"The Deacon's Door"
Ascension of The Lord
(May 24, 2020)
The Chapel of the Ascension on Mount of Olives, Jerusalem is built on
the site where Christians and Muslims believe that Christ was physically lifted
to Heaven. On a rock inside the chapel,
is a stone with a footprint which is identified according to Christian
tradition as the print that Jesus left as he ascended into Heaven.
The Ascension of the Lord is revealed in the Acts of the
Apostles today as part of the first reading: “When they had gathered together,
they asked Him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel?’ He answered, “It is not for you
to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by His own
authority. But you 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…”
As important as this is to our faith, in today’s Gospel, there
in no mention of the Ascension. It is
here that Jesus commissions the disciples to tell the good news to all in the
world. This story is called the
“Commissioning of the Disciples or The Great Commission.
As we celebrate this important weekend in our homes under the
guidelines of isolation and social distancing, we can reflect on this great
commissioning. We are all sent, like the
disciples to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are called to be on a mission and to live
the values of the Gospel as Jesus has taught all of us.
May our lives be lives of discipleship, demonstrated by our
service and sacrifice for others. Let us
all, ordained and lay people of God, be a true witness that others are drawn to. In doing so, we will be assured that we are
living the pascal mystery of Christ.
During this month of
May, let us also continue to call on Our Mother Mary, asking for her
intercessions to keep us from harm and end this pandemic that challenges us in
our daily lives.
“Mary
weeps for all of her children who are suffering during these challenging times
as well as for those who do not yet know her Son, Jesus Christ!”
(Carma Schmidtke)
“Pax et bonum” (Peace and Goodness)
Deacon Jim Patera
319-509-1210 deacon.jim.patera@gmail.com
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