Glorious Ascension

The Ascension Sunday

Good morning everyone. I am happy to welcome you all to celebrate today’s holy mass and our special welcome to all our visitors, cottagers. And I would like to thank you all for coming today because every time we come to church, our faith becomes bigger and the world becomes smaller yes, we begin to look at every one as our brothers and sisters. Every time we come to church, our hope becomes stronger and our challenges and suffering become shallow and lighter. We begin to keep Christ in everything we do and say and every time we come to church, our charity begins to extend to all and thus we prepare ourselves to enter into the kingdom of God where Christ our Lord is sitting at the right hand of Father God. Yes today’s celebration of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ says that Christ is with the Father extending His love and mercy towards us.

Every body has his or her last words. One day a man was his last words and he said, “I like to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather not screaming in terror like his passengers”.

One day a grandson went to his grandpa and asked, ‘ Grandpa, every body leaves some last words to their family members and what would be your last words for me. The grandpa who was sick looked at him intensely and said, ‘Dear child, do not ever forget that there are two ferocious animals living inside of you, the good one and the bad one. They are always fighting with each other. Which one will win grandpa? The one you feed the most.

Today the Holy Catholic Church celebrates the solemn feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, for forty days was with His disciples and then on fortieth day, in the presence of His apostles and believes ascended into heaven. Yes, His glorious ascension took place as the angels and archangels surrounded him singing, “hosanna”.

The one who descended, the one who came to be with the poor and the needy. The Messiah who was Born in Bethlehem, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and even raised the dead to life, the Christ who was crucified, died and was buried, the Christ who rose from the dead today ascended to heaven.

Before His ascension, He told his disciples that all power and authority had been given to him alone. Yes, nothing can exist without him. There was nothing before Him and there will be nothing after Him. Everything is in Him. Everything comes from Him and goes back to Him alone. He is the ultimate of everything on earth and in heaven.

1. Christ asked His disciples to go everywhere to preach the good news. Yes, He asked them to preach the Good News of Salvation to all. By dying Christ destroyed death and by rising, He restored life. Every living and non-living beings and things belong go Him. Then you may ask what about people who do not recognize Christ, who follow different religions. They are all considered unknown Christians. They need to be told the story of Christ again and again. They need to know the love and kindness of Christ our Lord. As Francis of Assisi says we are all called to preach the good news but we should not used words but we have to set examples. By seeing us, by seeing the way live and enjoying life, people should come to know our God who is almighty and ever living.
2. Jesus asks his disciples to baptized all in the name of the holy trinity. Yes, everyone should belong to God and they need to be baptized in the name of God, son and the Holy Spirit. They should be given the assurance that they are not alone but they are sons and daughters of God.
3. Jesus says that He will be with His believers till the end of time. Nothing to be worried or be afraid of because Christ is with us. So let us do everything thing for his glory and honor. Amen.