaven that repentance for the forgiveness of
sins would be preached in his name. If Christ had not ascended, we would not be
able to preach that. His Ascension finishes the job of reconciling fallen
humanity to God, because it brings our human nature back into a right
relationship with God. It guarantees that Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was
completely accepted by the Father. Reconciling fallen humanity with God is the
main problem that religion still tries to solve. In the Old Testament, the
Israelites achieved this right relationship through what was called the
sacrifice of atonement (at-one-ment: the sacrifice that made sinners, once
again, one with God). This sacrifice took place in the Holy of Holies, the
innermost chamber of the God-designed tent of worship Moses built and, later,
of the Temple in Jerusalem. The Holy of Holies was separated from the inner
altar of incense by a huge, thick, ancient curtain. Only the High Priest was
allowed to pass through the curtain, and even he could only enter once a year,
on the Day of Atonement. That ancient ritual foreshadowed Christ’s Ascension.
In his Ascension, Christ was taken up into the real, eternal Holy of Holies,
the inner chamber of the universe, Heaven itself. But instead of coming back
out, He stays there God Incarnate — Son of Man in his human nature as our
representative, and Son of God — the One Person Who IS the everlasting bridge
of reconciliation between mankind and God. Through Faith in Christ, we have no
more doubts that our sins can be forgiven; we don’t have to wait for the Day of
Atonement; we can live constantly in a right relationship with God. This is
what we bear witness to. This is the message we have received: every human
heart’s deepest longing can finally be fulfilled, because Christ’s sacrifice
has been accepted by the Father.
(E-Priest). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
27) Blessed Antonia
Mesina’s Wordless Witness: The most important way that the Church
bears witness to Christ’s unconquerable goodness is through the example of
Christians – not our words, but our example. When you and I live as Christ
lived, following him, we reveal his salvation to the world. Our English word “martyr”
comes from the Greek word for “witness”. The Church’s martyrs are her greatest
witnesses. By refusing to do evil, even at the cost of their own lives, they
make the power of Christ’s goodness shine out. One of the saints that the
Church commemorates on May 17 is a recent and eloquent example of this. Blessed
Antonia Mesina (meh-SEE-nah) was the second of ten children born to a peasant
family on the Island of Sardinia, off the west coast of Italy. She grew up
between World Wars I and II.
After just four years of school, she was forced to leave her
studies behind and take over the housekeeping for her mother, who had fallen
ill and was confined to bed. Antonia didn’t let either her lack of education or
her poverty keep her from loving Christ. When she was ten, she joined Catholic
Action, Italy’s national apostolic movement for lay people. She was a model
member, energetically fulfilled her commitments and recruited other young
people to join the group. Honoring Christ and living in friendship with him became
her first care and highest priority. On one afternoon when she was 16, she went
out to gather wood for the stove at home. Alone, she was accosted by another,
older teenager, a young man who tried to rape her. She resisted, and he became
violent. She continued resisting, and he continued beating her, trying to force
her. But she knew that her body was a Temple of the Holy Spirit, and she would
not submit. The young man became furious, and he beat her to death. Antonia
refused to do evil. In that way, she was a witness to Christ’s unconquerable
goodness, a martyr. This is what the whole Church has done in a thousand ways
throughout the ages, and what each one of us is called to do in our own circle
of friends and acquaintances. (E-Priest). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
28) “Dr. Carpenter is
upstairs.” Many years ago, there lived a very poor family in the Blue
Ridge Mountains of North Carolina by the name of Carpenter. The oldest boy
loved the outdoors and knew them well, but he didn’t know much else. He was a
teenager before his father took him on his first trip to the city, where he saw
paved streets, skyscrapers, and electricity for the first time. The boy wanted
to stay there and get an education. His father arranged for him to board with
some family friends, who generously financed his studies when he decided to
become a doctor. He graduated with honors, but declined all job offers to
practice medicine in the city. He said he was going back to the mountains,
where there were many sick people and few doctors. For many years he ministered
to the sick. Some paid, most couldn’t. He gave his very best and helped
everyone he could. In his old age he was in broken health himself and almost
penniless. Two small rooms above the town grocery store were his home and office.
At the foot of the creaky stairs leading up to his office was a sign with these
words: “Dr. Carpenter is upstairs.” One morning someone climbed those stairs to
find the devoted doctor dead. The entire community was plunged in grief. They
wanted to erect some kind of monument to him. But they decided to simply write
these words on a large tombstone: “Dr. Carpenter is upstairs.” Jesus is the
Divine Doctor of our souls. He is “upstairs” in Heaven, where he ascended after
his Resurrection. But he is still alive and eager to help us through the
Sacraments, the Bible, and the Church. Every time we turn to him in prayer, we
climb the stairs to his office. Because he is upstairs, Dr. Jesus is always in.
