Ascension of Jesus

 

The readings for the feast of Ascension challenge us to look in three directions at the same time: upwards, inwards, and outwards. 

When 'looking up', we see the disciples of Jesus on the top of the Mount of Olives, our eyes are firmly fixed on the heavens where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. His ascension gives the finishing touch to His resurrection. It is ‘mission accomplished’ for Jesus.

The mission had begun when he embraced our human condition in the womb of Mary by becoming one of us, then walking in our footsteps, traveling our roads, experiencing our pains, feeling our fears, taking on our weaknesses, embracing our limitations even to the point of coming face-to-face with death itself. His mission was to reveal the Blessed Trinity, establish His Church, work miracles, expel demons, forgive sins, preach and proclaim the Gospel. He wanted as many as possible to come to know and love Him and be one of His disciples to obtain heaven.

And just when death seemed to get the last word, and when His lifeless body was in the tomb three days. He burst forth from the tomb radiant with new life. 

Forty days later, He returned to his Father where he intercedes for all of us. Ascension is about looking up, then: looking up to heaven where Christ is gloriously triumphant, our hope and our joy.

But looking up to heaven is not enough. There is work to be done on earth. We can’t afford to be heavenly minded without an earthly good! And that’s where looking inward and looking outward come in.

St. Augustine, helps us to look inward. In a homily for the feast of the Ascension, he said, 'Christ ascended before the apostles’ eyes, and they turned back grieving, only to find Him in their hearts.' St. Paul, in today’s reading from Ephesians, speaks of looking with 'the eyes of our hearts' – coming to see the Christ who dwells within us by faith, awakening to the ways God’s grace is working within us right now, coming to know the hope that is ours, the 'surpassing greatness of God’s power for us who believe'. The eyes of the heart are able, in times of pain and darkness and grief, to see, however dimly, the hand of a mysterious but loving God at work. Only the eyes of the heart can make sense out of life’s most perplexing mysteries. That’s why we look inward to see God in the midst of what we cannot understand.

Lastly, the Ascension causes us to look outward. The Ascension is not only about meeting Jesus who dwells within, it is also about taking that Jesus out into the world where we live. Jesus told his disciples, 'Go, make disciples of all nations,'. He says the same to us. We don’t just stand still gazing at the heavens anymore than the disciples on top of the Mount of Olives did. There is work to be done, a world to be transformed, a Gospel to be preached, and we instruments of God in the world to help others get to heaven.

The Ascension reminds us, that we who follow Jesus are called to look outwards, to leave our comfort zone and plant the seeds of the Gospel in the very dirty soil of this world:  soil that is often hostile to the Gospel, or at least painfully indifferent to it. 

We are called to go some places we are not welcome, to proclaim good news to those who don't want to hear it – certainly not to a culture that has eyes only for the here and now, that often confuses freedom with license, views suffering as meaningless, and values life only when it brings pleasure. Like Jesus, we are to be a sign of contradiction in the world, for by doing so, we help others to look heavenward.

My friends, make no mistake: the Ascension is about keeping our eyes upward toward heaven and it's about inward and outward directions. It is about internalizing the Gospel to take root in us and transforms us. And it is also about taking that Gospel to the streets: preaching it by the love we give, the stands we take, the poor we serve, the justice we promote.

Dear friends, this Feast of the Ascension, we are at the same time to live on a heavenly plane and to carry our cross on an earthly plane. That’s the life of a follower of Christ, a life that’s not easy and never dull. But if we take it seriously, we’ll make our mark.

Let us ask the Virgin Mary, who was with the Apostles on the Mount of Olives and with them watched Her Son go to heaven on a cloud, we trust that someday, we too will be all those who gone before us in our heavenly home. Mostly taken from Msgr. Jameson

Our Lady of Fatima

 

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. The year before Mary began to appear to the children, an angel of peace appeared to them. The angel said to the children, "Fear not, I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me.” Kneeling on the ground, he bowed low and cited this prayer three times, with the children repeating it after him: "O my God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You." The angel showed us the importance of believing in God, adoring God to have hope in God and to love God.

