Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – The Promise

Posted on May 11, 2024May 10, 2024 by Deacon Joe

Acts 1:1-11; Ps. 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph. 1:17-23; Mk. 16:15-20

The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord comes to us with the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the promise of God’s power to believers. It is the power to drive out demons, speak new languages, lay hands on the sick and they will recover. It is God’s power but we are his instruments of this power. We are his baptized believers so the fruit of this power is to come through us.

As it is, research says that we only utilize about 10% of our brain’s capacity. If we include the potential power of the Holy Spirit how well are we utilizing the gifts and power of the promise? I suspect the answer is “not nearly enough”. The reason goes back to the weakness of the flesh that holds on to the powerlessness of its own will rather than surrender to the power of the will of God. The power of the promise is manifest in our desire to do the will of God. The greater our surrender the greater the power and miracles that come from it. This is the testimony of the great saints.

Too often the sentiment is “I am not worthy”. God places no standard of worthiness on his people. He places a standard of obedience, surrender and sacrifice. He calls us friends but as his friends our commitment is still trying to bargain with a “yes, but not yet” or “yes, but not completely”. If not now when? How long will we keep him waiting for our hearts to open up to his love? The spirit is weak from lack of spiritual muscle. Spiritual muscle comes from spiritual exercises that includes our prayer life, our charity, and our communion with God. These are the corner stones that opens our hearts to obedience, surrender and sacrifice. Practice leads to perfection in any of our life goals corporal as well as spiritual. Do it! Do it right! Keep doing it!

It all begins with taking the next right step. It comes as an inspiration from the Spirit, it passes through right judgment, and leads to an act of holiness. That is why we are called to be holy as God is holy. It is the Spirit of truth that he promised and we will not be misled. This is the promise coming from the Ascension of the Lord that we may follow him both now and at the hour of our death. The Lord left us the promise of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our faith journey but it is a journey we must still undertake.

Today also marks Mother’s Day in which we honor our mothers who through the pain of childbirth said “yes” to life. It is a selfless self-giving sharing in the mystery of creation. It is saying “yes” to God and trusting in the Lord to walk in faith raising up a child with God’s special graces he gives to mothers. A mother knows her children because her love comes with a spirit of wisdom and revelation. They have eyes behind their heads, “lol”.

We also recognize the women who said “yes” to accepting a child raising them as their own because of whatever circumstances the child was born in or found themselves in. Mothers are an example of how God works through humanity to bring about life, joy, peace, love and salvation. The reward of motherhood is a great blessing but greater is the promise to come when God will call us to his glory.

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Homily

The Ascension of the Lord – “The promise!”

Posted on May 20, 2023May 21, 2023 by Deacon Joe

Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20

“The promise of the Father” is the Holy Spirit. Last week we celebrated the promise with the sacrament of confirmation for seventeen of our young community as bishop Mario Aviles placed the Chrism oil on their heads. The disciples were to “wait for the promise” after the ascension of the Lord. How long must they wait? Here is a hint, “how long is a Novena?” They waited in in prayer for nine days and on the tenth day came the promise to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

We will celebrate his coming in the Holy Spirit next Sunday as Pentecost Sunday. Forty days after the resurrection day happened on Thursday but the Church allows for the celebration to be recognized on day forty or on the weekend. Novena prayers commemorate a period of waiting for the Lord in prayer for his promise. The promise is his coming to be with us until the end of time.

As Jesus ascends to the Father in today’s reading “two men dressed in white garments” appear to the disciples with a question for all of us “why are you standing there looking at the sky?”. When we seek God, we look to the heavens and sometimes think and feel God is far off from us” and we may even question “does God hear our prayer? The promise of God is that he with us! He is with us in the Holy Spirit, he is with us in the Eucharist, and he is with us as he comes to us in others in who he is also present.

For the disciples they were still thinking and wondering if Jesus was “going to restore the kingdom to Israel”. Their vision of a kingdom was an earthly kingdom to the Jewish people. They did not hear Jesus tell Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn. 18:36). Where then is this kingdom or what is it? Thy kingdom come is what we pray for in the “Our Father”. Thy kingdom comes as a “Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him” who we trust and believe in. In the knowledge of him truth is revealed to us and we are given a vision of life, liberty and love in him. We love living, we love freedom, we love to be loved then Jesus is the fullness of this desire. In him we put on the mind of God and find meaning not only in our joys but also in our suffering. In him we grow in virtue and sanctity as we respond to his call and do his will.