[This illustration adapted from Stories for Sermons, Vol. 2, by Fr. Arthur
Tonne, p12.] (E- Priest). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
29) Forrest Gump Gets
Something Right: In 1994 Hollywood released a popular film called Forrest
Gump, starring Tom Hanks in an Oscar-winning title role. The film can be base
at times but has some interesting insights. At one point in the story, when
Forrest is feeling rejected by the people he loves, he gets an urge to just
start running. So, he walks out the door, jogs across the yard, and doesn’t
stop. In fact, when he gets to the ocean and runs out of road, he just turns
around and runs the other way. Throughout his run, he is videotaped on national
news. When asked why he’s running – “World peace? Women’s rights?” – he
answers, “I’m just running.” Unintentionally, he sparks a huge national
following. The humorous and meaningful event that ends his journey takes place
in the middle of a desert. Forrest stops, longhaired and long bearded, and
turns around. The handful of sweaty joggers who have followed him shush each
other: “Quiet, he’s goanna say somethin’.” “I’m kinda’ tired,” he says, “I
think I’ll go home now.” Forrest walks through the small and silent crowd, and
one of them yells after him, “Well, what are we supposed to do?!” All people
are looking for the answers to life’s deepest questions. But since our thirst
for truth and happiness is infinite (because that’s how God made us), no finite
worldly thing can satisfy us. The characters in the film mindlessly following
Tom Hanks’ Gump personified that thirst for meaning. The fact that their hero
abandons them without any explanation illustrates the inability of the things
of this world (money, fame, politics, pleasure) to provide that meaning;
eventually, we get tired of them; they let us down. Only Christ is infinite
goodness, power, and wisdom; only he is “the Way, Truth, and the Life” that we
are searching for. (E- Priest). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
30) Aesop enlightens
the judge: The amazing fact of the Ascension lifts our gaze to Heaven.
Because Jesus is now in Heaven, body and soul, we are assured that Heaven is
not just a nice idea, a myth, or wishful thinking. It is a real place where
Jesus has gone ahead to prepare the way for us. One of Aesop’s Fables shows
just how new this Christian revelation really was. Aesop was a Greek slave who
lived before the time of Christ. He was renowned for his natural wisdom, which
was recorded in his famous fables, or short stories with deep lessons. One day
he was ordered by his master to go to the public baths (in ancient times public
baths were like country clubs) and get things ready. On his way, he was stopped
by one of the official judges of the city. The judge asked him where he was
going. Aesop, thinking that it was none of the judge’s business, answered, “I
don’t know.” The judge was offended by this reply, which he considered
disrespectful, and marched him off to prison for punishment (disrespectful
slaves could be punished without a trial). When they arrived at the prison,
Aesop turned to his captor and said, “Judge, when I told you, ‘I don’t know
where I am going,’ I was speaking the truth. Little did I think that I was on
my way to prison! You see, it is true indeed that we never really know just
where we are going.” Faced with this explanation, the judge had no choice but
to let Aesop go free. This ironic story illustrates the absolute uncertainty of
pre-Christian humanity about what happens after death – they just didn’t know.
(E- Priest). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
31) “But what am I
going to do without you?” Caroline had tears in her eyes. “Are you
sure you want to move so far away?” Her beloved great Aunt Ingrid smiled.
“Oh, Florida is not that far away. Besides, you’ll be starting high
school in a few weeks. You’re going to make so many new friends you wouldn’t
have time for me anyway.” Caroline couldn’t remember when her aunt had moved in
with her family those many years ago; but under Aunt Ingrid’s tutelage,
Caroline had matured from a sullen only child to a vibrant young woman with
many interests. “But what am I going to do without you?” Caroline cried.
“You’ll be fine. But just in case you get bored, I left something behind
for you,” Ingrid said as she gave her niece a last long hug goodbye before
stepping into the cab. When she returned to her room, Caroline found Ingrid’s
package on her desk. Inside the box was a pair of knitting needles used
by five generations of women in the family; a fountain pen that had belonged to
Ingrid’s late husband, a writer; a coveted family cake recipe; a beautiful
journal that reminded Caroline of the summer afternoon her aunt made paper in
the kitchen; and a framed photograph of Ingrid and Caroline sitting at the
piano after Caroline’s first lesson. An inscription engraved on the frame
read Precious moments last forever. Caroline began to understand that, even
though she felt left “out on a lonely limb of the family tree” without Ingrid,
the memories of family lived on in her heart and spirit and attitude,
connecting her to generations long past and still to come. Caroline placed the
picture on her nightstand. Then, picking up the fountain pen and journal,
she started to write a poem for Ingrid. — The Ascension of the Lord is not the
marking of a departure but the celebration of a presence. The risen and
ascended Jesus is a living and life-giving presence with us. (Bits & Pieces, April
2004 quoted by Connections). http://frtonyshomilies.com/
32) Marine
Commissioning ceremony: I’ve had the privilege of being present when
two of my nephews were commissioned as Marine officers. They had been through
months of rigorous academic, physical and leadership training, and it was a
proud moment for their parents when the new officers, resplendent in their
“dress blues,” received their second lieutenant pins. The most moving part of
the commissioning ceremony was the officers’ oath, ending with the solemn
words, “I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or
purpose of evasion. … I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the
office upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.” My nephews’
commissioning marked the beginning of a commitment of service to their country
and their fellow Marines. Although the details of their future deployments were
as then unknown, they had been well prepared, authorized and empowered for the
work that would be asked of them. Today’s readings are about a different kind
of commissioning — often referred to as “the great commission” given by the
ascending Jesus to his disciples. (Sharon K. Perkins Catholic
News Service). http://frtonyshomilies.com/L/20