The angel of peace also explained it was necessary to pray in order to have peace. The angel said, "Pray! Pray a great deal. The hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs concerning you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way...I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal. Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you."

The angel as a messenger of God reveals that in order to have peace we need to make reparation for sins which have offended God and we are to love others by being concerned for their salvation. We show our love for others by making sacrifices for them and praying for their conversion.

The angel also said something very important about how to obtain peace. The angel said, “Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you."

The angel offered the children Holy Communion. Lucia received the Host, and Jacinta and Francisco drank the Precious Blood from the chalice.

When Our Lady began to appear to the children in 1917. She told them that from Russia would come a threat, which could cause the annihilation of the nations. To prevent this, she asked that Russia be consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and asked for world devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.

She came to ask for reparation for sins against Her Immaculate Heart, by doing the first 5 Saturdays.

During every apparition, She asked the children to pray the Rosary. She gave the children 3 secrets. She showed the children a vision of hell.

There is controversy over the 3 secret. The children saw a man dressed in white walking over the bodies of dead people killed by soldiers. An angel appeared saying, "Penance, Penance, Penance". Some believe the Vatican didn't reveal the full secret and some contend that the secret involved apostasy in the church.

Mary said that the consecration would come, but that it would be late and she said it would cause the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart.

Mary appeared on the 13th of each month. However, one month, the couldn't come to the apparition site because the children were arrested by the communist government and placed in jail. The authorities threatened to boil them in oil if they didn't renounce

At Her last apparition of the children, She identified Herself as Our Lady of the Rosary. Lucia also saw St. Joseph holding the Child Jesus, who was blessing the world and she saw Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It had rained for days and so on Oct 13th, the ground was muddy and soaked.

But suddenly the crowd saw the sun grow larger as it swirled out of control and appeared as though it was going crash into the ground.

Thousands of people witnessed the phenomena. After the sun returned to the sky in its normal position, the people were shocked that their clothes and the ground were completely dry.

Jacinta and Francisco would do great penances. Francisco would spend hours before Jesus in the tabernacle consoling the hidden Jesus. Jacinta became known as a mystic and predicted such things as immodest clothing, that would greatly offend Our Lord. The two children would die shortly after from the flu. Jacinta would later be found incorrupt.

Lucia would become a religious sister. First she entered the Dorothean convent and then later became a Carmelite sister. While at the Dorothean convent, she had visions of the Child Jesus and Mary, asking her to promote the first five Saturdays and in one vision she saw the Blessed Trinity above the altar, with blood dripping down from the wounds of Jesus onto a Host, which then dripped into a chalice. She saw what appeared to be water coming down from the wounds of Jesus, with the words "graces and mercy".

She lived to be 97 years old. However, some have analyzed photos of Sister Lucia, and believe the woman, who lived in the Carmelite monastery, was actually a woman who impersonated her. They claim to have scientific evidence that its not the real Sr. Lucia, which they say disappeared in the 1960s.

Pope John Paul II was shot on May 13th, the anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima and then several years in 1983, later consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which resulted in the fall of communism in the world. He however did not specifically consecrate Russia.

Due to the Russia and Ukraine war, Pope Francis consecrated Russia but also the Ukraine, which some believe still did not fully do was Our Lady asked, which is the consecration of Russia in union with all the bishops of the world.

There is definitely a re-surge of Communism in the world today. Many are praying and hoping for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Let us do as Our Lady requested, daily pray the Rosary, do penance, make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and may we continue to do the First Five Saturdays and promote devotion to Her Immaculate Heart.

6th Sunday, If You Love Me Keep My Commandments (Graduation Mass)

Do you love Jesus? How do we know if we truly love Him? We can say to Jesus, "I love you." Which is good. But, words can be cheap. If we love someone, we show the person we love, by doing loving actions for them.