Jesus comes to restore his kingdom of saints for heaven. Are we there yet? What is holding us back from receiving the fullness of his grace through the Holy Spirit to be saints? For some it is ignorance of him for not seeking him who is waiting on us. They include the unbaptized, un-catechized, the agnostics raised without faith in a God. They fall into the category of “you don’t know what you don’t know” but in ignorance do the best they can. In today’s world of communication however ignorance of truth is not a justified excuse for many. “Go and teach all nations” has surrounded the globe in a missionary spirit.

For some it is resistance knowing the God of our ancestors but still saying “not yet”. I am not yet fully committed to God because I am still living for me. They include the “lukewarm” baptized both in the Catholic church and in other separated Christian denominations that lack the fullness of truth. The lukewarm still seek to build a kingdom in this world yet the world has never produced a kingdom that lasts forever. When we focus on simply building our own kingdom it will come to an end and then what? God provides hope to fulfill his promise of heaven and the road to it goes through purgatory for nothing impure can enter the kingdom of heaven. Purgatory is our time to be purified by loving him as we have failed to love in this world.

Tragically for others it is a rebellion against surrender to God to be their own god. These take on the persona of their own sins not just falling into sin but become the sin they are attached to possessed by the demon of their sin. It is a reminder of when Jesus says “not all” are going to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is a tragedy by choice of the will and we pray for the conversion of sinners before it is too late. The promise is for all to convert from sinner to saint while there is still time.

The saint knows “his call” given from God. We each have a calling to exercise our saintly purpose in this world. The greater the knowledge of God the more our calling is revealed to us in which to serve him for our good and the good of others. The saint receives the “riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones”. An inheritance comes after the death of someone and Jesus died on the cross that we may receive the riches of our inheritance. They come as gifts of the Holy Spirit and they come with “the surpassing greatness of his power”. The gifts are like powerful tools but unless we allow them to serve their purpose, they are waisted opportunities sitting in storage and we become like seeds planted on poor soil failing to grow and give fruit.

The eleven disciples did as Jesus asked going to Galilee. They saw Jesus and worshiped him BUT “they doubted”. What is wrong with this picture? After all that Jesus did, miracles, exorcism of demons, healing, even raising the dead back to life and now seeing him resurrected and they doubted. This is us in the fullness of our humanity. Even when we know there is a God, when life happens and not all goes well, we find ourselves questioning and even doubting. Has not God revealed himself to us during our life that we may see the hand of God in all and though all or have we not come to him and received him in all our daily walk of life?

The gift of the Holy Spirit comes to us as it did to the first disciples with a commissioning to go out to all the world and tell the good news. The good news is Jesus is alive and he comes to deliver the promise of the Father in our own journey of faith. Live the journey as a daily walk with Jesus and when the evil one desires to create doubt in us we will respond with “there is no doubt” in the promise of God the Father, in the Son, and through the Holy Spirit. So let us go out, let us live the promise with courage not fear, with faith not doubt, and with purpose to be all God is calling us to be.

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Homily

Ascension of the Lord

Posted on May 28, 2022June 1, 2022 by Deacon Joe

Acts 1:1-11; Ps. 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph. 1:17-23; Mk. 16:15-20

Ascension of the Lord, now what? Now the Apostles wait upon the Lord in prayer for his return. Now the Novena has begun in the upper room for the coming of the Advocate. Now they wait for “the promise of the Father”, to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit coming with gifts of the Spirit. Now comes the gift of wisdom and revelation to have knowledge of God. Now comes the gift of enlightenment to receive the hope and “riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones”. Now we receive the “surpassing greatness of his power” which “he put all things beneath his feet and gave him (Jesus) as head over all things to the church which is his body”. Yes, to the church something to reflect on how well we follow the precepts of the church.

God the Father is giving us Jesus the Son and making it his body in the Holy Spirit, his body in the Eucharist, his body in the Magisterium of the church with authority and power and calling us his people to be his body in spirit and in truth. The question we may ask is “why is this the way God chose to return to us after the Ascension of the Lord?” God is making himself present in us, with us and through us in all things to remain a visible presence to the world. He makes of himself a continued sacrifice to give himself to us with “surpassing greatness of his power” trusting in humanity his plan of salvation. Are we ready for this? Are we up to receiving the body of Christ called to be his body as he comes “to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ”? By our fruits we will have answered to God our readiness or not.

