From Pastor's Desk
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We congratulate our fifteen children who will be receiving their first Holy Communion this day of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is our prayer that the reception of the Holy Eucharist helps them to grow stronger in the faith. This year’s catechetical program was successful due to the grace of God and the collaboration of our Religious Education coordinators, Catechists and parents. We are very grateful for sharing your time and talents with us. God richly bless you.
Today we celebrate one of the biggest feasts of the liturgical year: The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. It fulfills the second part of the triumph of Jesus Christ over death. As we profess in the Creed: "... he rose on the third day... and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father..." We also meditate on it in the second glorious mystery of the Holy Rosary. With the presence of Jesus, the Father will send the Holy Spirit to his followers to fulfill the victory.For a moment our position towards the Ascension is that of the apostles in the first reading. We are left in awe thinking of the glory of God in heaven. However, as the angels awaken the eleven to action, we should consider what the Ascension means today. The gospel today helps us with this task. The second reading tells that Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father, has all power in heaven, on earth and also in the future. Because Jesus tells the apostles that he has been given all power, we know that he has already ascended to heaven. He will use the power for the good of all. This is why he says to his apostles: "'Go therefore and teach all nations'". It is the first step in his plan to renew the world in love. This phrase is echoed at the end of each Eucharist. After the blessing, the priest or deacon always says: “You may go in peace” sometimes adding “and announce the gospel”. Jesus sends us today as his apostles to evangelize the inhabitants of the world. He carries out this mission by "'teaching them to do everything I have commanded them”. On this day of ascension, his message and healing power is no longer confined to one pair of feet, one pair of hands. Now in the Church he has a million hearts to beat with his love, a million voices to proclaim his Good News, a million tongues to preach forgiveness of sins and the message of salvation. But a million is not enough if there are still people among us who are still gazing into the “sky”. The question is, “Are you still looking into the sky?” if you are, then get to work. The ascension of the Lord, calls us on, challenges us to move beyond the boundaries that are set by our own fear and weakness and sinfulness. Today, as the Lord promises us the Holy Spirit who will empower us to carry on the mission, let us open our hearts to him these coming days as we prepare to celebrate Pentecost. May the Lord bless us with his Spirit. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen Fr. Paschal Chester, SVD
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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, St Faustina Kowalska tells us something about prayer: “A soul arms itself by prayer for all kinds of combat. In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty: a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer.”
In the gospel, a Pharisee and a tax collector went to the temple to pray. Their attitude reflected what society thinks about them: the Pharisee took the normal posture for prayer. His prayers were in thanksgiving to God for his blessings. For Jesus’ audience, he will be a model of a righteous person. The tax-collector on the other hand stood off a distance, and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beating his breast prayed “O God, be merciful to me a sinner”. With that prayer, he acknowledges what everyone else knew about him: a sinner. But Jesus says that the tax-collector went home justified, this is a surprise. The tax collector had not quit his job or made reparation, and there is no evidence of real change of profession. My dear friends, Jesus does not praise the tax-collector nor does he approve of his sins. He only says that he had the right attitude in the eyes of God. He shows the Lord the only things he has, his sins, his misery, his interior poverty. He knows that he does not deserve a thing and that his salvation can only come gratuitously. To attain salvation, he would have to quit his job, make full restitution plus the percentage. So he put all his trust in God in whom nothing is hopeless “O God have mercy on me a sinner”. The Pharisee on the other hand, was a righteous man but his mistake was that he thought he would merit justification due to the good deeds he carried with him. Jesus ended the parable that “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” St Alphonsus Ligouri advises us: “God wants us to go to him with confidence. Bring to him your work, our projects, your fears and whatever interests you. Act with a trusting and open heart”. This weekend we celebrate World Mission Sunday. As a Divine Word Missionary, this is the very heart of our identity. We are sent to this world to proclaim the Divine World. I wish you a happy Mission Sunday. And may the Lord grant us the spirit of prayer and the right attitude in prayer. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen Fr. Paschal Chester, SVD |
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