In the Gospel today, Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." We can tell Jesus, we love Him, but if we don't keep His commandments, do we really love Jesus as we ought.

We should not have strange gods before Jesus. We should not place anything above our faith, such as as money, fame or sports, our job, our even our family. God must always be first.

We should not take God's name in vain, by cussing or saying, God's name as an expression.

We should keep the Sabbath holy, by attending Mass, and not working on Sunday un-necessarily.

We should honor our mother and father, not talking back nor disobeying them.

We should not kill, which includes physically or verbally harming others, losing our temper. We should not overeat, or drink alcohol excessively or take drugs, or harm our own body. We should always forgive those who hurt us.

We should not commit adultery and be faithful to our spouse. If not married, we should not have relations outside of marriage or do anything impure or watch pornography. We should not use contraception, especially because the pill, IUD, patch or the injection, can cause the death of an unborn baby.

We should not steal. We should do an honest day's work. We should not cheat in games or at school.

We should not bare false witness, by lying or gossiping.

We should not envy or be jealous of others or their spouses.

If we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments. But, we are all human. We all make mistakes. We are all sinners. And Jesus understands that. What Jesus desires is that we try to keep His commandments. That we do our best to be a good disciple. To be holy and live a life of virtue. That's why Jesus gave us the sacraments, so we can be forgiven in Confession, and receive spiritual strength when united to Jesus in Holy Communion. Our Lord understands us, better than we understand our selves, and is always ready to give His love and mercy.

God desires that we not only keep His Commandments, but we also do loving acts of mercy for our neighbor too.

So, let's back track a bit. Do you love Jesus? How do we show Jesus we love Him. Telling Him, "Jesus, I love you." But, also to keep His commandments and not just keep His commandments, but to love others. Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." (Matthew 22:39)

In the first Letter of John (4:20-21) it states, "If anyone says, I love God, and hates a brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: that he who loves God should love his brother also."

When students graduate from high school, they have their whole life to look forward to. But, there is a great responsibility to keep God's commandments and to love others. We need to do these to get to heaven.

As a child, our mother and father taught us to love God, to keep the commandments, and love our neighbor.

Often times, mothers shoulder the responsibility of forming us to help you become stewards of your own soul. Mothers taught us right from wrong. They taught us to share, to tell the truth, to not say dirty words, to forgive, to pray. They taught us the importance of attending Mass on weekends and going to Confession regularly. Mothers and fathers give us the skills we need to practice our faith on our own, and therefore, play a key role in helping us obtain heaven.

I was at the post office a few days ago. I saw a family from our parish there. The smallest child about 1 year old was sucking on a lollipop given to him by the postmaster. When he saw me, he took the lollipop out of his mouth and raised his hand holding it up for me to suck too. Of course, I politely refused to take it. But, the little boy's act of kindness, his little act of love, to share with others, was taught by his parents.

Now, as you gradate, you are responsible for your own soul. You are responsible for living out your faith. You are responsible for sharing what you have with others. You are responsible for going to Mass on your own. Going to Confession on your own. You are responsible for praying every day and praying the Rosary regularly and reading the bible. You are responsible for how you treat others. Will you live a life of selfishness or a life of self-giving. Will look out for the needs of others and help them when you can? Will you cause grief to others by bad behaviors or make the world a better place?

God has plan for every one of us. The prophet Jeremiah says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Today, think about doing something you will do for your natural mother and also the Virgin Mary, your spiritual mother. I'm sure your mother would enjoy it, if regularly told her, that you love her, if you kiss her, visit or call her. Take her out to eat or cook a meal for her. Or do a favor she asks of you. You can give her flowers or a gift on occasion.

If your mother died, have a Mass offered for her, pray a Rosary for her and daily pray for her soul.

