Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.MT 28:19A, 20B
ACTS 1:1-11
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Apart from appearing to Your apostles and disciples several times after Your Resurrection, You appeared to many others as well, until the day when they witnessed Your ascension into heaven. Before Your ascension, You gave them clear instructions that they were to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the 'promise of the Father.'
When the Apostles asked about future events You did not satisfy their curiosity about things that did not concern them. The same holds true for us as well. Our mission, the mission of the Church, is the same as the mission You entrusted to them, all that matters is that we preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We are not to waste time looking at the sky when there is work to be done. You will come again just as You promised, but until then let us do all that You have entrusted us so when You call us to Yourself, You will say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
PSALM 47:2-3, 6-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
There is a funny meme going around that says, the Ascension is the day when You began working from home. Yes, we have this faith, this hope, and this confidence that You who have gone up to the highest heavens with shouts of joy and a blare of trumpets will return once again in the same way that You ascended. We long for that day, Beloved. Come, Beloved, come. Maranatha!
EPHESIANS 1:17-23
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
I thank You for the genius of St. Paul who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has spoken so eloquently and soul-stirringly about You.
Please answer his prayer in our day too, my Lord. Grant us a full measure of Your Holy Spirit so we may be effective witnesses to Your glory. We make this prayer to the Father who has seated You at His right hand 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. And he put all things beneath Your feet and gave You as head over all things to the church, which is Your body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. Amen.
MATTHEW 28:16-20
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We are told that when the eleven disciples went to the mountain as You ordered them to, they saw You, and despite seeing You many times after Your resurrection from the dead, although there were in awe and worshiped You, they still doubted.
Are we not like them as well, Beloved? Despite all You have done for us, despite the fact that we know beyond all doubt that You are indeed the Son of God who died for us, redeemed us, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven our faith is sometimes a frail, fragile, weak thing. Were it not for the fulfillment of Your promise to send the Holy Spirit on Your Church, we would have all fallen by the wayside and been forgotten a long time ago.
As we wait and pray until the day of the feast of Pentecost, we ask the Father in Your mighty Name to give us a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us a new Pentecost to blow mightily through the Church and the world so we may be a renewed people, full of the power of God and the Spirit of God. Amen.
I am with you always, until the end of the world.MT 28:19A, 20B
ACTS 1:1-11
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Apart from appearing to Your apostles and disciples several times after Your Resurrection, You appeared to many others as well, until the day when they witnessed Your ascension into heaven. Before Your ascension, You gave them clear instructions that they were to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the 'promise of the Father.'
When the Apostles asked about future events You did not satisfy their curiosity about things that did not concern them. The same holds true for us as well. Our mission, the mission of the Church, is the same as the mission You entrusted to them, all that matters is that we preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We are not to waste time looking at the sky when there is work to be done. You will come again just as You promised, but until then let us do all that You have entrusted us so when You call us to Yourself, You will say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
PSALM 47:2-3, 6-9
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
There is a funny meme going around that says, the Ascension is the day when You began working from home. Yes, we have this faith, this hope, and this confidence that You who have gone up to the highest heavens with shouts of joy and a blare of trumpets will return once again in the same way that You ascended. We long for that day, Beloved. Come, Beloved, come. Maranatha!
EPHESIANS 1:17-23
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
I thank You for the genius of St. Paul who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has spoken so eloquently and soul-stirringly about You.
Please answer his prayer in our day too, my Lord. Grant us a full measure of Your Holy Spirit so we may be effective witnesses to Your glory. We make this prayer to the Father who has seated You at His right hand 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. And he put all things beneath Your feet and gave You as head over all things to the church, which is Your body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. Amen.
MATTHEW 28:16-20
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
We are told that when the eleven disciples went to the mountain as You ordered them to, they saw You, and despite seeing You many times after Your resurrection from the dead, although there were in awe and worshiped You, they still doubted.
Are we not like them as well, Beloved? Despite all You have done for us, despite the fact that we know beyond all doubt that You are indeed the Son of God who died for us, redeemed us, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven our faith is sometimes a frail, fragile, weak thing. Were it not for the fulfillment of Your promise to send the Holy Spirit on Your Church, we would have all fallen by the wayside and been forgotten a long time ago.
As we wait and pray until the day of the feast of Pentecost, we ask the Father in Your mighty Name to give us a fresh outpouring of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us a new Pentecost to blow mightily through the Church and the world so we may be a renewed people, full of the power of God and the Spirit of God. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment