Welcome!
Thank you for visiting. I hope you will enjoy the variety of topics to enhance your spiritual life. You can read them below or download them and read at your leisure. I have also added my Sunday Homilies.
CURRENT TOPICS: Notes on Scripture Studies for “Paul” below and Notes on Prayer.
ENJOY!
Homilies
Ascension – Matthew 28:16-20
Though Matthew does not mention the Ascension, its significance is contained in his solemn conclusion to his Gospel. The setting is a mountain, which are places of special revelation in scripture, like Sinai in the Old Testament and the other mountains in Matthew. The place is Galilee of the Gentiles, the region where Jeus began his ministry. The audience is the Eleven. Like the Magi at the beginning, they worshiped Jesus, though some doubted. They were still people of little faith, a microcosm of the church to come, a mixed field of wheat and weeds.
Fr. Mark Boyer writes in the “Reflection” from Give Us This Day, “Maybe the most important word in Jesus’ final words to his followers is “Go.” A spirituality of mission includes the response of going to where one is commissioned to go and doing what one is commissioned to do. The mission is real, and it requires much effort, especially when it is given to one belonging to a culture of comfort. And teaching by one’s example of living righteousness may mean ostracism. Since Matthew’s gospel ends with the great commission, no one knows how well the eleven disciples responded to Jesus’ words. However, in this day and time it is not too hard to determine how many people on the street where one lives would respond to the same commission.”
The most comforting part of the gospel for me is Jesus’ promise to be with us always till the end of the age. When we are in deep trouble, or when we are dying, people who care about us often ask, “What can I do for you?” And the answer is: “Exactly what you are doing: just being here with me.” What we need and want the most is not any gift anyone can give us but simply themselves, their presence, their “witness.” This comes most clear at times of death or emergencies, but it’s true all the time. The main reason for divorce is the feeling that your spouse isn’t really with you, heart to heart. One of Christ’s names is “Emmanuel,” which means literally “God with us.”
The wonderful thing about being grandparents is that we can be present to our grandchildren in a special way that is different from their parents, (in my case, to my nieces and nephews, and grand and great grand). In a way we are witnesses, but related, and we can be neutral, generally. Sometimes they just need someone who will listen to them, or that special presence mentioned above of someone who unconditionally loves them, even though for me the best part at times is waving good-bye.
The celebration of the Ascension is important for us today, because we need at times to step back and reflect by putting ourselves in the picture that today’s gospel paints for us. We are gathered, outside if you wish, waving good-bye to Jesus as he ascends into the heavens, and all kinds of thoughts are going through our minds.
Some of the thoughts are because we are more informed about our universe. We know that Jesus is not really ascending into the atmosphere, since the Russian Cosmonauts informed us that they didn’t find God up there. Leaving all of that silliness aside, some thoughts are genuine. Why did Jesus leave us? Why not stay with us on the planet, in the flesh, for all times? Generally, most children would behave if the parents were present, and the same for us if Jesus never left, we would not only behave, but everyone would believe. Of course, when Jesus was living there were some who decided that he needed to be eliminated. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe, but they would have to love – unconditionally!
If we truly believed in God’s presence when two or three are gathered in his name, then Jesus has not left us. The Ascension reminds us of the importance of this community when we give witnesses to each other each Sunday when we are gathered in his name and presence for another week, for support and love, it will get us through another week until we meet again. We remember, we celebrate, we believe. Great words from a great song that we sing every once in a while. And a great song for the Ascencion.
We remember how you loved us to your death, and still we celebrate, for you are with us here; and we believe that we will see you when you come in your glory, Lord. We remember, we celebrate, we believe.
Scripture Studies
Scripture Studies on PAUL –
Notes on Topics below:
Prayer
As a followup to my talks on Prayer, below is an example of Birdwatching as a form of prayer.
Enjoy!