The Blessed Mother is our spiritual mother. You will make the Virgin Mary happy if you daily pray Her Rosary, wear Her scapular, daily kneel before an image of Her and ask for Her intercession. And on occasion, set flowers before Her.

She would especially love if you made the First Five Saturdays in reparation for sins committed against Her Immaculate Heart, which includes: confessing your sins, attending Mass, offering your Holy Communion in reparation, praying Her Rosary and meditating on the three mysteries of the Rosary, Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious mysteries in reparation. By making the First Five Saturdays, you console Mother's Immaculate Heart so wounded by the sins of mankind.

There are five reasons why God is asking us to make reparation for sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

1. Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception 2. Blasphemies against her virginity 3. Blasphemies against her divine maternity, at the same time the refusal to accept her as the Mother of all men. 4. Instilling indifference, scorn and even hatred towards this Immaculate Mother in the hearts of children. 5. Direct insults against Her sacred images.

Let us thank God for our natural mother and our Blessed Mother, and may we keep God's commandments, for by doing, so we will show our love for Jesus, who said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."

5th Sunday, I am the Way, the Truth & the Life

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes the Father, except through Me.” 

Is Jesus the only way to heaven? Are all religions the same? Are all religions pathways to God?

Pope Leo XIII said “…. the great error of this age-that a regard for religion should be held as an indifferent matter, and that all religions are alike. This manner of reasoning is calculated to bring about the ruin of all forms of religion, and especially of the Catholic religion, which, as it is the only one that is true, cannot, without great injustice, be regarded as merely equal to other religions.” Humanum Genus #16

To say all religions are the same and all religions are pathways to God, denies Jesus and the need for Him to save us to get to heaven.

All religions are not a pathway to God, because some religions do not have Jesus as the pathway to the Father and not all Christian religions have the same beliefs about Jesus.

Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism can’t save anyone. Buddha, Confucius, Mohammad aren’t gods and they can’t bring others to the Father, like Jesus. They are not pathways to God. They didn’t die for anyone and even if they would have died for others, they still could not have saved anyone from their sins because only God can do that. Only Jesus, who is both God and man, can reconcile us to the Father.

Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and Muslims don’t believe Jesus is God. All religions other than the Catholic religion are false religions.

Every religion cannot be a pathway to God if they differ on who God is and how God can save us.

St. Paul said,...”(God wills) all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Timothy 2:4-6)

Only Jesus, as God, could offer Himself as a ransom for all by His suffering and death on the Cross. That is why He is the only mediator between God and man. Jesus' mediation as God and man, ransoms us from our sins.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6)

The pagan religion worshiped idols and those in Judaism, who did not accept Jesus, are not pathways to the Father, because only Jesus came to save us and reconcile us to the Father by His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. Only Jesus is the Savior. Only Jesus is the way to the Father.

There are many different Christian religions such as Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Catholic, Christian, Congregationalists, etc…. Most believe Jesus is God and Savior. But, all don’t have the same beliefs. If all don’t have the same beliefs, all religions can’t be the same.

The Methodist church was founded by Charles Wesley. Lutherans were founded by Martin Luther. Baptists were founded by John Smyth. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Himself.

The Catholic Church’s mission is to bring all mankind into salvation through Jesus Christ. And because the Catholic Church was given everything by God to bring men to salvation, our Church serves everyone and therefore, our Church is the greatest.

We come to know who God is and how He can save us by Sacred Scripture and Tradition only found in the Catholic Church. Non-Catholic Christians don’t have Sacred Tradition, so they are missing a lot of what God revealed.

Church councils and popes through the centuries clarified who God is and how God can save us. Councils proclaimed Jesus has two natures, human and divine. And there are three persons in the Trinity and they are equal and have the same substance. God uses Church councils to help us to resolve questions about God and what God desires of us.

The very first Church council is Council of Jerusalem found in the bible in Acts 15. Back then Christians wondered if they can eat meat sacrificed to idols. They also wondered if new Gentile (non-Jew) converts to Christianity were obligated to be circumcised, a Jewish tradition. How would they resolve these issues?

