This past Thursday was the actual ‘Ascension Thursday’. TODAY, Sunday’s, scriptures still inspire us with a taste of this treasured Feast Day. Take for instance ACTS 1:12-14, “After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.” **So, we hear again that Jesus was taken from their sight, heaven bound. Acts then finishes up with… “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” **This one sentence speaks volumes about the early church’s contentment with being a community. Of course, their central binding thoughts were of their devotion to our Lord, Jesus, the Christ. May the same be said of us.
In our Gospel, John 17:1-11, Jesus is praying pretty earnestly directly to God the Father, throughout this passage. I’ll give you a ‘cliff’s notes’ version! “Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world.” **The Gospel finishes with: “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am returning to you.” This entire scripture is Jesus praying FOR the Apostles benefit, both to & from the Father. I feel in my gut that Jesus is praying out loud, also for their benefit. All events are clarifying & becoming more real than the ’12’ ever could’ve imagined. Jesus needs them calm!
**Since this month is still May, the month of our Queen of Heaven, I am also innocently struck by the quite obvious ways that the ‘story’ and lives of our Holy Family & Saints intersect with each other. Mary says “Yes.” Jesus is born. Joseph gives his own lineage of King David to Jesus. Joseph raises Jesus to be a fine Jewish man & son. Next are the Apostles, Jesus’ ministry, crucifixion, Resurrection, and now the Ascension. Jesus goes home to His Father & His dad. Mother Mary was there, through it all… and eventually rewarded with her own Assumption. ***MY friends these are the events that set us firmly in the concrete knowledge of Salvation, Life Everlasting. I shrink in awe that this gift is mine!!
Thank you for your time. Joy- Joy- Joy, Bro BLU is back on U-Tube videos this weekend… after a little R&R. God love you all, Mark “G”
