Father John's Message May 2000

Rev. Fr. John Asimacopoulos, Protopresbyter

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May 2000 - The Ascension of the Lord
Message from Father John

May 2000

The Ascension of the Lord

Saying farewell to a loved one is not easy and is something we never fully grow accustomed to doing. Those of us who are immigrants understand in a deeper way.

The Ascension marks the end of Christ's earthly mission and his glorious return to the Father. Christ had achieved the work he was sent to do. While the "trumpets were sounding in heaven to greet the arrival of the ascending Lord," the Apostles must have been experiencing a deep sadness in their hearts at His departure. However, His final words, "I am with you always… Go make disciples of all nations", while full of comfort were Urgent in meaning. Not only was Jesus not abandoning them nor depriving them of His presence but He was entrusting them with the mission of making the love of God the Father known, through joyful and selfless lives in the service of others. In Jesus' absence the disciples are not to remain inactive but to move into the future with courage. They have a vital and essential role to play in announcing the salvation Christ has won on the Cross on Calvary, by transforming death into a dawn of a new life. Jesus will no longer be present in a human body, but the Holy Spirit Who will be their guide and strength as they journey through life will take His place.

If we ponder within our hearts the meaning of this great feast, the Ascension of our Lord, we may come to grasp something of the confidence which God has in us, because the Ascension focuses on what we must do to be with Christ forever. Where He has gone we hope and pray to follow. Like the Apostles, we are at the center of the stage, and our call is also to that of service. We are to continue the work of those who have gone before us and help build up Christ's kingdom. In a world full of homeless, jobless and hungry people, old and young, we turn sorrow into happiness by being His comforting and His every smile. Our lives may be the only book of the Gospel open for people to read. What we are speaks more loudly than either what we say or what we do. Christ is counting on us. Our prayer is the He will renew within us the work of the Spirit so that we may know what is true and have the strength to do what is right.

With love in the Risen Lord,

- Father John

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