The 12 apostles gathered together in Jerusalem to discuss the controversy. Scripture tells us that once Peter spoke, all fell silent. By Peter leading the first Church Council, it was decided Christians should not eat meat sacrificed to idols, so as to not appear that they believe in false idols. And it was decided non-Jewish converts were not required to be circumcised, but the Jewish converts could. It was through Church authority by way of the Councils all came to know the truth.

Jesus left us 7 sacraments (outward signs that bestow grace). Most Christian religions have 2 sacraments Baptism and the Eucharist. But they don’t believe the same things Catholics believe about Baptism and the Eucharist.

For example, Baptists don’t believe original sin and personal sins are washed away through baptism. Lutherans believe baptism forgives the guilt of original sin, but the sinful nature that remains is real sin.

However, Catholics believe original sin, personal sin and the punishment due to sin is washed away at baptism. We believe God comes to dwell within the temple of heart, we become children of God, we enter into the very mystery of God’s divine life and baptism opens the gates of heaven.

Most all non-Catholic religions believe the Eucharist is a symbol. They don’t believe the Mass is a sacrifice. They don’t believe the Eucharist is the real and true flesh of Jesus.

But, Catholics believe the sacrifice of Calvary becomes present on the altar at Mass. We believe the bread is totally and completely changed into the resurrected person of Jesus. We believe that we eat the true flesh and blood of Jesus.

Most Christian religions reject Church authority. But, Catholics have always accepted Church authority. Jesus told the Apostles: "He who hears you, hears me; he who rejects you rejects me, he who rejects me, rejects Him who sent me" (Luke 10:16)

Catholics believe Church Councils and Popes have the gift of infallibility when proclaiming a specific doctrine on faith and morals binding all the faithful to believe it.

We Catholics believe Jesus gave us 7 sacraments (Baptism, Confession, Eucharist, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage and Priesthood). Through sacraments Jesus bestows grace to sanctify us and help us to obtain heaven.

Most every Christian religion has different teachings and morals. So all religions are not the same, especially if they contradict each other. If any denomination believes abortion, homosexual marriage, and euthanasia is okay and another religion believes these are wrong, which religion is right?

The Catholic Church is right- because only our Church has the authority by God for all of humanity. We don’t follow a religion that makes us feel good or one that has the least rules and obligations. Rather, we take up our cross and follow Jesus, because we love Him, want to please Him and be with Him in heaven.

There were many martyrs in the first three centuries and through all the centuries up to today. They died for Jesus and their belief that He is the way, the truth and the life.

Many Gentiles gave up their pagan practices and many Jews gave up their religion to become Christian. But, they knew they would die because they were followers of Jesus.

There is a wide path and narrow path to heaven. The narrow path is full of sufferings, persecutions, pain and crosses. While the wide path is easy. All other religions don’t fully embrace the Cross. They don’t have the full deposit of faith handed down to us from Jesus and the Apostles. They are not true pathways to God. It is our duty as Christians to proclaim Jesus is Savior and help as many as possible come to the fullness of truth found in the Catholic Church, because those who accept it find the most sure pathway to heaven.

We want everyone to come to know and love Him. He died for us on the Cross, that we may have life abundantly with Him in heaven. Today, and every day, make Jesus, the Lord of your life. Give yourself to Him and allow Him to lead you. Confess your sins to our Savior, so He can save you from them. Though you may fall on that narrow hard and arduous road, Jesus will be there to pick you up, encourage you, help you to carry your cross and give you peace.

If we love our family and friends, we will help them to become Catholic, because we have the fullness of truth.

During this month of May, let us pray the Holy Rosary for fallen away Catholics and non-Catholics, that Our Lady will touch their hearts and bring them to Jesus Christ, Her Son, Our Lord and Savior in the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church founded by "Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father, except through Him."