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AMDG
Sharing on Ascension Sunday
By: Nathaniel T. Brazil,
A Sharing delivered at the Church of Saint Marys in Taradale, New Zealand
Our dearly beloved parish priest Fr. Don, Fr. Tery, Bro Ferdinand, My dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ a blessed Sunday.
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the ascension of our Lord to Heaven; I would like to share three points, on the importance of this celebration in our faith.
Back in the Philippines I used to teach secondary school students, One day I ask a student,
After your Graduation what do you want to do?
He answered, I want to go to college.
After college what do you want to do?
-I want to get a job.
Then what do you want to do?
- I want to make big money.
What do you want to do after making money?
- I want to build a big house.
After that ?
- I want to get married.
What will you do after getting married?
- I will have a family.
After that?
- I will retire.
Then?
- I want to take a rest.
What will you do after taking a rest?
- I don’t know.
Then I ask, Will you die?
He answered Oh yes, I will die too.
We are so busy doing things, achieving, making progress that we can forget life is all about, preparing to meet God in heaven. The Ascension of Jesus is a reminder for all of us that we are “only passing through” on this world ,. We are pilgrims on a journey. Just as Jesus’ earthly life was temporary, and he ascended to Heaven, so also our lives here are temporary, will come to an end, and we will meet God in the next life.
Secondly Ascension is a fulfilment of a promise. Jesus had promise us in the gospel, that he would prepare a place for us in heaven. It is like a picture of a mighty general, who after a winning a great war will go back to his homeland, carrying a sword and announcing to his fellow man that he had won the battle. Jesus had won the battle over death! Sin! and evil ! And now he is in heaven, preparing a place for his mighty soldiers, who had been faithful and loyal to him.
Lastly the feast of the ascension is a challenge for us, to proclaim and preach the good news that we had receives from God. In last part of the Gospel for today, Jesus is commanding his apostles and disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Fr. Paul the parish priest in Napier told us that several decades ago New Zealand used to send missionary and priest to the Philippines to assist in the missionary efforts in our place. Today The Philippines is sending missionaries and priests to assist the missionary efforts in New Zealand. I think this event is not just paying back the generosity of the Kiwis to the Filipinos, more than that it is being obedient and faithful to the command of Christ, to make disciples of all nations. Who knows maybe decades from now Kiwi Missionaries and Priests will again be send to the Philippines, to assist our local church. We can do this because Christ is our head, and we are his body. Even though we are Kiwis, Filipinos, Maori, Samoans, Indians, Tongans but for Christ we are all his one body.
May this feast of the Ascension, of our Lord remind us, that Jesus is waiting for us in Heaven.
Amen.
in ombibus caritas