Today in our times many are asking “Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” We see war, violence, tragedy, death to the unborn, and the threat of nuclear annihilation and as in every generation the question is asked “will it happen in our time?” The Lord’s response has not changed “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.” “Punto final!”, final point! What we do know is the power given to us in the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses of faith, hope, and love to every soul we encounter beginning at home and spreading to our neighbor, friend, and stranger. This we do know, what we do with ourselves has eternal consequences. So, people of Christian faith “why are you standing there looking at the sky?” Keep marching forward doing the will of the Father until he comes to take us up to himself at the moment of our death or at the end of time.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Do we believe in God enough to trust him with our pain, sorrow, and suffering or do we turn from him complaining like the Israelites in the desert? Do we believe in God when tragedy comes to the innocent in this world and we lose a child, a spouse, or a friend in a tragedy or do we cry out for vengeance? Do we believe when we pray and pray and God is silent or do we give up and choose to go our way?

“These signs will accompany those who believe, in my name they will drive out demons…” In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in baptism original sin through exorcism is driven out. When we make the sign of the cross with Holy Water, we drive out the evil one. When we call out to God proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” the demons rush away. When we honor our Blessed Mother Mary demons tremble in fear. This is the power given to us and the weapons of spiritual warfare.

“They will speak new languages” says the Lord. The Spirit comes with the language of truth, love, and mercy planted into our hearts. We proclaim the Word of God as the language of authority to be our light and salvation.

“They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them”. We lift up in our hands the poisonous serpents in a culture of death threatened if we do not comply and accept what this world calls its freedom to choose against the moral conscience of the church. We will not be harmed with the deadly drink of secular ideologies fed to us and forced upon us through the powers of godless institutions.

“Conscience” meaning in Latin “con – with” and “scire – know”; with whose knowledge do we associate with? Is it with the knowledge of God through the church or with the thinking of the world? Our individual thinking will make an alliance of conscience in support or against the authority of the Church and as for me and my house we stand with Papa and Mother church.

“They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” When we place our hands in the hands of God it is he who heals relationships, raises up the spiritually dying, and restores faith, hope, and love to the sick. We are but instruments in his hands. The world is in need of recovery from the sickness of narcissistic thinking, from the passions of self-indulgence, and from the lies from a culture of indoctrination that wants to take our children and raise them up to believe they are a creation of their own mind and not of God. So many false teachings with information overload that our children are left asking “what is truth?”

We need more of God to blare the trumpets. We need the Lord Jesus who in the Ascension “was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God” to work with us and through us to confirm the word with signs of his presence. We need a conversion of souls and he is with us calling us to be the one to make a difference.

The trumpets are blaring! We are blessed that this day we can sing hymns of praise to the Lord because he already reigns over us though we are in this world we belong to him. He reigns “far above every principality, authority, power and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Are we listed in the book of names? By our baptism we have been named but we must also remain in him….and that is the work we are being called to accomplish this day. Amen.

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Ascension of the Lord – The Father’s Promise!

Posted on May 16, 2021May 16, 2021 by Deacon Joe

Acts 1:1-11; Ps. 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph. 1:17-23; Mk. 16:15-20

The Father’s promise is “I will be with you through the baptism of the Holy Spirit”. The Father’s promise is to be with us as he has through salvation history as we read in Genesis 26:3 “I will be with you and bless you”; Genesis 31:3 “Then the Lord said to Jacob: Return to the land of your ancestors, where you were born, and I will be with you”; Exodus 3:12 “God answered “I will be with you and this will be your sign”; Joshua 1:5 “As I was with Moses, I will be with you I will not leave not leave you or forsake you”; “Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through waters, I will be with you through the rivers you shall not be swept away”. The Father’s promise has a major “If” in 1 Kings 11:38 “If, then you heed all that I command you, walking in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments like David my servant, I will be with you.” The Father’s promise is for those who surrender to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit he is with us.

The Father’s promise is a Spirit of wisdom and revelation given to those who believe and are baptized to “go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel” while the Lord continues to work with us “through accompanying signs.” Jesus appearance to the disciples for forty days after his resurrection and before his Ascension bringing about the transformation of his disciples into apostles to lead his church with the promise of the Holy Spirit. The Father’s promise is one of a “surpassing greatness of his power” and protection in the name above all names that in the name of Jesus comes the authority to face the evil of our times.

The evil of our times comes is a cultural war for the souls of people. Just as the Lord continues to work with us and through us so does the evil one continues to work against us and through others in our battle for the souls of God’s people. The signs of our time drive out demons through the waters of baptism and the Holy Spirit for those who believe the Word of God and follow his commandments. Demonic spirits work though others to create chaos claiming evil in the streets is justified for injustice in the world, lies are justified for a cause while others who speak truth must be silenced, even death is claimed as justified for the right to choose self over others beginning with the unborn.

