+ In our liturgy today, we continue to move now more closely to
the feasts of the Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost, the birth day of the
Church. Jesus is trying to make a few connections that will last
with the Apostles who would be his representatives and vehicles of divine grace
so that he, himself, could remain with us to the end of time as he promised.
The primary connection is that
he and the Father in heaven are one! Simple enough to say, but o so difficult
to get into the heads and hearts of the chosen band. But without this
connection, there are no other connections at all.
It is the Father’s idea, our
redemption; it is the Father’s idea, our sanctification; it is the Father’s
idea, our protection until that last trumpet sounds – and yes, there will be
trumpets – you can rest assured of that.
The second connection is that:
the amazing works that the apostles will do, such as the healing of those in
need of it, as a witness to the resurrection power of Jesus, is not the work of
the gods, as in pagan deities, but rather it is the work of God, God the
Creator, God the Father of All, God the Healer and Reconciler of All. So the
reaction of the Greeks to the miracles of Paul and Barnabas are rather amusing
while at the same time off-base, as they try to offer sacrifices to them,
thinking them gods.
But the third connection is
this: that, in sorting it all out, it will be one of the tasks of the sent Holy
Spirit to “teach us everything, and to remind us of all that Jesus told us,”
because all that Jesus told us needs to be pondered, prayed about, and acted
upon – so that the Promise of Forgiveness of Sins, the Resurrection of the Dead
and Life Everlasting will really happen for all who believe it can happen, and
who want it with all their hearts.
The choice is ours, it is
always ours: do we want to be among the crowd that believes, loves and serves
Christ where he is to be found – daily – in the people we come into contact
with! That’s all there really is to it!
Not to us, O Lord, but to you
name give the glory, both now and forever.
Amen.
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