The Ascension of the Lord – Solemnity – Year B

1st reading: Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11.
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak;
for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

Psalms 47(46):2-3.6-7.8-9.
All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to God with joyful cries.
For the LORD, the Most High, inspires awe, the great king overall the earth,
God mounts the throne amid shouts of joy; the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God is king over all the earth; sing hymns of praise.
God rules over the nations; God sits upon his holy throne.

2nd Reading: Letter to the Ephesians 4:1-13.
I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:
one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it says: “He ascended on high and took prisoners captive; he gave gifts to men.”
What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended into the lower (regions) of the earth?
The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.
And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ,

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16:15-20.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents (with their hands), and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.)

Sermon Thoughts:

The story of an old Indian “Guru” and some of his students may be known to many.

One day he took his students to a forest area.

He wanted to teach them some techniques of archery, for their later days as warriors.

The “guru” took them one by one and asked the same question by showing a tree.

“What do you see?”

“A big tree, with full of fruits, branches and a clear blue sky as the background to it. That is all I see…”

All of them answered almost like this, except one.

This one said; “I see a small bird sitting on the tree”.

The Guru gave him the Bow and an Arrow and he met his aim.

The guru congratulated this one and asked others to follow his model.

Today as we celebrate the feast of the ascension of Jesus in to the “heavens” I remember this story. Even though the Evangelist describes very shortly this event of Jesus’ ascension, later on this got so many colors and interpretations.

But I think as real followers we have to see and follow the “core- message” of this narration.

When we celebrate the Ascension, we should take in consideration, what Jesus really wants to convince us through his Incarnation, life, Sufferings and resurrection. Does he really say that he was “taken to somewhere above, to the sky?” I don’t think so.

More over that he want to show us a model of Man – God relation.

He wanted to show how it should be.

A life model, that is to be called “Christian”.

To visit the church and reading Bible never makes one a real Christian. It will make us a “nominal Christian” only. Jesus saw such believers during his life time. Of course not Christians but Jews and others. His discussion with the woman in Samaria was the guideline for the meaning of practicing religion. Adoration in the Spirit of God stood above all the sacrifices offered on the Mountains and many of the spoken – habitual Prayers. Surely, Jesus was and also is not against these kinds of prayers. We need these prayers, surely. But his aim is to “uplift” his followers from this “infantile – Spirituality” to the real worship. All these must be seen as the way to the “contemplative” way to understand and live the Spirit of God.

Jesus lived and taught many of his fellow humans, to get out of the bounds of the normality. Surely he will have to show that; he will have to live that to his last moments on this earth. And that was his mission on earth. To present the people, the new way to God; the meaningful way to God; to uplift them to this new God Realm.

Yes, to uplift the people from the “slavery” of the old practices.

It is more than the work done by Moses,

for the freedom of the People of Israel, from the Egyptian slavery.

Moses was just a mediator between Yahweh and the people of Israel.

Jesus uplifts, but with his own life Model.

Through his willingness to be a man and to live like a man.

Through his willingness to share the eternal and living sharing of the Word of God, Life of God and the Spirit of God. All these were pointing to the one and only aspect. To bring the people of God together, to one AIM. To the higher aim – Closer to GOD.

And the last message, Jesus gives to his followers was clear enough of their Mission. He instructs them to proclaim his word and to baptize them.

Yes, to follow the life that he lived here.

As the first step, to proclaim the life giving word: the word of God the father,

spoken and lived through Jesus the son, and blessed and inspired with the Holy Spirit.

Then to baptize them: baptizing means to accept to the “Communio”,

to the unity.

And now when Jesus leaves the world, he entrusts this mission to his followers. At first to the Apostles, then to all of us, who enjoy the “communio” in the Church.

My dear brothers and sisters,

Jesus wants us to be the sharers of this Ascension-Experience.

He invites us to spiritualize this feast.

Let us make it happen, following his words, and living in the “communio”, with men and GOD. Amen

Sixth Sunday od Easter Year B

1st Reading: Acts of the Apostles 10:25-26.34-35.44-48.
When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him homage.
Peter, however, raised him up, saying, “Get up. I myself am also a human being.”
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.
Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.
While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the word.
The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the holy Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also,
for they could hear them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter responded,
“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people, who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?”
He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Psalms 98:1.2-3.4.
Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done marvelous deeds, Whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
The LORD has made his victory known; has revealed his triumph for the nations to see,
Has remembered faithful love toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth; break into song; sing praise.
2nd Reading: First Letter of John 4:7-10.
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 15:9-17.
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.

Sermon Thoughts

Is Christianity an Ideology? Some may think so, and express their „anxiety“,

Will the church be helpful for the world today?

Will the words of Jesus get acceptance?

But there are also people, who wonder about the presence of the church.

In reality it is well known, how much the world is influenced by the church?

This truth cannot be avoided.

But Christianity is not simply an ideology. More than that, it is life based on the life of Jesus Christ. The life of Jesus reflects in that.

A life, that is so deeply with the Love and God- bound.

„Remain in my Love” Jesus speaks so today.

There are 2 messages in this simple sentence.

„Life“ and „remain“…

Jesus’ petition to us can be shortlisted to the above words. Through these words he reveals two thoughts.

At first we see the life of Jesus, who loved his „FATHER” in Love.

Then he shares this way with us to follow him.

We can speak hours and hours about the Love. We know there are so many ways to express love. But many of them “remain” not long because they are not deep at all.

But the love between Jesus and his father was very special.

Jesus lived this love with full “sense” to show an example for the people of Israel.

In the history of Israel, Yahweh did so many wonders for his people.

They were with this God “on the way”. They had His Presence in the “covenant”. They adored him in the temple.

But God was not a “remaining” or “dwelling” factor for them. They remained a people of Rituals and laws.

They went away “from god” and denied this Love.

Still God accept these people as his own. And that is the great wonder for me.

Now Jesus gives them a good example- Example of Love and “remaining” in it. He “provokes” them in that way:

a provocation to return to the originals.

„One cannot love properly, when the love is not really felt.

One cannot love properly, when the love is not lived.” Once told me a friend. Yes, Love is a “transaction, a give and take”.

But the “durability is very important for that.

Change is “modern” and normal in our world today. There are philosophers, say that change is the basic principle of the universe.

Is love too changeable? How much it brings?

I think these continual changes makes one only restless and will take the happiness away. Where is the time to “love” the love?

Jesus says, „remain in my love“, to enjoy the peace and Happiness in the reality.

Men who found this „dwelling place” remain in Jesus. They have their Peace in Christ and they can give it to others.

The Apostles are good example for this. We heard Peters’ words and deeds in the first reading and it is enough to state this.

To be a People with „Spirit“, yes, with the „divine spirit“, are our call. We can achieve it with Christ, yes with Christ only.

Let us try to remain in his love in this Easter time. Amen