In Jesus name we are to pick up these “serpents” of ideologues that prowl about the world for the souls of the innocent with our “hands” of the truth of the gospel and fear not. The poison we are fed to drink are the ideologies that create division raising the power of the state over the rights of the church. These will not harm us when we hold to the truth of the gospel message. Today many have fallen “sick” to the secular normalization to degenderize male and female, to separate church from state, to divide faith from science, and to raise one race above another as racist from birth. All these poisons cannot stand when the people of God go forth to speak the truth of the gospel message. It is a message of the love of God and a promise to be with us until the end of the world.

The Father’s promise is to be with us as he works through us in the fight for souls against the powers of darkness with the light of truth. Today our children are being taught to see the world through the lens of racial bias simply based on the color of a person’s skin regardless of individual views and it falls under the title of “Critical Race Theory” which is no more than an attempt to gain power of one group over another. Any attempt to voice opposition is quickly labeled “microaggression” for speaking out with an opposing view meant to silence dialogue not engage in dialogue but we are called to go out with the right to speak the gospel message trusting in the Father’s promise, united to Jesus’ Word and with the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Father’s promise to be with us, to navigate our path does not promise the “easy road”. Just by looking back to all the martyrs who suffered and died for the faith we know we must pick up our cross and follow the “road less traveled” of which many have chosen to fall away. Who will remain standing with the Lord? What other promise can we look for? The promise of the evil one was “you will be like gods” proven to be the greatest lie and yet it is the path this world continues to seek to be your own god, have your own “truth”, identify yourself in whatever gender of choice, and live your life for yourself above others. In the end it comes down to these two choices, the Father’s promise or the promise of the Evil one.

The Father sent the Son who left us with these words, “My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me, and as I told the Jews, ‘Where I go you cannot come,’ so now I say it to you. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus does not leave us with a critical race theory but with the commandment of love, truth, unity and goodness for one another. This is the truth of inclusiveness that brings us the promise of the Father.

The Father’s promise is not a theory of humanity but the essence of life coming from our creator, redeemer, and sanctifier. Let us remain in him and in his promise this day until the day we will see him face to face. Let us pray for the promise of the Father’s mercy for those who do not believe, do not accept, and do not follow the only promise that brings us salvation and heaven.

We celebrate the Ascension of the Lord after “He presented himself alive to them by many proofs…appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God”. The biggest proof is he is alive! Had he not presented himself alive the world would be reading about one more prophet still waiting for the messiah to come. Instead, Jesus is the cornerstone of salvation and the promise has arrived for those who believe and accept God is with us.

As the disciples were to be transformed into apostles with the coming of the Holy Spirit, they waited in Jerusalem for nine days in prayer. Tradition now waits in prayer for nine days when we do a novena for the promise to come in answer to our prayers. Let this day be the beginning of a novena for us in our homes and in our personal prayer life. Let us pray for the Lord to come with the power of the Holy Spirit with the grace we need to go forth “to the ends of the earth” without fear.

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Homily The Deacon Joe

Ascension of the Lord

Posted on May 21, 2020May 20, 2020 by Deacon Joe

Acts 1:1-11; Ps. 47:2-3,6-9; Eph. 1:17-23; Mat.28:16-20

“I am with you always, until the end of the age” is our hope and salvation as Jesus visibly ascends only to remain as the invisible God with us. The disciples went to the mountain of Galilee and “when they saw him, they worshiped but the doubted.” What a contradiction to see, worship what you see and doubt what you see reminds us only in Christ can we do all things through him who strengthens us.

In the midst of uncertainty as the disciples found themselves even in seeing the resurrected Jesus, they doubted his real presence. In the midst of uncertainty how often do we doubt the presence of God and promise that Jesus is with us? In receiving the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ in the Eucharist how many remain in doubt to his real presence even after seeing Eucharistic miracles where the host turn into flesh and drips blood? The power of faith to believe is the coming together of our will to the will of the Father to give life in the spirit of truth.

Jesus provided “many proofs” he is alive yet they doubted. The human spirit desires what only the Holy Spirit brings to the soul, the voice of God. God enlightens the soul to truth out of the darkness of doubt through the waters of baptism; it confirms us in faith to the divine will to witness against the passion of idolatry; it feeds the hunger for love out of his own body and blood in the breaking of the bread; it brings conviction of sin to be cleansed in confession against condemnation of the law; it fosters unity in one body with the Trinity and fellowship of humanity against division of relativity; it raises sacrifice for a greater good against indulgence of narcissism; it brings peace and joy where there is fear and confusion; it is God with us and who can be against?

God sees the depth of the heart’s prayer as worship with doubt or worship in faith. Jesus asks Martha, “Do you believe this?”. He was referring to himself as “the resurrection and the life”. Martha responds “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God…” First, Martha came to believe indicating faith is a journey and each of us are on that path with its’ own share of joys and sufferings that bring us to this revelation. Second, Martha arrived at a point of faith that allowed Jesus to perform the miracle of faith in raising Lazarus.

The Spirit is present and active but where are the believers who have arrived without doubting in this power of God present in us and with us? We remain as the people of God in the desert looking beyond for the promise land wandering, waiting, hoping, yet doubting. Jesus is with us yet we must arrive in our faith as he walks beside us while our hearts are burning, wandering and wondering. Believe and receive the promise waiting to be revealed.

There was a radio talk show in which the person interviewed came to believe and converted from atheist to Catholic. The one statement that had a profound impact in her conversion was when they heard “what if you just believed for 30 days what do you have to lose”. She decided to act in faith what she was discerning and see what would happen knowing that if nothing happened the worst thing in the end she would “eat some crow” for her foolishness. The encounter with God was not delayed as after only a few days there was a new profound faith giving birth in her soul that was left with no doubt. Let us come to believe and set doubt aside so God can enter into our faith and make greater miracles of us, through us, and for us.

For forty days Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection and before his ascension to bring conviction and instruction as to the kingdom of God. They were to “wait for the promise of the Father…in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”. This promise is given to us who wait upon the Lord in faith already believing and “shout to God with cries of gladness”. Thank you Lord for receiving me who receives you this day present to manifest power and glory in this humble servant for this I know your promise is everlasting.

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Homily

Ascension of the Lord

Posted on June 2, 2019June 3, 2019 by Deacon Joe

Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph. 1:17-23; Lk. 24:46-53

Today our Easter time joins Jesus passion, death and resurrection to his ascension. First, “shouts of joy” to the pilgrimage group from EWTN led by Father Miguel as we visited the shrines of Italy in May. It was a blessing to celebrate Mass daily whether in large basilicas or down in caves and catacombs where Christians were buried. One of these places we visited was the Shrine of the Holy Face of Jesus in Manoppello. Divine providence allowed us to be present as the community was celebrating Mass on the day the Holy Face of Jesus was being exposed for veneration by the community.

Here we learned about the studies that have been done on Veronica’s veil, the Shroud of Turin and the Holy Face of Jesus burial cloth. Jesus in his love and mercy has left us these signs to increase our faith. Science has determined that these three cloths overlap each other perfectly representing the same person who suffered, died, and was coming to life.

They are a sign of his passion, death, and resurrection. In Veronica’s veil we recall Jesus scourging and bloody mouth which Veronica wiped away. In the Shroud of Turin we recall Jesus death as he lay in the womb three days. In the Holy Face of Jesus we have the hood that covered the face representing the moment of the resurrection as he came to life. Together they represent our Easter time.

“This Jesus who has been taken up…will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” “Only the one who came from the Father can return to the Father: Christ Jesus” (CCC 661). Christ now opens the gates of heaven to share in his glorified life, not by our own power but through his coming for us. What is this glorified life we are promised?

After the resurrection for forty days Jesus appeared to the disciples and revealed his glorified state in which we are all to share. The church speaks of four properties of a glorified resurrected body. They include: impassability, subtlety, agility and clarity. Reflecting on each is seen in the resurrected body of Jesus who leaves us his witness of the glorified state.

Impassability is the promise that we will no longer pass through suffering, physical sickness or death for the body “shall rise in incorruption” (1 Cr. 15:42) There is no reincarnation or return to “try again” at a more perfect state of life from our past sins. Even science demonstrates the world is in perpetual motion forward and no second chance. We pass from mortality to immortality.

Subtlety is the spiritualized nature of the body with the ability to pass through the material. Jesus appeared to the disciples as he passed through the doors. It is important to remember that the body and soul is one nature of humanity thus our spiritualized resurrected body will be of one nature in its subtlety. Just as a hand runs through running water the spiritualized nature will remain as one.

Agility is the glorified body’s ability to obey the soul and be transported at the speed of thought (1 Cor. 15:43). This was seen in Jesus appearance and disappearance on the walk to Emmaus to the two men. We also have seen testimony of this in saint’s ability to bilocate, is to have appeared in other places.

Clarity indicates the glorified body will be free from any deformity, filled with beauty and radiance (Math: 13:43/Wis. 3:7). This is the healing Jesus provides us when he heals the blind, and paralytic. You may ask then why did Jesus’ resurrected state remain with his wounds, a sign of imperfection. In a homily by Father Wade Menezes (EWTN homily 05/29/19) he expressed the need for perfection of charity. That is to the degree we demonstrate our charity we are perfected. Jesus wounds remain as a sign of our imperfect love which he so desires of us.

It is important to clarify that the glorified state is a grace obedient to the will. When someone we love dies in their humanity they are alive in Christ. Saints often expressed their intent to do more for us in dying than in their humanity. This can only be by our will to pray and ask of them, of our Blessed Mother Mary, and of God in the Trinity. The glorified state honors the will of the other thus Jesus stands at the door of our hearts but we must invite him in.

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Homily

Ascension of the Lord

Posted on May 24, 2017May 27, 2017 by Deacon Joe

Where does a nine day Novena come from? That was the question posed to me one day. Nine days represent the time of prayer between the Ascension of the Lord and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. In prayer a Novena is a longing for the coming of the Lord, the anticipation and a realization of his return. The power of the Holy Spirit gives witness to his coming “to the ends of the earth”. Each baptized faithful is a temple of the Holy Spirit. The “two men dressed in white garments …said,…’men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11) We are to look not up to the sky for him but look ahead to where he wants us to take him in our love, our actions, our kerygma, proclaiming the kingdom of God.

“The Father of glory…gave him as head over all things to the church which is his body the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” (Eph. 1:17, 22-23) His body given to the church which we receive in the Eucharist is in communion the fullness of all things from Jesus. His is the authority, power, and dominion above all things and in Him it is now our authority, power, and dominion called to go forth. This is the witness of disciples transformed into Apostles to go forth and heal the sick, cast out demons, have authority to forgive and be renewed in the sacramental life through his body, blood, soul, and divinity.

We long to belong. It is God’s creation, in our DNA to belong. Where we belong is a choice of daily life. We choose to belong to a family, to a community, to a house of worship. When we say “yes” to the invitation to belong to God it comes with a promise and a shared responsibility. The church says “welcome” and “go forth”. Welcome to the love of Jesus and go forth to spread God’s love to others.

Go forth into a world where there is much suffering, a world in need of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Where does suffering go to die? It dies where we find joy, purpose, and meaning in the calling. The calling comes from God. The calling is rooted in living our core values. Those values are in our Christian heritage, passed on by our practice of faith, our traditions, and our sacramental life. It is our inheritance to pass on and our responsibility.

There is a story of an American researcher who went to study the customs of a Japanese education system. As he sat at the back of the class doing his observation and taking notes, the teacher asked the students to draw a cube. He went around the class and found one child who had drawn it incorrectly. He asked, “Hiroshi would you like to come up to the board and draw a cube?” The boy said “yes” with excitement. After attempting to draw the cube he asked the class, “Class, did Hiroshi draw the cube correctly?” They all said “no”. The researcher felt bad for the child. The teacher asked Hiroshi, “Would you like to try again to draw a cube?” He said, “yes” and made a second attempt. The teacher asked the class, “Did Hiroshi draw the cube correctly?” The class said “no” all together. The researcher not only started to feel bad for the child but felt the anxiety and projected feelings of humiliation for the “poor” child. The teacher asked Hiroshi again, “Would you like to try again to draw a cube?” The child said, “yes” and again he did it wrong, and again he asked the class and all said “no”. By now the researcher was feeling the physical pain of this stressful activity wondering “why, put this child through this?” Once again the child was asked if he wanted to try again and he said “yes”. This time he drew it correctly. The teacher asked the class, “Did Hiroshi draw the cube correctly?” The all said “yes!” and began to clap. The ones who drew it correctly did not have a lesson to learn but the child who went through the struggle and persevered learned a life lesson beyond how to draw a cube.

Brother and sisters, the calling is to, “proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching…be possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.” (2 Tim 4: 2, 5) Those called before us have finished their race and kept the faith, now it is our turn “for all who have longed for his appearance”. (2 Tim 4: 8) Go forth the Kingdom of God is at hand.

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